Let me go ahead and preface this article by saying I do not usually post reviews of books that I didn’t finish. However, I love the hero and talking slug in this story, and the reason I didn’t finish the book had nothing to do with the story or the author—it just hit a little too close to home with the recent virus outbreak.
So I want to share this book with others who might need a pandemic story to read right now for a sense of comfort.
Why I picked up this book:
I was given a free copy of this story by the author in exchange for an honest review. When I first read the book blurb, I was a tiny bit skeptical that this story was too contemporary. However, I loved the idea of an older hero on an adventure with alzheimer’s shadowing every step of his quest.
It should be noted that I agreed to read/review the story before the Covid-19 outbreak, and began the story weeks before lockdowns started. DNF at 19%
This review may contain spoilers.
When one of the residents comes down with a horrific virus, Gabriel realizes that he is the only one who can find a cure. Encouraged by Victor, an odd stranger, he convinces the administrator to allow him to study the virus. Soon, reality begins to shift, and Gabriel’s hallucinations interfere with his work.
As the death count mounts, Gabriel is in a race against the clock and his own mind. Can he find a cure before his brain deteriorates past the point of no return?
What I loved:
Gabriel is a wonderful hero. We see right from the beginning that he’s trapped within a nursing home with no ability to return to his life (he has too many medical problems), and this is further impacted by the high security lockdown of the facility. Even though he can smell and almost see the ocean, he’s never allowed to go there despite the fact it’s so close.
As a reader this broke my heart thinking about how many of our wonderful older folks might be trapped in a similar way–they just want one more day in the sun and surf to give the last days of their lives some happiness and peace. These elements helped me connect to the wonderful Gabriel and really root for him to find his day at the beach.
Why I didn’t finish:
This one is a bit more complicated. I really wanted to love this story and feel the intensity of a clock ticking down. However, the first several chapters meandered through life without any tension. And the introduction of Gabriel’s daughter seemed to slow the story down even more. Apart from being his daughter, I’m not sure what her purpose is or why she has a POV.
Finally in chapter 4 (5?) the story started with a bang. The mystery virus takes hold of one of Gabriel’s friends and nursing home inmates, immediately followed by the talking slug. For me, these were the two most interesting elements and as a reader I really wanted the story to start there.
Once I reached this point I was ready to give the story a second shot and keep reading. However, a virus outbreak happened in reality, and suddenly I couldn’t read further. I tried to reconnect to the story, but as a reader I want to escape in my stories, and this is one I could no longer escape to.
This is no fault of the author… just an unfortunate coincidence. However, I hope that maybe one day I can pick up the story and try again.
Overall:
I think Nicholas Conley has a great tale buried in this book. It might be a perfect fit for readers who want to read virus outbreak stories right now and find comfort in something familiar. In the first 19%, I’d classify this story as more contemporary than science fiction, but the rest of the book might be pure SF (I’m honestly not sure).
If you’re a reader that doesn’t do well with long, drawn out openers, I’d recommend you start reading in chapter 4 where the story really starts. I also recommend this book for any reader who likes older heroes, or stories that are more general fiction with hints of science fiction.
