It is so surreal to be reading this book now in the midst of our own pandemic with it playing out, at least in the beginning, so much like our own. This book is very well written and kept my attention throughout.

It's strange to read a book about a pandemic during a pandemic. Unfortunately, this book fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for some tension, and it felt more like a book about toddler tantrums and meal planning (which I know a lot about and don't need to read. ha!). Overall, it was a decent read but not super exciting.

Absolutely brilliant account of a mother's love and what she will do to protect her family. If I'm being totally honest, this is NOT what I was expecting for a book categorized as women's fiction. It was much better!

I understand that this book is not about the virus itself but how a mother acts to protect her family. So there is a deadly virus going around but it hasn't reached to the town where Hannah, her husband and kids live. However, Hannah is taking serious precautions to avoid her family getting infected. For example, she stopped sending her son to school, and she told them that they could talk to the neighbors over the fence and from a save distance.

Nothing wrong with that, actually, is just that the development was so slow that I was going crazy just wondering if the story was going somewhere. The story is interesting but I would need more action and less dragging.

This book drew me in right away. I love putting myself in the what would I do action. I related so much with the mom Hannah trying desperately to save her kids. I was looking for a bit more action but the story did make me flip pages to see if this family would survive the flu like epidemic. Interesting premise and great character development between all the family members.

Caution comes naturally to a mother, but when it runs so deeply it affects feelings of humanity, has it gone too far?

Hannah is a devoted wife and mother unwilling to take chances with her family. Sure, all mothers claim to do the same thing, but it's just not true. Do you panic when a stranger picks up your fallen child? Do you dread the possibility of his germs? What about shaking hands? If your elderly parent needs lifesaving medicine, are you afraid to exchange money, probably laden with germs, for it? Imagine a starving child in line for food, yet unable to accept a full plate for fear his server will transmit germs? It sounds preposterous, doesn't it? We all know deadly germs are real, yet we still live life normally refusing to allow fear to rule us. The decisions we make are the difference between life and death.

When a devastating virus breaks out, Hannah is prepared, or at least she thinks she is. The reality is that this horror could actually happen. I've thought about it myself, and author Amanda Hickie does a fabulous job of drawing the reader into Hannah's world, where even her family doubts her sanity at times.

Dystopian and apocalyptic fans will revel in this story, especially those devoted to their family's safety. The choices made in this book are hard ones, but the choice to read it should not be. This was a gripping find written in an unusual style. It kept me turning pages.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked one of the biggest books of 2016, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, then you need to check out Before This Is Over, by Amanda Hickie.

While Station Elven looked at the national consequences of a fast moving pandemic, Before This Is Over focuses on one family, and the radical changes in their comfortable suburban life necessitated by a modern plague.

A fast moving, flu-like illness sweeps around the world, catching Hannah and most of the society unaware. Quick witted, if somewhat naive, Hannah races to gather her family and prepare for the undefined threat. But how much food is enough? How much water, energy, basic resources western civilization takes for granted, will the family need to survive a threatened quarantine? How long will they need to hold out, and will they be able to endure?

Most of us have never been forced to make hard decisions regarding the survival of our loved ones, let alone face the consequences of choices made regarding neighbors, children, community and friends. What emotional cost, what damage to our psyche is too much to bear?

The premise to the novel may seem farfetched to some, but author Amanda Hickie’s life in Canada gave her a unique perspective on this apocalyptic tale. Hickie and her family were living on Toronto when it became the epicenter of the 2003 SARS outbreak in that country.

Compelling, frightening and intensely personal, Before This Is Over looks at one woman’s battle for her family in a suddenly unfamiliar world.

Four out of five stars.

Netgalley provided me with a complimentary copy for review.

This was a wonderful book, a true story of a mothers love - no matter what she is faced with. It had me gripped from the start and I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened.... you won't be disappointed.

This book was so creepy and chilling and I cant say enough good things about it. This book was a book that made me lose sleep and trust me I like my sleep. Highly recommend.

Did not like this book and was unable to finish it.

In a world where we are now dealing with superbugs and other viruses this is a book that forces the reader to think: What would I do if an epidemic was spreading and you were trapped in your home with not only your two sons and husband, but also another young child.
This is a story of a mother trying to keep her family safe and alive in the middle of a disaster in Australia.. I found the story well written and engaging. I wanted to put all else aside and read straight through. This story will provoke much discussion and will stay with the reader. It could be a geed choice for a reading group as long as they were aware of the storyline ahead of time. This book made me want to create an emergency plan just in case. Very well done and an amazing debut novel

This is a book that will most definitely keep you your heart pounding.
What if, in order for you and your family to stay alive, you must all be locked in your home to live on the supplies that you have within your cupboards, without any outside help, electricity, heat or water? What do you do as you learn that friends, family are dying everywhere is the area you live and everyday it gets closer and closer to killing you?
I enjoyed the entire book, and the feelings of fear and desperation of all the people inside of this story were so real.
It sure made me think and I am still thinking of this book.

I just completed Before This Is Over by Amanda Hickie an advanced copy sent to me by Net Galley. First and foremost this is a well written book. About a family that is caught in an epidemic and the population is dying all around them. The book is about what a mother would do to save her family at any cost. The book was suspenseful and I read it in a couple of days. I did fell however that it was drawn out a little too long and things could have moved a little faster. Again I liked the book. I would read other works by this author since it was wrote so well Thanks Net Galley for the read.

This book is fantastic! Inspired by the SARS outbreak in Toronto, this story looks at one woman's plight to keep her family safe after a virus outbreak. I had never read an apocalyptic or pandemic book before, and this was an amazing start!

I loved the calendar at the beginning of each chapter, it put a perspective on the timeline. There were some parts that moved slower, but I think that that just added to the anticipation and immersion. Everything isn't always going to be exciting and crazy. I have also realized that my own emergency preparedness isn't up to par, and I better get working on that.

The only real question that lingers: Did Zac ever get a smartphone once this was over?

This is an interesting novel about what happens within a family as a viral epidemic begins to spread around the world, including in their community. This virus essentially traps this family of 4 in their home and this novel tells the story of how they cope with having such little control over what comes next. I found this fascinating … I’m always wondering what we’d do if this sort of epidemic started in our world today. I really enjoyed this novels exploration of this scenario.

I thought the author did a wonderful job covering the physical and emotional impact of this on each of the characters. The writing was well done and I felt like the author was able to weave a feeling of claustrophobia into each word. I kept feeling as if I was being forced into a small space and trying to survive as I read. I was at the grocery store and kept thinking about how this would not be an option … and how I’d feel if the shelves were empty and we were hungry. She made that aspect of fear and frustration come alive for me. The panic of trying to make your food and water last, trying to decide how to treat my neighbors who need help, etc. It just came alive in this book!

The characters aren’t particularly engaging, but they did feel real to me. But, I would guess that might be intentional since we’re seeing people at a desperate time, one that can change how they are and how they experience the world. Perhaps I’d have liked them better if I’d seen any warmth or something from them? I don’t know but they weren’t what I’d call likeable … yet they were understandable.

All in all, this is a good book that I recommend especially if you are interested in the idea of how people react to a worldwide epidemic as it comes closer to their own home and family.

Manba is a virus like SARS that is spreading worldwide and, in Australia, a paranoid and extremely annoying helicopter mother, Hannah, sees danger everywhere. It turns out that she was right to stockpile food, because her family winds up being trapped in their house for a few weeks to avoid contagion.

I was expecting a story with some tension, but instead I got a boring story of meal planning and a lot of games to keep toddlers occupied. I kept reading to see whether something would actually happen in this book but it never did. In addition to not having any real sense of danger, another problem I had with the book was that the author didn't give me a reason to root for this family. Hannah was an unpleasant character throughout and her husband was a doormat. She is not a person I would want around in a crisis. She very grudgingly helped an elderly neighbor, a three year old girl and her son's schoolmate (and gave no help at all to the family's cat). I understand wanting to protect one's family, but her "us first" attitude was repugnant. I know exactly how she would vote if she were an American.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

There a very few books that I can't force myself to get through. This unfortunately was one of them. There was no character development in the first 25% of the book and it was quite choppy. Sometimes the husband didn't seem to be fazed my the crisis other times he was very distressed by it so it was really conflicting.

I could not turn away from this book. Not for a moment, not to deal with the real world, not to eat, and most definitely not to sleep. In fact, I stayed up well into the wee hours of the night, because there could be no sleep until I reached the end, the suspense was that real. The terror was palpable, leaving me wondering if I could be that strong, if I had enough canned goods in the pantry, should I have a rain cistern?

Frightening because it bordered so close to reality. A smidge to the left, and it would no longer be fiction. A little too close for comfort is a light way of putting it. It kept my heart racing and ratcheted up my anxiety, but all in the best ways.

Despite its thrilling nature, there was something equally strong at play, and equally as powerful. The love and devotion to family. That self sacrificing gene that all good mothers possess, that inner strength and will not only to live, but to keep those you love living as well, through force if necessary and damn all those that try to stand in your way.

At the heart a story of courage, of strength through adversity, and what can be accomplished when the world threatens a mother's children. Chilling, heartwarming, and inspiring. What a combination. Absolutely 5 stars. ~ George, 5 stars

Before This is Over
Amanda Hickie
Available: Now

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The premise intrigued me to read – who doesn’t ever think of how they will deal with a disaster? Not the Zombie Apocalypse type, but a true epidemic – wouldn’t you wonder how you would survive? Would you take care of others or only be concerned about yourself? How would you fill the hours?
What I loved: I think my favorite how Hannah maintained her composure for most of the book – I would have freaked out, run outside and screamed for someone to save me but she was calm, cool, collected and most of all prepared. At first I thought she was an overprotective whack-a-doodle but even Chicken Little is right some of the time.
What I didn’t love: As I was reading, this story reminded me of another book – “The Things That Keep Us Here” by Carla Buckley from 2011. Another family in another disaster in another country but the similarities were a little too close from time to time – the neighbor kid, scrounging for food, etc. Also – what ever happened to Daniel and his family?
What I learned: I’ve got to make a Costo run – right now.
Overall Grade: B

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This book takes the whole "end of the world" thing to a whole 'nuther level.
One of the main characters Hannah, is a helicopter mom's role model. Once she hears of a virus that is starting to make rounds, she starts stockpiling the groceries. She then decides to keep everyone in her family at home. That will keep them safe.

Turns out that Hannah was right. The virus starts wiping the population out. But Hannah had prepared and she guards her family. At all costs. I can see where she was going with the whole protection mom thing but she turns a cold eye to her neighbors at times. They might be contagious. (Get ready to read about lots of sanitizer, masks and gloves if you read this one)

They do end up helping a few of them out. But honestly? The characters in this book got on my dang nerves. I felt like I was trapped in that house with them.
It felt like this book went on forever. With those same aggravating people.

I don't think I'd survive the Apocalypse. Even though I've read enough of this type book to be an expert.
There are some stories starting to go around about the bird flu being here in my state. I'm skeered, but I can't go all Hannah. I think I'll go with one of my favorite internets people. Ms. Pooh.
My rating reflects how boring it was to be trapped in a house with young children, teenagers, an uptight woman and her long suffering not too smart husband.