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Disaster Thriller
The Gemini Virus
Bob Easton thinks he has a cold. Before he dies in agony, four days later, he infects dozens of people. Local health agencies become quickly overwhelmed by the sick and dying and beg the CDC for help. Dr. Michael Beck and Cara Porter, a member of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, race to identify the deadly bug. They can't cure it until they know what it is.
Dennis and Andi Jensen and their children are terrified. Schools and offices close. Fresh food disappears from store shelves. Three of their children's friends die. Their neighbors are dying or running away, fleeing the unstoppable infection. Desperate, the Jensens join the exodus, making a nightmarish journey to their isolated mountain cabin along empty roads, through abandoned towns, past looted shopping malls.
The superbug—and the panic—quickly spreads beyond America’s borders. On a packed plane, someone coughs—and at their destination, the pilots are told, “you can’t land here.” US military bases are quarantined. Yet the virus continues to spread. Some believe the plague is man-made. Others see it as a sign of the end times.
In the lab, Cara Porter makes a potentially fatal mistake. In the mountains, Andi Jensen tells her husband that she doesn’t feel well.
The world is running out of time.
Dennis and Andi Jensen and their children are terrified. Schools and offices close. Fresh food disappears from store shelves. Three of their children's friends die. Their neighbors are dying or running away, fleeing the unstoppable infection. Desperate, the Jensens join the exodus, making a nightmarish journey to their isolated mountain cabin along empty roads, through abandoned towns, past looted shopping malls.
The superbug—and the panic—quickly spreads beyond America’s borders. On a packed plane, someone coughs—and at their destination, the pilots are told, “you can’t land here.” US military bases are quarantined. Yet the virus continues to spread. Some believe the plague is man-made. Others see it as a sign of the end times.
In the lab, Cara Porter makes a potentially fatal mistake. In the mountains, Andi Jensen tells her husband that she doesn’t feel well.
The world is running out of time.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
13 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Wil Mara
262 books61 followersWil Mara has worked as an author for over 34 years and currently has more than 325 books in print. He has written both fiction and nonfiction, for children and adults. His books have won multiple awards, reached bestseller lists, earned excellent reviews, and been translated into more than a dozen languages. 2005’s Wave won the New Jersey Notable Book Award, and 2012’s The Gemini Virus remained on Amazon’s list of ‘Ten Bestseller Medical Thrillers’ for 14 consecutive weeks. The most recent novel in his disaster series, Fallout, was nominated for the Edgar Award for Novel of the Year. And his children’s nonfiction publications have won countless awards and terrific reviews in all the leading trade journals, including Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and others.
Much of his work for children has been nonfiction for the school-library market. He also ghostwrote five of the popular ‘Boxcar Children’ mysteries. And starting in 2019, Rosen Publishing released the first of his new ‘Twisted’ series, which has been described as “Twilight Zones for kids.” It became the most pre-ordered fiction series in the company’s history. The first ‘Twisted’ book, The Videomaniac, was released on January 1 and sold through its first printing in less than a month. The second, House of a Million Rooms, was released on March 1 and, just a few weeks later, was chosen as a Main Selection Title by the Junior Library Guild.
Wil was also an editor, administrator, and executive inside the industry for over 20 years, working for such houses as Scholastic, McGraw-Hill, Macmillan, and Prentice-Hall until turning to fulltime writing in 2005. He is an associate member of the NJASL and an executive member of the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Center for the Book, which is an affiliate of the US Library of Congress. He is also the vice president of the Literary Alliance of New Jersey, the host of the ‘Voice of American Libraries’ podcast, and the 2019 recipient of the Literary Lion of New Jersey Award, whose past winners include Gus Friedrich, Dean Emeritus of Rutgers University, and Joyce Carol Oates, National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Wil is also an experienced speaker, presenter, and voice artist, having visited more than 300 schools and other institutions, and done the audio readings for many books, including his 2012 thriller The Gemini Virus. He continues to speak to audiences across the country (including via video) and do voice work as his writing schedule permits.
Much of his work for children has been nonfiction for the school-library market. He also ghostwrote five of the popular ‘Boxcar Children’ mysteries. And starting in 2019, Rosen Publishing released the first of his new ‘Twisted’ series, which has been described as “Twilight Zones for kids.” It became the most pre-ordered fiction series in the company’s history. The first ‘Twisted’ book, The Videomaniac, was released on January 1 and sold through its first printing in less than a month. The second, House of a Million Rooms, was released on March 1 and, just a few weeks later, was chosen as a Main Selection Title by the Junior Library Guild.
Wil was also an editor, administrator, and executive inside the industry for over 20 years, working for such houses as Scholastic, McGraw-Hill, Macmillan, and Prentice-Hall until turning to fulltime writing in 2005. He is an associate member of the NJASL and an executive member of the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Center for the Book, which is an affiliate of the US Library of Congress. He is also the vice president of the Literary Alliance of New Jersey, the host of the ‘Voice of American Libraries’ podcast, and the 2019 recipient of the Literary Lion of New Jersey Award, whose past winners include Gus Friedrich, Dean Emeritus of Rutgers University, and Joyce Carol Oates, National Book Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Wil is also an experienced speaker, presenter, and voice artist, having visited more than 300 schools and other institutions, and done the audio readings for many books, including his 2012 thriller The Gemini Virus. He continues to speak to audiences across the country (including via video) and do voice work as his writing schedule permits.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
October 10, 2015
This book started off really cool but around page 100, I was super bored.
The author used the real names of President Obama and other cabinet members and that was really when I lost my interest. I wasn't convinced with the concept and I didn't buy the symptoms of the "Gemini Virus". And I really couldn't have cared less about the characters. I wasn't really into the writing style. Personally, I thought it was flat and boring.
I wish I could say this book was better but I just didn't care about anything in this book.
The author used the real names of President Obama and other cabinet members and that was really when I lost my interest. I wasn't convinced with the concept and I didn't buy the symptoms of the "Gemini Virus". And I really couldn't have cared less about the characters. I wasn't really into the writing style. Personally, I thought it was flat and boring.
I wish I could say this book was better but I just didn't care about anything in this book.
March 9, 2020
Prima parte da quattro-cinque stelle, soprattutto le scene orrorifiche durante la prima fase del contagio e quelle che tanto ricordano l'attuale emergenza da Coronavirus.
Purtroppo personaggi non proprio memorabili ed il finale ridicolo hanno abbassato parecchio il voto finale.
Così così.
January 19, 2013
What a phenomenal book.
February 13, 2018
I think I’ve settled on a 2.5 rating for this book.
The Good:
• The beginning hooked me SO HARD. It was gruesome and horrible and I was excited to get to know the scientists who were going to have to work on this awful virus.
• I actually enjoyed the pacing here. I felt that the different POV scenes were spaced nicely to keep me interested. Science-heavy scenes were placed between a good amount of... non-science(?) scenes.
• I liked the main characters that the book focused on. Maybe not as fleshed out as I would have liked, but it’s a thriller. I generally don’t expect well-rounded characters with character growth. And I loved Dennis and his family. I wanted only good things for them.
The Bad:
• Too much science. Those science-heavy scenes? There were long paragraphs of difficult words. I found my eyes blurring and my attention shifting. I resorted to skimming a few of those scenes because I just couldn’t read any more science.
• I found myself really put off by the use of real world names. Now, I’m not all caught up in politics so I couldn’t tell you how many characters were real people, but as soon as Obama was mentioned I was wishing that Mara had just made up a president like all the other novels I’ve read. I cringed each time a real person was mentioned. That’s just... not an element I like in my fiction.
• I was uncomfortable with the Middle East element. There weren’t enough scenes to feel like there was a point to them. I didn’t like the religious extremism choice, I didn’t like the few “terrorist” characters and the way their scenes came across and I wish it had been left out of the book completely. It wasn’t necessary. I don’t want to give any spoilers for this book, but if you skip reading the few scenes that involve this particular sub-plot, you won’t miss out on anything. It could have been taken out and the book would read the same.
Soooo in conclusion, I think you would really enjoy this book if you like/understand the science side of stories like this, or are looking for a vacation read that’ll have you shying away from anyone who has a sniffle. If not? There are other medical thrillers out there that might be a better fit for you.
The Good:
• The beginning hooked me SO HARD. It was gruesome and horrible and I was excited to get to know the scientists who were going to have to work on this awful virus.
• I actually enjoyed the pacing here. I felt that the different POV scenes were spaced nicely to keep me interested. Science-heavy scenes were placed between a good amount of... non-science(?) scenes.
• I liked the main characters that the book focused on. Maybe not as fleshed out as I would have liked, but it’s a thriller. I generally don’t expect well-rounded characters with character growth. And I loved Dennis and his family. I wanted only good things for them.
The Bad:
• Too much science. Those science-heavy scenes? There were long paragraphs of difficult words. I found my eyes blurring and my attention shifting. I resorted to skimming a few of those scenes because I just couldn’t read any more science.
• I found myself really put off by the use of real world names. Now, I’m not all caught up in politics so I couldn’t tell you how many characters were real people, but as soon as Obama was mentioned I was wishing that Mara had just made up a president like all the other novels I’ve read. I cringed each time a real person was mentioned. That’s just... not an element I like in my fiction.
• I was uncomfortable with the Middle East element. There weren’t enough scenes to feel like there was a point to them. I didn’t like the religious extremism choice, I didn’t like the few “terrorist” characters and the way their scenes came across and I wish it had been left out of the book completely. It wasn’t necessary. I don’t want to give any spoilers for this book, but if you skip reading the few scenes that involve this particular sub-plot, you won’t miss out on anything. It could have been taken out and the book would read the same.
Soooo in conclusion, I think you would really enjoy this book if you like/understand the science side of stories like this, or are looking for a vacation read that’ll have you shying away from anyone who has a sniffle. If not? There are other medical thrillers out there that might be a better fit for you.
October 31, 2020
This book is f*cking disgusting. I love it!!
I'll never get this visual out of my head (non-plot spoiler, this is my summation of the scene, not copied from the book):
A woman hung herself from the ceiling fan, killing herself to end the torture of the virus. She never turned the fan off, leaving you assume that she just grabbed the fan blades mid-spin to tie her death knot. The gears grind to a slow spin, but never stop, the limited weight of her frail body not enough to do so. The body-covering golfball-size boils emit geysers of pus-encrusted blood in every direction as she slowly spins with the fan, creating a circle of golden-yellow and red stains on the carpet below her. The virus stripped down her organs, muscles and tissue and turned everything left to stew. The weight of her body pulled on her neck and the lack of any remaining muscular structure caused the knot to continue to tighten long after its job was done, and well beyond anything you'd expect to find. Due to calls from neighbors about her disappearance, and well, from the stench, the police arrive to find her. The room was dark, but they could hear a grinding sound, smell death and see a faint outline of what looked like a body, floating and spinning and circles. Turning on the lights was a very bad idea, at least for one officer who immediately vomited everywhere. The woman's head was bent at an incredible awkward angle. They turned off the fan, not knowing that just by touching the switch, they had signed their own death warrant. Once she stopped spinning, they tried to remove the knot from around her neck, but only served to remove her head from her body...
Another scene describes a pile of maggots so dense, that they actually make a sound, a disgustingly sloppy wet sound...
So I just want to ask: Who is Wil Mara and why is he not making movies? Oh, yea, right, because we'd all be vomiting in the theaters. Sooooo... who is Wil Mara and why is he not making movies?!?!?!
I'll never get this visual out of my head (non-plot spoiler, this is my summation of the scene, not copied from the book):
A woman hung herself from the ceiling fan, killing herself to end the torture of the virus. She never turned the fan off, leaving you assume that she just grabbed the fan blades mid-spin to tie her death knot. The gears grind to a slow spin, but never stop, the limited weight of her frail body not enough to do so. The body-covering golfball-size boils emit geysers of pus-encrusted blood in every direction as she slowly spins with the fan, creating a circle of golden-yellow and red stains on the carpet below her. The virus stripped down her organs, muscles and tissue and turned everything left to stew. The weight of her body pulled on her neck and the lack of any remaining muscular structure caused the knot to continue to tighten long after its job was done, and well beyond anything you'd expect to find. Due to calls from neighbors about her disappearance, and well, from the stench, the police arrive to find her. The room was dark, but they could hear a grinding sound, smell death and see a faint outline of what looked like a body, floating and spinning and circles. Turning on the lights was a very bad idea, at least for one officer who immediately vomited everywhere. The woman's head was bent at an incredible awkward angle. They turned off the fan, not knowing that just by touching the switch, they had signed their own death warrant. Once she stopped spinning, they tried to remove the knot from around her neck, but only served to remove her head from her body...
Another scene describes a pile of maggots so dense, that they actually make a sound, a disgustingly sloppy wet sound...
So I just want to ask: Who is Wil Mara and why is he not making movies? Oh, yea, right, because we'd all be vomiting in the theaters. Sooooo... who is Wil Mara and why is he not making movies?!?!?!
October 18, 2017
decent medical thriller. it had most of the regular plot points with pandemic books, government panic, looting, the hard working doctor fighting to find a cure, the "normal" person forced to do horrible things while fleeing from the virus to protect their kids, the miraculous cure. the book had it's flaws (the whole religious terrorist as an easy bad guy in case the virus wasn't enough), but was still enjoyable. I do like the fact that not everyone got a happy ending. the terminology used by charecters and the details of the virus were very interesting as well, though a younger reader might have some trouble following it. overall, I would recommend to anyone who likes pandemic novels.
September 16, 2022
This was a really good story about a virus and it was also really good because it talked about how viruses spread and all that right so if you want a point of view about how virus is actually work I would recommend the story especially after COVID My only problem is is that I feel like certain things came out of nowhere for instance the terrorist plot like it didn't come out of nowhere cuz as soon as it was mentioned they start the terrorist angle was there right so it really didn't come out of nowhere that's just my opinion so take that for what it will but it was a great novel and a good read and very fast paced there was never a moment where I was bored 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2018
This book was ok. I probably wouldn’t read it again. I didn’t really like any of the characters except for the Jensen family and their dog. I felt like the book could have ended about 50 pages earlier than it did. After finding the solution to the disease they just rambles for another 50 pages when it could have been rapped up. The description of the disease was truly disgusting and that’s what hooked me in but after hearing about all the death I became bored. The terrorist “spreading the disease” was good but it really only happened in a couple chapters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2017
Overall a pretty alright book if you're looking for something gory and easy to read. Honestly the character development is a bit shallow and at times non-existent. It makes up for it with gore and details that will make one sick to their stomach, even an avid horror fan like me. I did not like that Mara uses actual historical figures names such as President Obama, it seems tacky and tasteless to me, but still worth your time
April 9, 2020
Ryan Steck from The Real Book Spy wrote a post entitled "9 Thrillers That Won't Make You Feel Any Better About COVID-19, But Are Still Awesome". Well here is another book to add to the list Mr.Steck to make it 10. The cover tagline "First you sneeze, then you die" caught my eye. Even though it was written back in 2012 this book mirrored what is happening today with COVID-19. Much of the story also took place in Bergen County NJ an area I am very familiar with.
December 10, 2025
It gets this rating because the set up and idea was really cool but it got bogged down with terminology and over explaining it. I also hated ever part that spoke about Obama (not cause I dislike him) it was written really weird and really took me out of the story. And then end happened so fast and felt pretty unsatisfying. So overall a disappointing read considering how it started.
2.5/5 rounded down
2.5/5 rounded down
January 24, 2018
This book was ok, in my oh so humble opinion. I've read a bunch of outbreak books, this one was mediocre. There are really unexplained parts of it, like the author attempting to make you think it was a terrorist thing. That didn't work so well for me. None of the "bad guys" really came together to make that part of the story come together and fit in. Hence, my first sentance, this book was ok.
April 1, 2018
Good book where you could feel the spread of the virus.
I liked the way the author changed between the personal view and the national/world overview of the spread.
However, his use of present and past tense was distracting for me and sometimes the dialogue between characters were irrelevant for the story and dragged it instead.
Didn't find many cliches here and that was refreshing.
I liked the way the author changed between the personal view and the national/world overview of the spread.
However, his use of present and past tense was distracting for me and sometimes the dialogue between characters were irrelevant for the story and dragged it instead.
Didn't find many cliches here and that was refreshing.
December 31, 2016
A reasonably good pandemic disaster novel. The characters are well developed and behaved liked people would- run for the hills! Lots of good science and , the disease is vanquished but not everyone lives. Excellent read
March 4, 2017
Very good, very descriptive and definitely not the book to read while snacking or after a big meal. The thought of some virus like this story hitting the air today is tremendously frightening. This would please both science fiction and horror fans alike.
February 24, 2018
A gruesome tale about a deadly virus sweeping the nation. Little bits of science thrown throughout but not a lot. The only weird thing was the name dropping of actual people. It threw me off at first.
July 12, 2018
An intense medical drama with a family sub-plot and some international intrigue to spice it up a bit.
I can't say whether or not the medical science is accurate, but it seems the author did some research for the book.
The story was believable enough for me.
I can't say whether or not the medical science is accurate, but it seems the author did some research for the book.
The story was believable enough for me.
January 28, 2020
I enjoyed this book except for the amount of detail that went into explaining viruses and epidemiology.
At points it read like a science text. Also felt that terrorism angle, while timely, was largely unnecessary.
At points it read like a science text. Also felt that terrorism angle, while timely, was largely unnecessary.
April 5, 2018
I found this book gross and boring. I’m of the opinion that some things are best left to the imagination and not every gruesome detail need be explicitly described.
September 24, 2018
I am a sucker for pandemic stories and this is a good one. I look forward to more from this author.
August 28, 2019
I really didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I might. The ending was a but everyday and as for the narration was horrendous.
October 14, 2022
I think I would have enjoyed it more if the author wasn’t the narrator of the audiobook. Very, very monotone.
As well as use ALL fictional characters. Makes it more timeless and less dated.
As well as use ALL fictional characters. Makes it more timeless and less dated.
May 20, 2023
Very well written, a story well told. Warnings if you are sensitive in matters related to babies/children or the elderly. This book does not pull punches.
December 30, 2023
Quick read. A little too close to home with the Coronavirus- something unknown and spreading fast- but more intense. Realistic horror is what I'd call this book.
July 6, 2025
A horror story in how close it is to depicting what could easily be truth in today's world. Well balanced in its science nature yet also great storytelling.
September 22, 2025
solid 3.5
October 30, 2025
4.5 stars -- I listened to the audio version of this book. I really enjoyed it.
May 4, 2022
It was very interesting reading a story about a serious contagious virus while going through a global pandemic. Obviously the Gemini Virus in this book is a far more dangerous virus than COVID-19, as pretty much everyone infected with the Gemini Virus is dead in less than a week. Of course, having been through a pandemic, some things in the book didn't exactly ring true with how people actually behaved.
There was no run on supplies in the grocery store
Everyone had easy & quick access to both surgical face masks and gloves (but no one used hand sanitizer
No one complained about needing to wear said face masks or gloves
Outdoors was seen as dangerous, so meeting with people you don't live with indoors is safer???
However, the story was interesting, and I did enjoy seeing the CDC part of handling the epidemic, as well as the effects it had on the lives of ordinary people.
There was no run on supplies in the grocery store
Everyone had easy & quick access to both surgical face masks and gloves (but no one used hand sanitizer
No one complained about needing to wear said face masks or gloves
Outdoors was seen as dangerous, so meeting with people you don't live with indoors is safer???
However, the story was interesting, and I did enjoy seeing the CDC part of handling the epidemic, as well as the effects it had on the lives of ordinary people.
November 6, 2012
I like my horror/thriller books. I like zombies and ghosts and things that go bump in the night, but the one thing that scares me more than anything is a viral outbreak. I’m not talking about a zombie virus (though, I must admit, that would be pretty friggin intense), I’m talking the realistic ones (ie: Swine flu, SARS, Bird flu) the kind that if not caught soon enough can spread like wild fire and infect and kill thousands. Now, luckily (or maybe I should say so far), the aforementioned viruses were kind of blown out of proportion by the media because they gave the “worst case scenario”. That’s not to say the potential isn’t there, but for the most part, a major epidemic was controlled. Still, it was scary, and the looming risk of other viruses, ones that could wipe us out quickly, is one of my worst fears.
Where am I going with this? To the premise of this book — that’s where.
The Gemini Virus was one of those books I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to get when I picked it up. I knew it would either really freak me out, or it would seem implausible. It wasn’t the latter.
The first few pages of this book were pretty gross. Like total cringe-worthy, “I’m glad I’m not eating right now” gross. I have a strange aversion to bodily fluids (which is one of the reasons I did not go to medical school) — blood, snot, poop, vomit, infections — yeah. Not for me. So the descriptions of the illness were a little much. Still, they were real. Everything about the book felt very, very real.
The premise is very simple on the surface: People get sick. People realize there’s an epidemic. People try to appear calm. Loved ones show symptoms. You get the idea. It’s the execution that drew me in and kept me glued to the pages. I seriously couldn’t stop reading this one, and when I did, it was to research whether or not this could actually happen. (It can. Everything in the book is based on scientific fact.) The characters are relatable, the plot tightly woven and the medical jargon isn’t so heavy that it weighs down the pace.
If you are a fan of medical thrillers, or like movies like “Contagion” and “Outbreak”, I would definitely recommend this one. It definitely made me think (and got my slight neurosis all in a twitter).
Where am I going with this? To the premise of this book — that’s where.
The Gemini Virus was one of those books I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to get when I picked it up. I knew it would either really freak me out, or it would seem implausible. It wasn’t the latter.
The first few pages of this book were pretty gross. Like total cringe-worthy, “I’m glad I’m not eating right now” gross. I have a strange aversion to bodily fluids (which is one of the reasons I did not go to medical school) — blood, snot, poop, vomit, infections — yeah. Not for me. So the descriptions of the illness were a little much. Still, they were real. Everything about the book felt very, very real.
The premise is very simple on the surface: People get sick. People realize there’s an epidemic. People try to appear calm. Loved ones show symptoms. You get the idea. It’s the execution that drew me in and kept me glued to the pages. I seriously couldn’t stop reading this one, and when I did, it was to research whether or not this could actually happen. (It can. Everything in the book is based on scientific fact.) The characters are relatable, the plot tightly woven and the medical jargon isn’t so heavy that it weighs down the pace.
If you are a fan of medical thrillers, or like movies like “Contagion” and “Outbreak”, I would definitely recommend this one. It definitely made me think (and got my slight neurosis all in a twitter).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews