I couldn’t put this book down, although I can’t say that I enjoyed it since I was reading it in the middle of a pandemic! I finished a few weeks ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. The characters haunt me. Wright is an excellent storyteller and really did his research about the “what if” of pandemics. I highly recommend.

I just finished reading The End of October, which is a questionable book to read during the present pandemic, but the novel is very informative as well as entertaining. The history of previous pandemics interest those in the throes of the present one, and there are few facets of life untouched in our situation, as in the story’s. The parallels are unmistakable and Wright’s grasp of political possibilities as well as the loss of infrastructure are chilling. The book is reminiscent of Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone, which was nonfiction but more startling because of how close the country came to non-contained exposure of deadly viruses. Now we are facing what was then foretold, and October is more than a cautionary tale; thoughtful and thought-provoking as well. It should be required reading for our present day.

Yikes! This is one of the best, and most terrifying, books I have ever read. If the author had come to me and proposed this book, I would have said there is no way you could put all of those different things in a book and make it work. I would have been totally wrong. Lawrence Wright is an amazing writer! I have heard that he began this book in 2017, and all I keep thinking is how scary it is that a lot of this is happening now. Everyone should read this book! It will make you think for a very long time. Pure excellence!!!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance digital edition for review.
Written before covid-19, many details in this story of a pandemic are very accurate to what people have seen happen. I found it a bit difficult to read while social isolating at home, since I was trying to escape reality and not read about one similar but worse than what we in the U.S. have so far experienced. Henry, the epidemiologist, who first discovers the outbreak is a well-developed and engaging character. Though he is flawed he risks everything to find a cure. The reader is drawn into the story and the lives of the characters. The plot moves along quickly and the story is not easily put down. I just hope that more of the events in the novel do not come to pass!

I read this about 7 weeks into the pandemic and I am someone who has been leaning into pandemic and disaster/apocalyptic fiction and films. It feels weird to say I enjoyed this book, but I found it to be an expansive account of a realistic pandemic. I found the authors research to be credible and while parts of the story were a bit jumbled at times, overall I recommend this read if you are interested in engaging in a fictional account of a pandemic somewhat similar but overall much deadlier than covid-19.

I am not even sure where to begin with this book. It was like I was watching the nightly news every time I read a page. Fiction that is a the same as truth and expertly written by the author. An unputdownable read.

Not my usual genre, but given current events was very intrigued. Very glad I decided to branch out, as The End of October was a well written, well researched story. The crazy part is this was written before the current pandemic, but it so closely mimics current events. I wish the ending had been played out a bit more, but overall I really enjoyed it.

This was an excellent book worthy of a solid 4.5 stars. It is a medical thriller, yet it is more than that. There is so much scientific and mediical information that it almost feels like non-fiction. I learned so much about viruses and epidemiology!

Our protagonist, Dr. Henry Parsons, is a world-renowned epidemiologist working for the World Health Organization following diseases around the world. At the beginning of the book, he stumbles upon the beginning of a nightmare of a virus. While he and his cohorts struggle to learn more about the virus, it goes on infecting and killing people as they move around the world, starting in Indonesia and traveling fast. The plot moved quickly and I had to reread some parts to keep track of what was happening, but I loved it.

Some may wonder about the wisdom of reading a book about a global pandemic while in the midst of a global pandemic, but when I heard what this book was about, I knew I had to read it. It was fascinating reading. There were some days I watched the news later after reading part of this book, and I had to remind myself the book I was reading was fiction!

This book was well-written and well-researched, and the character development was strong.

I will recommend it to readers who like books about science and medicine with a fast-paced plot.

Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing advanced digital access in exchange for my honest review.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright’s novel is a terrifyingly prescient story of a flu pandemic. See below for the link to my full review on Bookreporter.

What is the gravest threat to human civilization? Nuclear warfare? Climate change? Biowarfare? A pandemic?
Author Lawrence Wright thoughtfully answers that question in his second novel, "The End of October."

In "The End of October," Wright imagines a world ravaged by a novel virus that sweeps across the globe. The virus, which originates in Asia, forces whole countries to go into isolation, brings global travel to a standstill and causes widespread fear. Then, as summer arrives, it brings with it a return to normalcy.

"Schools around the country had been reopened as the pandemic lost its grip. People were returning to work, filling up restaurants, and flocking to theaters and sporting events. They stopped wearing respirator masks, drinking in the air that had just recently been so treacherous."

That reprieve is short-lived as a second wave of the virus, deadlier than the first, hits — overwhelming health care systems; crippling economies and killing millions..

While I sometimes wished to read more about Jill and the kids and thought, at times, it was too heavy not the war build up, I really enjoyed it And, how often do you walk away from a novel with a better understanding of pandemics, viruses, vaccines and political ineptitude. This is a must read.
Thanks to Knopf for providing me with a NetGalley Copy to read. #TheEndofOctober #NetGalley
Read my article/interview with Lawrence Wright at: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/lawrence-wrights-worst-case-scenario-pandemic-novel-the-end-of-october-eerily-close-to-current,603682

This book IS amazing. Not for just the obvious, that it reads like current events in this Covid 19 pandemic, but for how well it is written.
I learned so much about the science and history of viruses, epidemics and pandemics along with the research, failures and vaccines that were developed--much more in depth than what I'm reading and hearing in current coverage of Covid 19.
I like the variety of characters and how their stories are developed--personal, scientific, political & professional stories are woven throughout the book as the characters live through the pandemic.
A great read, I highly recommend it.

Okay, maybe not the best choice for March 2020, but I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. Good plot, though I found the jumps in time (and subsequent skipping of the details of daily life) a bit odd. But maybe that’s because all we have right now are the details of daily life.

The End of October is a wonderful exciting thriller. I'm sure the book was written well before the coronavirus pandemic, but it really gave a terrifying look at the realities of contagious disease and epidemics. Wright throws a lot of scientific information at the reader which is both interesting and engaging; however, at times the amount of it seemed to overtake the plot. In addition, some of the subplots regarding politics and terrorism seemed a bit clunky when compared to the story arc. Overall I really enjoyed the book. I thriller was gripping, interesting, and almost educational.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review The End of October.

Wow, this was sure taken from today's headlines. Everything from the natural viruses vs lab created viruses, Trump-like President and Pence-like VP, to second waves of epidemics, to falling stock markets. Since I know the author didn't write this in the last month, he is very prescient. I liked the main character, Dr. Henry Parsons, and his travails both investigating the outbreak, trying to come up with a vaccine or treatment, all the while concerned for his family back in the U.S. Would recommend this book. (I also posted this review to GoodReads).

The End of October by Lawrence Wright is a riveting look at the inside workings of how a world deals with a pandemic. Sounds eerily familiar, right? This book provides the reader with an inside fictional look at how the world can conquer the devastating effects of the pandemic and the challenges that it brings to all of the citizens. This indefinitely a medical thriller perfect for the time period we are living through. Read and enjoy!

This is an astonishing novel that is close enough to the present pandemic to give any reader a dry cough, fever and shortness of breath. A famous virologist discovers a deadly illness in Asia that quickly spreads worldwide. Lawrence Wright, whose “The Looming Tower” was among the very best of the 9/11 nonfiction books, captures the medical, social, emotional and political repercussions do an infectious virus with skill and page-turning urgency. Scary as today’s headlines, it is sure to be an instant best-seller.

Main doctor/scientist character is compelling. Very scientific and explains viruses well Nails the current geopolitical scene. However, I'm a huge fan of Lawrence Wright's nonfiction but this fiction novel falls short in terms of transition and overall writing quality.

PSA -- I rarely give 5 stars to a fiction book but this one completely blew me away! To say that it is prescient and timely is an understatement. If you have a desire to really understand what is going on in the world right now, this is a novel that you cannot afford to miss! It is shocking and absorbing with so much information that I can't even relay it in a review. I was overcome with so many emotions as I read this and I think it is one that every sentient being on the planet cannot afford to miss this year.

It starts with a few cases in an Indonesian camp set aside for Muslims with HIV. Termed the Kongoli virus, this is a killer unlike anything seen since the pandemic Spanish Flu of 1918. As it infects the entire world, there are only a few who understand what has happened and its ramifications. Doctor and epidemiologist, Henry Parsons, is one of those few. His history is unusual, he's gone around the globe fighting epidemics of horrific proportion. "Science knows no borders, nor does disease -- especially a disease that can literally fly across international boundaries." This novel explores the nature of a virus unlike any that has occurred in recent human history and its aftermath is beyond chilling. "Disease was more powerful than armies. Disease was more arbitrary than terrorists. Disease was crueler than human imagination." The entire world is under attack and there is no treatment for the scourge affecting the world population. There are no spoilers here but I urge you to read this chilling story of a world in ruins.

The writing and research involved in this novel are of epic proportions. The science, the human component, the political fallout are all so vividly described. If you only read one book this year, I urge you to pick up this one. I know it's going to be tough as you sit in self-quarantine lock-down with little information on our own situation with COVID-19, but the message within is extremely powerful and must be communicated. Don't be complacent. "But nature is not a stable force. It evolves, it changes, and it never comes complacent." Our way of life, our civilization, our future depends on us getting a handle on these organisms and saving humanity. This is real. And I realize this is a work of fiction, but it is so eerily close to what is happening now that it totally petrified me. Maybe you don't have the stomach or nerve to read this now while you are sitting at home in isolation and worrying about your family and your job, but I'm telling you that our lives are now entering into the phase of nightmare and this book puts it all out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf Publishers for this e-book ARC to read, review, and highly recommend. DO NOT MISS IT.

I read The End of October while I'm home during the closing of all non-essential businesses in my town during the current pandemic. It was so interesting to find that the author described a situation so similar to what's happening now. I really liked seeing how the CDC employees work to get to the origin of the virus. Seeing how the characters deal with disastrous situations with bravery makes me think about how I would handle something like that.

I got this ARC prior to the Covid19 pandemic reaching the US and forgot exactly what it was about until I started reading it about 3 weeks into my state's stay-at-home order. It is very well written, but not a book I would have picked out to read during a pandemic. I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of this. It seems very well researched and the writing is great. The last third fell apart for me. The storyline became less cohesive and the book seems to turn into a Hollywood movie. I appreciate how much research and planning went into this book and that it describes an even worse scenario than what I am living in.