In his latest novel, Survivor Song, well-known horror writer Paul Tremblay imagines a world where a new virus runs rampant, causing chaos and death. (Sound familiar? COVID-19, I’m talking to you!)
In Massachusetts, a lethal virus that presents much like rabies is spreading quickly and wiping out the population even more quickly. Whereas traditional rabies may take weeks to months for symptoms to show up, humans who encounter this new virus have an hour at best to receive a vaccination … or the result is fatal. The authorities are doing what they can to implement a quarantine and other safety measures to prevent the virus from spreading, as well as to contain the spread which has already occurred, but this takes time. Time which is not a luxury everyone has right now.
Natalie and her husband are preparing for their first child to enter the world amidst the chaos of this new virus. When someone who is infected forces his way into their home, Natalie’s husband is killed and she is bitten. Fleeing from this horrific scene, Natalie seeks assistance from her best friend Ramola, who just so happens to be a physician. Together, they race against time to get Natalie the vaccine which will hopefully save her life and that of her unborn child. But will it be enough? And after the vaccine is administered, then what? How long until they know if it has worked or not? Where can they go and what can they do in this world which has been turned upside down?
Tremblay is clearly a skilled writer and world-builder, as the words flow smoothly and the book is an easy read. Yet the pace of Survivor Song drags a bit and the story resounds with often used tropes and plot points. In recent years the market has been inundated with books featuring apocalyptic worlds, pandemics, and other catastrophes which hold the ability to completely change life as we know it or end the current civilisation. When tackling such a familiar setting, it is this reader’s belief that the story must add something new to the genre, must bring a fresh take to the landscape. Tremblay’s premise of focusing on the questionable survival of a pregnant woman is compelling; yet the overarching storyline is predictable, leaving the reader with a desire to finish the book in order to confirm their assumptions rather than to find out what might happen next. Similarly, the characters of Ramola and Natalie are likeable enough; however, something is missing. The connection between the characters and the reader is never really solidified enough to fully tug at the heartstrings, to truly invest the reader in the ultimate outcome as a bad situation turns worse.
Despite these reservations, Tremblay has a great following and many readers are sure to appreciate this newest addition to his body of work. Perhaps this reader has just become oversaturated with this particular genre in recent years and therefore found the story to be too formulaic. A reader new to this genre would likely enjoy the tale, find it moving and somewhat anxiety-provoking without being overly frightening.
Survivor Song is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 7th 2020. Many thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Will you be picking up Survivor Song? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.
In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government’s emergency protocols are faltering.
Dr. Ramola “Rams” Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie’s husband has been killed—viciously attacked by an infected neighbor—and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie’s only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child.
Natalie’s fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares—terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink.
Paul Tremblay once again demonstrates his mastery in this chilling and all-too-plausible novel that will leave readers racing through the pages . . . and shake them to their core.
