Review: Plague by Lisa Hinsley

Book Title: Plague

Author: Lisa Hinsley

Publish Date: December 9th, 2013

Publisher: Pocket Star

Genre: Science Fiction/Horror

Standalone:

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Link: Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this enthralling debut thriller written in the vein of Contagion, a young couple struggles to save their plague-stricken son as they desperately fight back against a tyrannical government.

A new strain of the bubonic plague is diagnosed in London. Before it can be contained it spreads through the population, faster and deadlier than anyone could have imagined. Three weeks is all it takes to decimate the country.

Johnny and Liz are devastated when their young son, Nathan, starts to show symptoms, but Liz phones the authorities anyway, and a few hours later the army arrives and boards up their house.

Now Nathan is dying and there is nothing they can do to help him. Hours pass like weeks as their little boy grows weaker and weaker. All Liz wants is for them to die with some dignity, but the authorities refuse to help. Then their Internet and phones stop working. Cut off from the world and stuck inside their house, the family tries its best to cope-but there is nothing they can do to stop the lethal epidemic.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Ooooh boy, grab your popcorn boys and girls because this review will definitely be filled with rants.I was admittedly SO excited when I was approved for this title. That excitement did not last long once I started this book.

First of all, where the HELL were the quotation marks? Hell-o, they are kind of important so I know where the dialogue is and who is talking.Not having them is really not acceptable. For me that was a huge deal. Unfortunately that was not the biggest issue I had with the book.

I haven't met two more unlikable characters in a very long time. Liz struck me as obnoxiously clingy. I know we only got a 9 day glimpse into their lives but oh gracious I was highly annoyed with her. Johnny was an asshole and there was no excuse for it. My opinion of these two did not change at all as the book progressed. Nathan was absolutely adorable and he was easily my favorite character in the book.

Overall, though I had no emotional connection to the characters. To be totally honest I wanted Liz and Johnny dead because they were so unlikable.Nathan was the best part of the book but I still didn't have any sort of emotional connection to him.

Now let's get to the biggest issue for me. 

This book was filled with information or facts about the bubonic plague that if the author had totally researched it, she would have realized the conflicts.First of all it's supposed to be a virus but you cannot treat viruses with antibiotics.Yet it's supposed to be a strain of bubonic plague which is a bacteria.

Next the people Liz spoke to are not medical professionals and it is illegal to disperse medical advice unless you are a medical professional.Why didn't a doctor appear on the phone instead of this Pete guy?

When two people show up to examine the boy why is one person in full on hazmat gear and the other one simply wearing a gas mask? It needs to be all or nothing.Why did they board up the house and everything but leave one window alone so it can be opened to get air? I'm pretty sure that if the plague can get out of the house, it can come into the house too.

So this book will be getting one star. Poor writing, uninteresting and unlikable characters and most notably, really sloppy research job.I think this book had great potential but unfortunately it did not reach its potential.