This was an interesting book - not due to it being about a virus, I've had quite enough of that. But what I did enjoy was the setting; having it set in Russia, starting near Moscow and then moving north past St Petersburg, made it quite fascinating. It certainly made a wonderful change from all the similar books set in the US! I did enjoy the difference in customs and behaviour, and although it seems to end somewhat abruptly, looking back at the title I can see the reason for that.
I must mention the excellence of the translator - very well done.
I haven't seen the Netflix series so read this with no preconceptions.

Cor, I absolutely LOVED this book! I have always been a fan of post-apocalyptic and pandemic type novels, but for obvious reasons didn’t really go near them for a while. I read The End of Men a few months ago and it well and truly whet my appetite for revisiting the genre and so when To The Lake crossed my path, I just knew I had to read it.

Written before the Covid pandemic and based on a real-life flu epidemic in Moscow, this book examines what happens when a deadly flu virus sweeps the world and how it impacts both a small group of people and society. Written from the perspective of a woman named Anya, Vagner allows us inside her head to take us on an intense and compelling journey.

Anya lives with her son, Mishka and her husband, Sergey in a beautiful house just outside Moscow. The book opens with the death of her mother, a victim of the illness which has been felling Moscovites left, right and centre. It started as something inconsequential but soon the theatres and opera were closed, and then the schools, then overnight the city was barricaded. Anya’s mother who lived inside the city stood no chance, and Anya is trapped outside the walls, unable to get to one of the people she loves the most. As the epidemic grows, tensions and fear rises and a decision is made to leave their home for a remote lake in the north of the country which they hope will be safer. But they’re not the only ones who want to find safety and so, three cars head to safety filled with neighbours, wider family members, food, clothing, guns and medicines.

What follows is a chilling book about their journey to an island situated in the centre of a lake. Set against a backdrop of a Russian winter this motley crew of people battle not only the encroaching virus but the harsh terrain. Vagner has created an atmospheric and tense narrative of clashing personalities, extreme fear and increasing desperation to reach safety. There are moments of high peril where I really couldn’t read fast enough – I just had to know what happened next and if they would get out of their dangerous situation safely.

It is also a wonderful examination of relationships and what happens when a number of people who wouldn’t necessarily ordinarily mix are thrown together. One of the group is Sergey’s ex-wife, a woman still scorned by his infidelity with Anya and the two women do quiet, but lethal battle with shots fired via words carefully chosen with the intention to wound. It makes for delicious reading, adding another layer of tension to an already tense book.

This is one of those books where a general sense of unease leaches from every page. We’re hopeful that they’ll find safety, but know that the journey is treacherous and it is also possible that they will not outrun the virus. Vagner creates some haunting imagery of not only the landscape of thick forests covered in snow, but towns and villages where danger is at every corner. It’s absolutely brilliant and one of my favourite books of the year.

I loved this book. Read it in three days which is quick for me! I was with them always on this terrifying journey but had to stop on occasion as I couldn't cope with the tension. The relentless cold was ever present and Sergey's duty to his other family (which was totally understandable) seen from the eyes of Anya, we got a different perspective entirely. I give it 10 out of 10 and have recommended it to all my friends and family,

This is a beautifully written thriller. It's a little slow in places but it's so well done that I didn't mind that. The bleak landscape running alongside the enclosed world of the cars made for an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere.

I really wanted to enjoy this as the premise really drew me in but I struggled to read this with some of the descriptions of violence.

I loved the writing style and the characters, but sadly this wasn’t for me.

A deadly flu epidemic sweeps through Moscow, killing hundreds of thousands. Anya and her husband Sergey decide they have no choice but to flee to a lake in the far north of Russia.
Joining them on their journey are her son and father-in-law; Sergey's ex-wife and son; and their garish neighbours. But then some friends of Sergey show up to complete Anya's list of people she’d least like to be left with at the end of the civilised world.
As the wave of infection expands from the capital, their food and fuel start to run low. Menaced both by the harsh Russian winter and by the desperate people they encounter, they must put their hatreds behind them if they’re to have a chance of reaching safety…

This is a great read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

As seen on Netflix
The family pack up their world into the back of their cars along with their next door neighbours and sergeys ex wife and son. This book had me on the edge of my seat. It was so atmospheric and tense. The book is about the journey which doesn’t sound the most interesting. But I found myself feeling nervous and tense every time they stopped. Worried about what might happen next. I liked the characters and really felt for Anya making the journey with her husbands ex wife. This was the perfect read for cosy autumnal evenings.

One of my favourite books growing up was The Stand and although I love reading disease-based dystopian apocalypse books I will always end up comparing them to that. I understand that this is a very high standard for any book as Stephen King is a master storyteller! Although this story is an English translation new release coming out this month, it was actually first released in Russia in 2011, so the timing is somewhat either opportunistic or possibly a bit of a curse as it can now be compared to real-world experiences.

I liked how action packed the story was – with main character Anya and her extended family and neighbours rushing to get to a remote utopia as the world plunges into a flu pandemic. However, the disease itself takes such a backseat to domestic drama and human violence and corruption. I would have liked to have had more information leaking out of the shutdown city about the disease itself – how it was spreading, what the symptoms were and the timeline on how it affected people. Without that you didn’t get as much tension of whether the family would be impacted by it – it doesn’t become as much as a prevalent threat. It also meant when a major plot point involving Anya happens (no spoilers) you feel less invested as you don’t have any facts or backstory about the disease to back it up.

I also found the whole idea of waiting in their house for about a week and then running across Russia to get to a place they went to on holiday once a bit of an odd one. For one, as we’ve seen with Covid but also as demonstrated by books like The Stand, diseases are extremely difficult to contain and control. The idea that suddenly people would move in a wave away from the infected cities and start infecting others isn’t very realistic. Diseases can spread easily from small contact and surely in the days before the army were brought in it would have spread further. To add to this Anya’s husband sneaks out his ex-wife and child through the barricades so surely this could have happened with unknowingly infected people as well.

I liked the fact that Anya’s character is quite flawed, she’s insecure, jealous and makes some questionable ethical decisions. However, I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing because the book is set in Russia and written by a Russian writer but it felt very much like we were stuck in the 1950s. The men were the ones with the plans and the guns who went on to do brave acts and the women just had to do whatever was decided, pack lunch and have mental breakdowns. The group trusted the 16-year-old son more than the 30-year-old women and that really did not sit well with me for a book being released in 2021. This also made all the flaws in Anya’s character feel just like stereotypical ‘women’ flaws than actual interesting traits.

The idea of running to safety is a good one however this motivation actually seemed like a really bad idea – 8 of them settling in a 2-person house in a tiny island when they don’t seem to have many survival skills and limited resources. I also don’t understand why they automatically just thought they could get to it when they have no claim to the place – it’s just somewhere they went on holiday once – they don’t own the property. The ending for me was also quite anti-climatic. I was waiting for a twist or something at the end that would throw the whole idea of the utopia they were aiming for out of question – but instead it just fizzled out.

Overall, To The Lake is an action packed pandemic story but it needs more focus on the disease, include less gender stereotypes and have a much more satisfying ending. Thank you to NetGalley & Swift Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps I’m just pandemic-ed out but this book went on too long going over the same sort of situations. Some of the descriptions were excellent though and did portray well the tension. Simply not entertaining though but I think once upon a pre-Covid time I might have enjoyed it more.

A deadly virus sweeps around Russia and the rest of the world. Anya and her husband Sergey, leave their home and relocate to a safer location. With relocating comes: unexpected guests, hostility, survival and trust. 

I will say firstly, I thought Maria Wiltshire did a wonderful job of translating this book into the English language, as it was originally written in Russian.

Now for my review

Reading this book, I got The Walking Dead kind of vibes without the flesh eating zombies part. I enjoyed the adventure, and the heightened panic attacks I had when there was a stranger, car or blockage that came up. You just didn't know who to trust. I just wanted Anya and Sergey to just drive and not stop. 

I love the realism of the characters even though they did slightly annoy me at the same time. I won't go into too much detail but my heart did go out to Anya, trying to deal with what was happening in the world and plus the added stress in personal life. 

I like that @janavagner included food rationing and scavenging in this book. As I think it added to the seriousness of the pandemic in the book and what lengths people would go to just in order to survive.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @_swiftpress for the gifting of To The Lake in exchange for an honest review.

Book is out now.

#ToTheLake #YanaVagner #Netgalley #SwiftPress #Pandemic #SurvivalAdventure #MakeItOrBreakIt #Humanity #RussianBook #RussianBooks #Russia #BookToTv #Books #ReadAndReviewed

Quickly paced, well written, and absolutely thrilling.

We are all currently living in a pandemic but this book still manages to shock and thrill.

Really good read

I really enjoyed this book it was such a unique take on a pandemic book with the narrator being female and dealing with ex partners and an ever growing caravan onto the way to the lake.

I just want to see what happens next.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publisher but the review is entirely my own.

I chose this book as the description looked really interesting and knowing it was being made into a Netflix series, I wanted to read the book first. I have never read a Russian translation before either so that was also a big incentive.

My initial thoughts were a little mixed. Anya doesn’t appear to be such a likeable character though I admire Sergey’s integrity and desire to save his other family. Boris, Sergey’s father appears quite likeable and although they seem sceptical, he seems to care a great deal for his family. His planning abilities are also clear to see which I quite enjoyed.

This was expertly written and a highly topical plot, full of details on how the characters coped in a very stressful and often dangerous situation. Trying to escape from Moscow and avoid the inevitable death that comes with catching the epidemic influenza. A group of people, not necessarily friends, thrown together for a long period of time is especially hard. Told mainly from Anya’s perspective, the situations they found themselves in felt authentic and I found myself holding my breath at times fearing for them.

The characters were quite well developed but none of them felt particularly likeable, though I wondered if that was intentional. It definitely added to the plot. The hatred between some of the characters was especially well portrayed. There is a mixed age range. While I initially liked Sergey and his father Boris my opinions changed a little throughout the book. Boris turns out to not be the loving father I first thought and Sergey, although clearly the leader didn’t feel as well developed as he could have been. Though he was determined to reach their end destination it felt like he could have had a better role and been a bigger part of the story. Anya doesn’t appear to like anyone in their group aside from Sergey and her son, of whom she is overly protective.

The ending was slightly abrupt. While the story has come to its natural conclusion it felt like I was a bit short. I was left wanting to know just the next few days or. Maybe an epilogue of what happened next or how long they stayed. Were they found, did they ever return home, etc. It just didn’t feel quite finished for me.

This was a really interesting read with lots of trials and tribulations. There was a section in the middle where it felt a little repetitive and overly drawn out. The scenery was well described, and the tedious journey came across, as did the feelings of the character. The story depicts an oppressive Russian government that have some very odd ways of dealing with the epidemic. The journey through Russia is well described and interesting.

After I finished the book, I watched the Netflix series. I didn’t think it was as good as the book and something have been changed for a more dramatic effect which was a little disappointing though not at all surprising. It was an enjoyable show though and worth a watch.

This is a chilling, well written thriller that is timely and gives a fictional slant on how civilisation can decline during the time of plague - or, in our time, Covid-19. Horrifying, violent at time, but with an urgent onward motion which makes use of the story archetype, the quest. To be recommended for readers of action -oriented thrillers.

This is a really atmospheric and intense survivalist thriller. A lot of the action happens at night which helps add to and make the perfect creepy atmosphere. None of the characters are particularly likeable which works really well as it helps maintain a sense of stress whilst reading the story. This book has the feel of The Walking Dead for me but without a zombie insight,

Written before the current COVID pandemic this book, a bestseller in Russia, is about the breakdown in society when a virulent and deadly flu virus strikes. The story follows Anya (the narrator) and Sergey as they strive to escape from Moscow to the hoped safe haven of a holiday home on an island in the middle of a lake in the frozen wilderness of northern Russia. Accompanied by relatives, neighbours and ‘friends’ this four vehicle convoy struggles with the weather, lack of fuel and those bent on taking what little they have. Yana Vagnar has produced a gripping story with believable characters which held my interest throughout. Highly recommended.

I don't feel like this book was for me at all.

This book follows Anya who along with her husband and son make a plan to journey to their lake house to escape the deadly epidemic that has so far ravaged the land and caused everyone it's come into contact with to die.

Despite how deadly this virus is, Anya's husband Sergey with his need to help keeps inviting people to join this journey with them which makes Anya increasingly nervous. The journey itself is already hard and with a lack of petrol and resources, it's not just the virus they need to watch out for.

I just assumed that a lot more would happen on this journey, I felt like is as told what everyone was feeling and the events that happened were so few and far between that I didn't feel like it was worth it.

The characters themselves were very skewed since it's Anya's POV we get everything from. It means that her feelings towards all these characters were what was shown and for that reason, they never really felt like individuals. Anya also didn't seem to like anyone so the majority of the characters were quite unlikeable too.

For that reason, I also did not feel any set of stakes for anyone. I didn't care enough whether they died or not which I suppose changed how this book was supposed to be read.

The description however was extremely detailed, I could visualise each scene incredibly well but in addition to this, it also meant there was a lot of telling and not showing which got irritating after a while.

Overall, I just wish that more happened but I did finish it because I did want to know what happened. I guess this just wasn't the book for me.

I read this book via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

'To the Lake' is set in Russia. There's a pandemic and within weeks there are countless deaths, quarantines, and blockades keeping people from freedom of movement.
Anya and Sergey are unable to get to her mother in time and are holed up at home with Anya's son when Sergey's father explodes on the scene saying they need to get away if they want to survive. There's a mass exodus out of towns and cities as people flee the plague and fight over food and fuel and they need to get ahead of that 'wave'.

It's not a new story, although it was written before Covid 19 and it was really interesting to read about a fictionalised pandemic set in Russia where the media is shut down and the authorities seemingly either die or go into pack survival mode.

The book features a group that is honestly flawed. The story and their experiences are repetitious and it reminded me of The Walking Dead minus the zombies.

It was a good read but, as usual, I wanted to care more about the characters. I think some people might love this. Shame I only liked it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book. Thanks for this great book, which made me forget the bitterness of the world for a few days, by highlighting its horrors, yet leaving a little hope. Because hope is in us and in our loved ones, we can trust in ourselves and in them to find the meaning of life, the purpose of struggle, love, even in plagues and wars.
The story of the book bears many similarities to my own life. An escape from the many horrors that make our lives difficult and bitter. We can call this an epidemic, a plague, or even a war. But today, the people, the state, the bureaucracy, the woke, the BLM and the gender movement, neoliberalism, the destruction of nature, the false greens, the communists, the Brussels bureaucrats, the liberals and socialists of the European Parliament, the repressive machinery of the United States we have to run away. These are the plagues of today, embodied in the covid, and thus, appear in this form in the book. Which is an apocalyptic vision in the form of an epidemic that shatters the current order of human society, causing chaos and collapse where we can’t trust anyone, we always have to keep our arms ready, because although love is our main guiding principle, we still have to assume the worst about our fellow human beings so that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones. Because we can have any kind of disputes with our wives, children, parents, friends, neighbors, yet we know them, we can trust them, we can love them and we can fight for them. Because even though we lose our faith in people, in the meantime we still believe in the love that binds those around us.
I fled to a tropical island where it was overtaken by state arbitrariness that expropriated my property, the destruction of nature, the influx of black migrants. From there I fled to a resort village near a big city, in the mountains. But there, too, the horrors of civilization, the barking of dogs, bad neighbors, ineffective administration, construction, human evil, have caught up.
So a week ago, like the characters in the book, I packed up in the car and set off with my wife on the way to the mountains and forests. And at the end of the road, on the border, on the bank of the small stream, I found the house where I now think I can find refuge from the plague that people, human evil represents.
Because of the above, it was a pleasure to read this book because it was as if the events of my own life had appeared in the pages of this book. I was reading a Russian story, yet it was as if the writer had written about me. To whom I thank this experience for actually writing about me, my life, my feelings, even with other characters, in other locations.
I don’t know how this book was received by readers, reviewers. But it means nothing. The bottom line is that it has given me a lot, the hope that the purpose of my life can still be found away from people and the depravity of society, intertwined with nature.
Today I ran 50 miles in the mountains, roasting beef and chestnuts. And I finished this exciting, unputdownable book.

A timely novel about a family fleeing a deadly flu pandemic. This is best in the early pages as a terrible flu spreads, information is confusing and no one seems to know what's happening (sound familiar huh?) But as a band of family/neighbours who don't seem to even like each other set off in convoy for 'safety' away from the towns this becomes a little repetitive. The writing is excellent at conveying tension and atmosphere as threats loom, but the characters themselves are hard to like and invest in and the middle can be repetive as is the monotony of their journey kicks in. Good in parts but didn't gel as a whole for me.