This isn't a fast-paced novella, but it is deeply intriguing and well written. The scientific elements throughout were plausible and terrifying. The whole concept, for that matter, was terrifying. By the half way point or so, I finally realized what this story reminded me of - a lost book by Michael Crichton. If you're a fan of his work, such as The Adromana Strain, this will probably work wonders for you. And the ending worked really well; I was worried that would fail me, but it didn't! I really enjoyed this one.

2.5 stars This is a quick, mediocre read. If the reader has never experienced this plot before, they’ll be intrigued. Unfortunately I found nothing new here.

Pandemic 2.0 ★☆☆☆☆

People are suddenly shutting down and becoming immobile, victims of a new and terrifying pandemic. As the symptoms spread can Dr Alex Griffiths find a cure before it’s too late ?

This novella has an interesting and frightening concept but unfortunately I struggled with the quality of writing, the depth of the characters, the structure of the plot, and the brevity of the book. A longer length would have helped give the story time to grow and added some weight to the intended twists. A good premise for a TV series though.

Many thanks to the author for providing a unique twist on an end of the world plot (or is it? 😉).

Alex was a well thought out character, and I enjoyed his POV. I would’ve liked to follow him further on his journey, and see the story expanded, I’m not good with cliff hangers. The daughters felt out of touch for me, I just don’t see victims of assault/bullying doing what they did to Rosie. I didn’t have much sympathy for them when they were affected.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & Brigids Gate Press for a copy.

4.5 rounded up
Great characters and unique story.
Read in one day because I wanted to see how it ended.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the advance reader copy.

People are stopping, bodies halting regardless of situation or location. They are still alive but completely unresponsive, vulnerable statues utterly at the mercy of their environment. Unable to run from fire, some burn. Unable to return to shore, some drown. Unable to move from the path of a truck, some are crushed. Nor are you safe at home—unable to move, you starve.

Such an interesting plot and well executed. This was such a quick and easy read, I can't recommend it enough. This novella barely scratched the surface of this concept, there's so much more potential to be explored.

DNF 58%
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the book. I wanted to read it because it was under the horror category. Although the idea of not being able to move or talk but still being conscience is horrifying, that was it. This is more sci-fi. Our main pov Alex is nothing special. His perspective and personality isn’t anything of interest. That probably the reason why I decided to give up.

Paused by Stephanie Ellis tells a story of a pandemic that hit the world after it barely dealt with the covid virus. Yet this time, the stakes seem to be even higher. A team of scientists tries to uncover the cause of an invisible threat that makes people “pause”. The infected are still capable of understanding what is happening around them but lack the ability to use their body. Spreading quickly across the world, the time until humanity stops completely is slowly running out.
I enjoyed the idea of the story and the way the author presented the different catastrophic scenarios of people “pausing” on the worst possible occasions. Being a short book, it is interesting enough to read in one sitting. However, that is also its downfall, as there is not enough time to get used to the plot as well as the characters of it. Overall, I enjoyed reading this work and would like to read more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley UK for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Paused by Stephanie Ellis.
A terrifying pandemic sweeps the world, rendering its victims completely immobile but leaving them conscious with their minds intact. The victims are helpless against the environment, completely at the mercy of wild animals, weather, out of control fires, and other dangers. There’s no hope for those safe in their homes either, as they slowly starve to death, unable to feed themselves or drink.
Dr. Alex Griffiths leads a team racing against time to find a cure before it’s too late. Will he succeed?
I really enjoyed this book. Great story. I liked Alex. And the team. 5*.

Such an interesting read! I think it’s safe to say, we are all sick of the word “pandemic”, but this story has such a fresh and unique premise it’s entirely relevant to today’s times and not overdone at all. I loved the fast pace, and while most of the story takes place in a research lab, there is no science jargon to sludge through, which I can appreciate. The “disease” in itself is terrifying- what if your physical body was paused but your mind was all there? The thought alone is scary beyond imagination. Well done, will absolutely pick up more from Ellis.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The plot was a unique idea and I can appreciate that.

It's very fast-paced and I couldn't put it down, due to the fact I was wanting to know what was going to happen next.

It's written well with great characters.

I gave it a try, but couldn’t stick with it. Without a virus or a bacteria vector it seems kind of implausible that a DNA altering sickness could spread.