Finished reading Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay. It’s a chilling tale of panic when an emerging virus presents itself to the world. There are some parallels to the present, but Mr. Tremblay creates his own spin on the ability of the government and medical establishment to stop the spread of the deadly virus. My only quibble with the story, was the alternating chapters between the main protagonists. It felt disjointed at time. Overall though, a frightening tale of what if.

This may be the best Tremblay book yet. Gripping, fast-paced, horrifying, heartfelt, and scary, all in one book. The story of the spread of a super-rabies, hospitals overrun by sick or feared-sick, vigilantes, attempts to vaccinate wild animals, this book was just all about fear. What happens when we are afraid, what kind of person will you become? The main story of Natalie and Ramola was really compelling and interesting, and it just didn't end like I expected. Tremblay always takes a moment to philosophize and explain the "nature of humanity," which he still managed to do, but in this book it didn't feel as intrusive. Though I may not always love his books, I look forward to reading each one as it emerges, crawling from his crazy crazy head.

This is a classic horror movie of a novel, an actual yell at the characters book (seriously, everyone get back to me when they get to the part that had me shouting "Get down the stairs!" at the phone on which I was reading this and let's commiserate) that's full of tension, gore, wise-cracking teens, and shitty militia dipshits. Now that we're all a lot more familiar with epidemics and quarantines and resources being stretched to their absolute limit than we ever wanted to be, the only thing I think Tremblay really got wrong is that "The National Guard is overseeing the distribution of rations." This was messed up enough that I had to stop reading it after the sun went down and that's good praise from me.

I read this book seven weeks into the pandemic and I am someone who has leaned into consuming fiction and films about pandemics/disasters/apocalyptic scenarios. I found this to be a thrilling read- frightening at times and uncomfortably relatable. It's basically a zombie apocalypses except the zombies are not the undead- they are infected with rabies. I recommend this book if you are interested in engaging with the disaster scenario central to the book.

Survivor Song was frighteningly/coincidentally well-timed for the current pandemic going on. The book illustrates well, the start of and spread of an infections rabies-like disease that has a very short incubation period (hours instead of days to weeks).

Set from the perspective of a doctor, Ramola (or Rams), and her very pregnant friend Natalie. Dr. Ramola is racing to attempt to save her friend’s life, who was attacked by a sick man, who broke into her home and killed her husband in a disease-infected rage. The entire book is set over the course of mere hours- desperately seeking out help for Natalie and her unborn child while navigating the obstacles of a horrifying, chaotic, community that is unpredictable and dangerous.

While clearly fictional, it created a realistic enough portrayal of events (shockingly similar to current events)-quarantines to limit spread, hospitals that are overrun- that allowed for the mind to wonder “what if” several times throughout the story.

I appreciate the inner workings of the character’s minds as they contemplate what is going on and how to handle each situation thrown their way. I honestly think my only critique would be the use of so many “4 dollar words.” While I’m an unapologetic word-fiend, there seem to be an excessive amount of them, it was especially distracting when they came from the perspective of characters least likely to even know those words exist. However, the story was not lost- just interrupted by dictionary visits.

I read this in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of it and mourned the loss of characters I came to appreciate. If you’re looking for a page turner, you’ve come to the right place!

Survivor Song is a break-neck paced thriller about a rabies virus outbreak in New England. Pregnant Natalie is attacked and her husband killed by someone who is infected, leaving Natalie to turn to her closest friend, Ramola, who also happens to be a doctor. While worrying about whether or not Natalie is infected, the two women desperately race to get her baby delivered just in case. Along the way they encounter more infected people, infected animals, two teenage zombie hunters and a group of militia vigilantes convinced that foreign governments deliberately caused an outbreak. While completely different than the current pandemic the world is battling, the book paints a stark picture of how quickly people can spiral out of control during deadly circumstances, and how difficult it can be to contain something that spreads easily and quickly. This is a good story, but intense, and may not be for everyone in normal times - let alone in 2020!

Gripping read! An eerily similar book to read during a pandemic. Once you start reading be prepared to stay up well past your bedtime turning the pages.

Well, this was definitely a very timely read, considering the Coronavirus crisis we're currently in. I was super excited to receive this arc but unfortunately it didn't blow me away like I was hoping it would.

While I enjoyed the dual narration of Ramola and Natalie, I never fully connected with them, and the secondary characters were very underdeveloped. I would have liked more world building, especially in regards to the early days of the virus, since the novel takes place after it has already begun and only takes place over the course of several hours. The pacing was also lacking, as there were no surprising turn of events or twists to wow me. It was very formulaic, with nothing that made it stand out from the hordes (pun intended) of other zombie novels.

Boy, talk about a timely book. With all it's mentions of social distancing, quarantine, PPE, and so forth, this book couldn't have come at a better time. Tremblay's novel concerns an outbreak of a super-rabies virus in the Boston area and the travails that follow two women friends, one in the late stages of pregnancy, the other a doctor, as they try to get to a hospital so one of them, possibly infected, can give birth before it's too late. Much of the novel is very tense and scary and quite realistic--a zombie novel in real time, tracking their movements across the city as they try to get medical attention. There are rioters, looters, right wing nutcases, a number of infected humans, and a lot of infected animals, all of which our intrepid pair must navigate. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of downtime, as we flashback to when the two became friends, chronicle the course of their friendship, and get some cutesy stuff with the expectant mother trying to record some memories for her child on a cell phone. Interestingly, two teenage boys on bicycles make an appearance somewhere past the novel's midpoint, straight out of Tremblay's earlier novel Disappearance at Devil's Rock (is he setting the stage for a shared universe, ala Stephen King? If there were allusions to his other work, they went over my head). It isn't a bad book and parts of it had me gripped and reading long past when I should have been thinking of sleep. But, ultimately, it seems a bit lacking. In its laser focus on these two women, the other characters are largely undeveloped and the incidents surrounding their cross-city journey seem a bit underdeveloped as well. I'm still waiting for Tremblay to completely knock me out with one of his books and I thought this might finally be the one, but, ultimately, it proved to be something of a disappointment.

This feels like a quick read even though it's a little over 300 pages. It takes place in one day during a rabies outbreak that is spreading quickly among animals and has a short incubation period in humans. When Natalie and her husband are bitten by an infected human, Natalie meets her friend Ramola who is a doctor. They spend the day trying to get help for Natalie and her unborn baby. It is a story of survival because the infected people act like deranged zombies, uninfected humans are dangerous as well and the hospitals and emergency personnel are overwhelmed. The chapters alternate between Natalie and Ramola and it's interesting to read from an infected person's point of view.

*SIGH* It was a little to politically-motivated for me, and the "epidemic" hit a bit too hard right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. I didn't really get into the book, didn't care for the characters and would say that I would not recommend it unless you are desperate for something to read.

Reading about a pandemic during a pandemic may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this story held my interest from the beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins/William Morrow for sharing Paul Tremblay’s latest. Due to its subject matter (a rabies pandemic) and the current state of the world I’m not sure my review could ever be fair to the author. This book made me feel exceptionally uneasy and nervous, and not in the typical good thriller way. Despite not feeling an overwhelming amount of anxiety about the coronavirus situation, this book sent me over the edge. If you’re a fan of the author’s, I would recommend the book, but I wouldn’t read it until the real world settles a bit. Too distressing.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more from him. This book is full of suspense and characters that fight for their survival. I had no problems connecting to the characters and they pulled me into the story from the beginning. There is a new strain of rabies terrorizing people. Natalie gets bitten by a rabid person and finds herself in a fight for her life and the life of her baby. Can her friend Ramola save her before it is too late? I highly recommend this book.

I've been meaning to read one of Tremblay's books for a while, as I've heard such good things. Wow. Dang. This was really really good. Like...I read it in one sitting good. The characterization was tremendous. I feel like I know these people. I wish Nat and Rams were my friends. They felt like my friends. And the terror and growing dread was so real, and things just KEPT GETTING CRAZIER. This book goes in my very short list of recommended apocalyptic books, because the people felt real, the scenario felt (let's be honest, WAY TOO REAL), and the challenges they were faced with turned an innocuous suburb into a terrifying place. Bravo. I can't wait to see my library patrons check it out and take it home. I hope this gets adapted into a movie/show. In the right hands, this would make The Walking Dead look like a walk in the park.

This was a very interesting take on a pandemic, which came at an interesting time. I was rooting for Natalie and Rams the whole way.

Oh. My. God. In the era of the pandemic, this novel literally couldn't have been more timely. I can't decide if I'm more thrilled or terrified, but this was just too good.

"Survivor Song" is set in a waaay too familiar context: Massachusetts is under strict lockdown, terrorized by an unfamiliar new virus which spreads through saliva. Thankfully, it's not all that realistic with its horror undertones; the virus is basically rabies on steroids, making anyone who's infected go mad almost immediately. Victims attack other people in animalistic ways, spreading pure panic amongst the population.

The protagonists of the novel are Rams, an experienced doctor fighting the epidemic, and Natalie, a pregnant widow who got infected in the same attack that killed her husband. The plot evolves around their dangerous journey to the hospital to save Natalie and her baby.

This book is totally nuts. I'm so glad it made its way to my Kindle library, although I might be having some very related nightmares in the nearest future. This book is for you ONLY if you're willing to risk that. Heck, it's probably worth it.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an early copy of this book from the Scene of the Crime group.

This is my first introduction to Paul Tremblay, and while I liked the writing at times I felt there was to much description at times that took away from the suspense of the story. The author got the behaviors of the current population and what is going on now.

This is the story of a mutated rabies virus that is spreading throughout the animal and human populations of the U.S. Natalie's husband Paul runs to the grocery store (and again the experience mirrors the current COVID-19 situation.) When he gets back Paul is violently attacked in her presence and then dies. Natalie is bit by the man while she is trying to defend Paul and herself. She gets away and finds her friend Ramona and the race is on.

So if you can handle a story about a rabies gone rampant amid all of the COVID-19 craziness, then I recommend you read this book! If it all still to fresh for you, you may want to wait a while before reading this.

I'm firmly on the fence with this one. I've yet to read a Paul Tremblay, and this was certainly a nice introduction. And I loved the lines about this book not being a fairy tale, but a song. It was such a beautiful introduction to a bleak book. And there's some lovely stuff in here, including a frightening parallel to the virus that's currently rampaging the globe. But there's some that is predictable and tired.

We start with the shocking attack on Natalie and her husband, Paul, who are in the midst of a deadly rabies-like virus that is rampaging Massachusetts (and presumably elsewhere) and leaving the infected stark raving mad, biting everything in sight and passing on their sickness. The government's response has been less than effective, and people are starting to rebel.

We then meet pediatrician Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, who receives a frightening phone call from Natalie: her husband is dead and she's been bitten. Oh and to make matters worse, she is nearing the end of her pregnancy.

Ramola immediately agrees to help her best friend and what follows is the fight for their lives as they try to make it to a hospital before infection sets in and Natalie succumbs. And there is peril on every turn...

There are definitely moments of heart in your throat panic in these pages. The initial scene of the attack on Natalie and her husband unfolds quickly and terrifyingly. The action slows for awhile until we reach more nail biting moments as Natalie and Rams race to get Natalie and her baby to safety.

Unfortunately, there's a little bit that gets in the way of the pacing. In the middle of a life or death race against time and the rampaging infected, Ramola's parts get a wee bit purple. There's just too much introspection and reminiscing and it takes me out of the scene. And while I really appreciate that there are two distinct voices (I've been reading a lot of books where characters are virtually indistinguishable from one another), I'm not sure why male writers think women swear like sailors. Yes, I know some women are like this. I know some, am related to some. But I feel like Natalie's characterization and her incessant reliance on a variation of f--- gets distracting quickly.

I'm also disappointed that this felt like a garden variety "they've got the virus so everyone's biting each other and the infection is spreading." Though it wasn't quite a zombie tale (I did really like Ramola's desire to attach humanity to the victims), I was hoping for something different, fresher.

And I get it--the current administration is Republican, so here come the spate of "the president, government, etc. etc. is ineffective, incompetent, etc. etc. books. Everyone does this. Likewise, the ever-present line of "I'm not religious/don't believe, etc." All I needed was the white suburban dads who turn into camo-wearing, crossbow-wielding hicks and I was not disappointed. These things are nitpicky, but when you read a lot, it gets a tad...cliche.

The ending was bittersweet, and I appreciated leaving on a high, though sad, note.

A special thanks to William Morrow and their Scene of the Crime book club, through which I was able to review this e-galley.

Ok I’m exhausted! After reading Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay this weekend I have anxiety, exhaustion, and jaw pain caused by my mouth hanging wide open. This is easily my favorite book of his. It takes place in Massachusetts, present day. Natalie is pregnant and about to give birth any day and lives with her husband Paul. There is a quarantine going on due to animals and people being infected with rabies and attacking other people. This horrible strain of rabies takes an hour or so to get to its full effect unlike regular rabies. Natalie’s husband is attacked by their neighbor and in the process of trying to help him she gets bitten. She escapes and called her friend Rams, a pediatrician to help her get to the hospital. Supposedly if you get a vaccine in enough time you will not end up getting rabies. This story is about Rams and Natalie journeying through an apocalyptic nightmare. Tremblay has a way of describing action scenes that make it easy to picture. And there’s a lot of action in this one. I will not soon forget what happens in this book. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart or squeamish. Thank you to the publisher in and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.