What do you think?
Rate this book
After the Cure #1
After the Cure
Eight years ago the December Plague swept through the human population of earth. The Infected were driven mad by the disease, becoming violent and cannibalistic, killing even those closest to them without hesitation. Six years ago, the tiny surviving community of Immune humans found a cure, and the Infected began to wake up and realize what they'd done. And what had been done to them. Over time, society began to rebuild itself. Now it is ready to judge those responsible for the Plague. Nella Rider, the court psychologist and Frank Courtlen a defense attorney are trying to establish the truth. But more depends on it than they know. They race to find the answers they need before the fragile remains of humanity vanish for good. The After the Cure Book 1: After the Cure Book 2: The Cured Book 3: Krisis Book 4: Poveglia Book 5: The 40th Day And a new story in the After the Cure Before the Cure now available
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
916 people are currently reading
3035 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
November 16, 2017
Imagine if the zombies on the Walking Dead were suddenly cured and then society had to somehow go on. The survivors like Rick (who are the Immune in this book) will know that they killed a bunch of people who could have been cured if given time. The cured "zombies" will know that they killed and ate people - even their loved ones. Talk about an awkward world!
Yes, this awkward.
This is the setting for the book. The zombies were actually people infected with an infection that gave them a cannibalistic form of pica - which some of us remember reading about in our pregnancy books because we were told we might develop a bizarre desire to eat chalk or dirt while pregnant. Kids - I swear - even making us crazy before they even get here. Eating dirt and chalk will seem normal once they get to toddlerdom. By the time you have a few of them, especially boys, you will literally become unshockable. Oh, the kids painted the dog, ran outside with it while naked except for their cowboy boots, and were throwing Twinkies at passing cars? Yeah, what else is new?
Dammit! We need to buy new fish again. The fish store is getting suspicious.
Our heroine is Nella, who is a psychiatrist that has been helping the Cured adjust to life again. She has been called in to evaluate the mental health of two former researchers who were partially responsible for releasing this deadly bacteria into the population. They are going to trial for their crimes and let's just say that people aren't exactly in a forgiving mood for the ones who developed the sickness that made them eat their family.
Literally.
Nella becomes friends with Frank, the lawyer for one of the defendants, and there is a very slow-developing love story going on. I liked that part because the world and storyline was a little bit on the depressing side, so I felt like it helped. It was dark material and there was a lot of grossness in the whole eating people thing. Nella and Frank were both likable people with very different experiences during the plague.
He was Homer. She was a hot dog.
During their work with the defendants, Nella and Frank find out that this whole nightmare may NOT be over, as they thought. There is something worse coming. Yes, worse than eating your hamster like a Snickers! Frank and Nella are determined to stop this from happening.
P.S.A.
This book had a really unique take on the Zombie Apocalypse. The ideas in it were great, but it could have used a little bit of tweaking. I thought some things were a little obvious, there were a couple of slow times, and part of the ending was really cheesy. But, it was still a really fresh and fun spin on an old favorite.
Oh, and best part? I got this free for Kindle on Amazon! Go get it!
Yes, this awkward.
This is the setting for the book. The zombies were actually people infected with an infection that gave them a cannibalistic form of pica - which some of us remember reading about in our pregnancy books because we were told we might develop a bizarre desire to eat chalk or dirt while pregnant. Kids - I swear - even making us crazy before they even get here. Eating dirt and chalk will seem normal once they get to toddlerdom. By the time you have a few of them, especially boys, you will literally become unshockable. Oh, the kids painted the dog, ran outside with it while naked except for their cowboy boots, and were throwing Twinkies at passing cars? Yeah, what else is new?
Dammit! We need to buy new fish again. The fish store is getting suspicious.
Our heroine is Nella, who is a psychiatrist that has been helping the Cured adjust to life again. She has been called in to evaluate the mental health of two former researchers who were partially responsible for releasing this deadly bacteria into the population. They are going to trial for their crimes and let's just say that people aren't exactly in a forgiving mood for the ones who developed the sickness that made them eat their family.
Literally.
Nella becomes friends with Frank, the lawyer for one of the defendants, and there is a very slow-developing love story going on. I liked that part because the world and storyline was a little bit on the depressing side, so I felt like it helped. It was dark material and there was a lot of grossness in the whole eating people thing. Nella and Frank were both likable people with very different experiences during the plague.
He was Homer. She was a hot dog.
During their work with the defendants, Nella and Frank find out that this whole nightmare may NOT be over, as they thought. There is something worse coming. Yes, worse than eating your hamster like a Snickers! Frank and Nella are determined to stop this from happening.
P.S.A.
This book had a really unique take on the Zombie Apocalypse. The ideas in it were great, but it could have used a little bit of tweaking. I thought some things were a little obvious, there were a couple of slow times, and part of the ending was really cheesy. But, it was still a really fresh and fun spin on an old favorite.
Oh, and best part? I got this free for Kindle on Amazon! Go get it!
August 25, 2024
If you ever wondered what would happen if a zombie apocalypse happened, this novel goes one step further to ask, "What would happen if there was a zombie apocalypse, and then a cure was found?" Basically, there were only two years of zompocalypse, but After the Cure is about the attempt to return society to a state of normalcy: the trials, the psychological therapy necessary to adapt to the harsh realities of having been infected and the mass suicides resulting from that fact.
Dr. Nella Rider has been tasked to evaluate the people deemed responsible, whether they are mentally competent to stand trial, and understand the process. Society has fractured to such a degree that there are still challenges in arriving at justice. The defense attorney, Frank Courtlen, is tasked with the heavy responsibility of defending the perpetrators, but Frank was one of the cured and he has his own emotional baggage about the actions he took when he was infected.
Turns out that there is a chance of another outbreak, and Nella and Frank have an opportunity to stop it before it begins anew. However, there are forces trying to stop them. One or more of those originally implicated may actually want a second crack at the zombie apocalypse. A ticking clock adds to the suspense.
I really love the unique perspective of having a population of former infected people aware of what they did while existing as zombies and how they attempt to come to terms with that. That sounds truly horrifying, so horrifying that fully one third of the healed commits suicide at the fact they have to exist while members of their own families no longer get that chance. LOVE it, love it, love it.
Dr. Nella Rider has been tasked to evaluate the people deemed responsible, whether they are mentally competent to stand trial, and understand the process. Society has fractured to such a degree that there are still challenges in arriving at justice. The defense attorney, Frank Courtlen, is tasked with the heavy responsibility of defending the perpetrators, but Frank was one of the cured and he has his own emotional baggage about the actions he took when he was infected.
Turns out that there is a chance of another outbreak, and Nella and Frank have an opportunity to stop it before it begins anew. However, there are forces trying to stop them. One or more of those originally implicated may actually want a second crack at the zombie apocalypse. A ticking clock adds to the suspense.
I really love the unique perspective of having a population of former infected people aware of what they did while existing as zombies and how they attempt to come to terms with that. That sounds truly horrifying, so horrifying that fully one third of the healed commits suicide at the fact they have to exist while members of their own families no longer get that chance. LOVE it, love it, love it.
August 22, 2015
I've got to stop reading zombie books.
Imagine being a zombie and then being cured. Still remembering all those people you ate.
Like a night on tequila . Shudder !!
Imagine being a zombie and then being cured. Still remembering all those people you ate.
Like a night on tequila . Shudder !!
September 7, 2016
The idea of seeing the zombie plague cured, and the rabid nom-ing creatures it created returned to humanity, intact with all the memories of what they had done when the infection took over, was a new one for me. The Cured, as they are renamed, also retain the visible and invisible scars of all they did when control was lost. They are often riddled with physical scars, missing limbs, and/or have a distinct appearance of starvation, that even up to 8 years after the plague took them, gives them a gaunt, haunted appearance.
The face I thought the author made every time there was a "surprise"
The contrasting perspectives of an Immune, and a Cured, gives us glimpses as to what it would be like to live for years in fear, and seeing these people as they were and not as they are now. The "social problems" potential for this book was very high. Marking the distinctions of having no control over your actions, and making a constant decision when there were no longer consequences for your actions. The author sort of slams the "Immunes are the monsters" idea into your face so many times, it becomes tiring, but it's an interesting point I wish we saw more of.
THINGS THAT MADE THE TEETH WANT TO GNASH
If the zombie plague could somehow be reduced to a paint by numbers scene, it would be captured in this book. My immediate response is that it wasn't long enough to really build the city, but it was long enough in several places for me to threaten to throw my kindle if the main character didn't actually get a clue soon. Gould had to hit the reader in the face with every clue they would need to put the story together, repeatedly, making the movement of the story painfully slow.
EXHIBIT A: How I felt while reading
There are also some poorly researched points, and inconsistency within the story. Our doctor heroine mentions that "she didn't even finish medical school," and that she still had a "few months of residency left." If that's the case, she DID finish med school, and now was finishing the equivalent of on the job training, having already passed her Boards, she's just completing the last step to work independently.
On that note, how the hell did so many lawyers survive!??!? Because the world building was so poor, I had no idea of the actual scope of the safe zone, so I don't know if it's just that there is such a large population in this area that lawyers, judges, and film makers are suddenly needed and utilized again, or just that the idea of a zombie trial was too irresistible and the only way to save that was to save those who run that dog and pony show. How are they delivering this footage? Characters mention repeatedly that one of the things most missed is a hot shower, but then they have live footage broadcasts. So, even though we know the water system for the major part of the city is functional and safe, they turned off all the electric water heaters and allowed everyone to watch TV? I think this was another sacrifice to poor world building because even a tiny bit more fleshing out of the infrastructure could have made this believable.
I simply don't believe that with an established military government, the military wouldn't be involved in the criminal proceedings. I also think the line between the new world and the old one is blurred, with so much jargon from times that are no longer relevant.
CLOSING STATEMENT
The premise of this book was great, but it neither had enough zombies nor philosophical waxing on social standing and humanity to compel me to continue the series. The next book in the series is from the POV of an infected who was cured, which MIGHT focus on all the things this first novel lacked.
The face I thought the author made every time there was a "surprise"
The contrasting perspectives of an Immune, and a Cured, gives us glimpses as to what it would be like to live for years in fear, and seeing these people as they were and not as they are now. The "social problems" potential for this book was very high. Marking the distinctions of having no control over your actions, and making a constant decision when there were no longer consequences for your actions. The author sort of slams the "Immunes are the monsters" idea into your face so many times, it becomes tiring, but it's an interesting point I wish we saw more of.
THINGS THAT MADE THE TEETH WANT TO GNASH
If the zombie plague could somehow be reduced to a paint by numbers scene, it would be captured in this book. My immediate response is that it wasn't long enough to really build the city, but it was long enough in several places for me to threaten to throw my kindle if the main character didn't actually get a clue soon. Gould had to hit the reader in the face with every clue they would need to put the story together, repeatedly, making the movement of the story painfully slow.
EXHIBIT A: How I felt while reading
Author: Hey this is a really important leaf that I'm obviously trying to get you to focus on without being too obvious, though I totally AM being obvious. I'm also going to repeat the same phrase about said leaf as many times as possible without just having an entire paragraph that is: leaf leaf leaf leaf leaf, and leaf the leaf leaf.
Reader: ... Got it. I know what a leaf is, and you've mentioned the exact same phrase about the leaf at least 10 times, so I think we're good.
Author: [mid conversation about a completely unrelated topic, flashes back to leaf points from earlier]
Author: [five pages or so later] Wow, if only we had something green and flat and that grew on a tree.
Reader: ....
Author: OMG, it's a leaf! It's such a surprise!!
Reader: You have to be f-ing kidding me.
There are also some poorly researched points, and inconsistency within the story. Our doctor heroine mentions that "she didn't even finish medical school," and that she still had a "few months of residency left." If that's the case, she DID finish med school, and now was finishing the equivalent of on the job training, having already passed her Boards, she's just completing the last step to work independently.
On that note, how the hell did so many lawyers survive!??!? Because the world building was so poor, I had no idea of the actual scope of the safe zone, so I don't know if it's just that there is such a large population in this area that lawyers, judges, and film makers are suddenly needed and utilized again, or just that the idea of a zombie trial was too irresistible and the only way to save that was to save those who run that dog and pony show. How are they delivering this footage? Characters mention repeatedly that one of the things most missed is a hot shower, but then they have live footage broadcasts. So, even though we know the water system for the major part of the city is functional and safe, they turned off all the electric water heaters and allowed everyone to watch TV? I think this was another sacrifice to poor world building because even a tiny bit more fleshing out of the infrastructure could have made this believable.
I simply don't believe that with an established military government, the military wouldn't be involved in the criminal proceedings. I also think the line between the new world and the old one is blurred, with so much jargon from times that are no longer relevant.
CLOSING STATEMENT
The premise of this book was great, but it neither had enough zombies nor philosophical waxing on social standing and humanity to compel me to continue the series. The next book in the series is from the POV of an infected who was cured, which MIGHT focus on all the things this first novel lacked.
February 17, 2016
I could not finish this book. It's to much of a romance for my taste
August 29, 2015
This has potential. The writing and the story line were ok... But it felt.... Like a low budget movie. Like, yeah ok, somehow you wrangled a big name actor but there's still no money so the lighting is weird and everyone can tell that car's on a set and not actually moving. The chapter titles... OK, they don't really matter but they were still pretty bargain bin. And the dialogue had a strange aversion to contractions. Always "they are" or "we are" instead of they're or we're. It just sounds stilted and unnatural and jarred me out of the flow numerous times. Also there's a pretty Twighlight-esque zombie romance that made me gag. If the weird romance bullshit had been removed, this book might have taken an hour to read.
There were a few loose ends that didn't quite tie up at the end that irritated me.
Overall it was a decent book. Nice plot. I didn't give a shit about the characters. Half of that was because they were too busy sucking face. The other half was just that they weren't really that well developed. "I ate my wife and it haunts me. Also I like boats." That's not really enough for me to get emotionally attached to a character. Dr. Pazzo was probably the deepest (and most interesting) character and he wasn't really there - they just talked about him a lot.
Idk. If this series continues with Nella and Frank I'M OUT. I can't handle any more zombie footsie. (Besides. They'll probably have a baby and name it Franella and it'll try to eat its way out of Nella and they'll try to pass it off as somebody's cousin or something because reasons.) But I've heard that these books are the same story from different perspectives. I could probably get down with that. Just no more suck face. Goddamn.
There were a few loose ends that didn't quite tie up at the end that irritated me.
Overall it was a decent book. Nice plot. I didn't give a shit about the characters. Half of that was because they were too busy sucking face. The other half was just that they weren't really that well developed. "I ate my wife and it haunts me. Also I like boats." That's not really enough for me to get emotionally attached to a character. Dr. Pazzo was probably the deepest (and most interesting) character and he wasn't really there - they just talked about him a lot.
Idk. If this series continues with Nella and Frank I'M OUT. I can't handle any more zombie footsie. (Besides. They'll probably have a baby and name it Franella and it'll try to eat its way out of Nella and they'll try to pass it off as somebody's cousin or something because reasons.) But I've heard that these books are the same story from different perspectives. I could probably get down with that. Just no more suck face. Goddamn.
October 28, 2016
So here's the thing. I love zombies way more than any normal person should. I get excited any time I find a new zombie book to read or a zombie show to watch. With that being said, this is a plot I haven't seen before. It doesn't focus on the zombies or the zombie apocalypse, but more so on the fact that the zombies could be cured and what happens after. The plot was interesting enough, but the romance in this killed it for me. It just seemed really forced, and distracted me from everything else that was going on. I wish I would have enjoyed this more.
February 11, 2016
Okay, so here's the deal. I actually REALLY enjoyed this book. "But, Lucas, you gave it TWO stars?" I know. That's because of the "romance" and Frank. Let's talk about this.
The book is really interesting. The trial, the crazy doctors, the Plague, the Cure. It's all pretty cool. I'd have given this four stars. FOUR.
But then we have Frank. Mr. "Not Beautiful". The guy who keeps pushing our MC to be more social, cause why does she not know her neighbours? It's not like she went through a sorta-zombie apocalypse, in which she saw her old neighbours eating each other and in which she killed many people to survive.
Frank is also the guy who keeps "secrets" from her. Just because. Seriously. Just because. There's never a good reason. Then, he wants her to keep "secrets" from her best friend, who's going to help them. But he has no problem telling HIS friends AND the people involved in the trial about EVERYTHING.
This is also the guy who's too soft, doesn't want to think of carrying a gun and, hey, look at that, thanks to his inability to THINK, Nella ends up getting attacked and bitten.
The romance itself is pathetic. They meet and Nella is blushing already. She turns into a total teenager around him. All the time. In fact, they act like teenagers. It's infuriating.
So, yeah. I liked the book A LOT. But the author's need to keep writing about this "relationship" and Frank just... dragged the story down a lot.
That all said. It is a good book. It really is. I'm just honestly extremely frustrated because it had everything to be AMAZING.
The book is really interesting. The trial, the crazy doctors, the Plague, the Cure. It's all pretty cool. I'd have given this four stars. FOUR.
But then we have Frank. Mr. "Not Beautiful". The guy who keeps pushing our MC to be more social, cause why does she not know her neighbours? It's not like she went through a sorta-zombie apocalypse, in which she saw her old neighbours eating each other and in which she killed many people to survive.
Frank is also the guy who keeps "secrets" from her. Just because. Seriously. Just because. There's never a good reason. Then, he wants her to keep "secrets" from her best friend, who's going to help them. But he has no problem telling HIS friends AND the people involved in the trial about EVERYTHING.
This is also the guy who's too soft, doesn't want to think of carrying a gun and, hey, look at that, thanks to his inability to THINK, Nella ends up getting attacked and bitten.
The romance itself is pathetic. They meet and Nella is blushing already. She turns into a total teenager around him. All the time. In fact, they act like teenagers. It's infuriating.
So, yeah. I liked the book A LOT. But the author's need to keep writing about this "relationship" and Frank just... dragged the story down a lot.
That all said. It is a good book. It really is. I'm just honestly extremely frustrated because it had everything to be AMAZING.
December 7, 2015
The story is good, but the characters are odd. They like taking lunch breaks and going home to take showers every time they uncover really urgent, important information about a deadly virus; "Let's think about this again on Monday. Are you hungry?", they say. They are in hostile territory lurking with dangerous and violent creatures, "I'm going to undress and step into my sleeping bag *blush*, don't peek ok?" IF you can get past all that, it's a good story! I am now on Book 2.
March 31, 2024
Zombieverhalen, ik vermoed dat er redelijk wat boeken te vinden zijn met dit onderwerp. De mens die besmet is die de andere bijt en zo de plaag verderzet. Ik heb er in het verleden wel al een paar gelezen in boeken of strips. Maar wat als het eerste boek van een reeks nu eens anders begint. Wat als er een oplossing gevonden is voor het probleem i.p.v. ze allemaal overhoop te schieten? Zou dit jullie dan aanspreken om dit boek te lezen? Indien ja, dan heb ik wel een boek voor jullie.
Zou er iemand bekend zijn met de schrijfster Deirdre Gould? Deze dame was een nobele onbekende voor mij totdat ik haar boek After the cure zag passeren. Maar wie is Deirdre?
Deirdre Gould woont in Maine met man en drie kinderen. De winters zijn daar koud maar ze ziet daar een groot voordeel in. Bij koude lopen de zombies minder rap. En het ligt wat afgelegen en krijgt genoeg stormen te verwerken. Dus ideaal voor een post-apocalyptische schrijfster.
Dat haar eerste boek de titel After the cure krijgt is logisch. Het verhaal start nadat men een serum gevonden heeft om de zombies terug te halen naar hun normale doen. Alhoewel normaal niet voor iedereen telt. Zij die het serum toegediend krijgen herinneren zich alles wat ze gedaan hebben tijdens hun “ziekte”. Het zelfmoordcijfer ligt dus bij hen heel hoog. Rondom de afgesloten stad loopt het nog vol met zombies. In de stad wordt een proces gehouden om de aanstekers van de ziekte te straffen. Frank, de advocaat van de beklaagde en Nella, een psychiater voor het gerecht proberen de waarheid te achterhalen vooraleer er een nieuwe plaag kan toeslaan.
Het is eens iets anders om een reeks te starten. In plaats van iemand die ziek wordt, direct starten met genezen en berechten. Een boek mag al eens uit de lijn stappen om aantrekkelijk te zijn.
De grote wereldopbouw miste ik wel een beetje in dit boek. Ik ben fan van goed uitgewerkte werelden, omgevingen die uitgebreid verbeeld worden. Een wereld die je na het lezen op je netvlies kunt zien staan.( Niet letterlijk he.)
De personages daarentegen vond ik niet slecht. Er zit een lijn van romantiek in het verhaal maar het draagt bij aan de algehele beleving. Het heeft als het ware een extra laagje aan het verhaal.
De personages op zich zijn genoeg uitgewerkt voor dit verhaal. Karakteromschrijving kon nog wat dieper maar was hier niet echt nodig om het verhaal te kunnen dragen. Dus daar klagen we niet over.
Het plot zit goed in elkaar. Hier en daar een kronkel om de aandacht vast te houden en een slot die wat extra spanning bevat en het einde wat een toespeling bevat naar het volgende deel. Het slot was hier en daar wel wat voorspelbaar door bepaalde toespelingen in het verhaal.
De spanningsboog had wat ups en downs maar het stoorde niet. Het was niet dat het volledige verhaal plots in elkaar zakt om dan later terug opgetrokken te worden. Het ging gewoon van spannende stukken naar een rustiger stuk om dan terug aan te zwengelen.
Vond ik het goed? Ja, ik vond het een goed boek. De andere delen van deze reeks zullen geduld moeten hebben want ik lees eerst alles uit wat nu op mijn tablet of in mijn kasten staan die ongelezen zijn. En ze zijn met velen maar ik moet dringend plaats maken. Nog iemand hier die al kennis gemaakt heeft met deze boeken of deze auteur?
Zou er iemand bekend zijn met de schrijfster Deirdre Gould? Deze dame was een nobele onbekende voor mij totdat ik haar boek After the cure zag passeren. Maar wie is Deirdre?
Deirdre Gould woont in Maine met man en drie kinderen. De winters zijn daar koud maar ze ziet daar een groot voordeel in. Bij koude lopen de zombies minder rap. En het ligt wat afgelegen en krijgt genoeg stormen te verwerken. Dus ideaal voor een post-apocalyptische schrijfster.
Dat haar eerste boek de titel After the cure krijgt is logisch. Het verhaal start nadat men een serum gevonden heeft om de zombies terug te halen naar hun normale doen. Alhoewel normaal niet voor iedereen telt. Zij die het serum toegediend krijgen herinneren zich alles wat ze gedaan hebben tijdens hun “ziekte”. Het zelfmoordcijfer ligt dus bij hen heel hoog. Rondom de afgesloten stad loopt het nog vol met zombies. In de stad wordt een proces gehouden om de aanstekers van de ziekte te straffen. Frank, de advocaat van de beklaagde en Nella, een psychiater voor het gerecht proberen de waarheid te achterhalen vooraleer er een nieuwe plaag kan toeslaan.
Het is eens iets anders om een reeks te starten. In plaats van iemand die ziek wordt, direct starten met genezen en berechten. Een boek mag al eens uit de lijn stappen om aantrekkelijk te zijn.
De grote wereldopbouw miste ik wel een beetje in dit boek. Ik ben fan van goed uitgewerkte werelden, omgevingen die uitgebreid verbeeld worden. Een wereld die je na het lezen op je netvlies kunt zien staan.( Niet letterlijk he.)
De personages daarentegen vond ik niet slecht. Er zit een lijn van romantiek in het verhaal maar het draagt bij aan de algehele beleving. Het heeft als het ware een extra laagje aan het verhaal.
De personages op zich zijn genoeg uitgewerkt voor dit verhaal. Karakteromschrijving kon nog wat dieper maar was hier niet echt nodig om het verhaal te kunnen dragen. Dus daar klagen we niet over.
Het plot zit goed in elkaar. Hier en daar een kronkel om de aandacht vast te houden en een slot die wat extra spanning bevat en het einde wat een toespeling bevat naar het volgende deel. Het slot was hier en daar wel wat voorspelbaar door bepaalde toespelingen in het verhaal.
De spanningsboog had wat ups en downs maar het stoorde niet. Het was niet dat het volledige verhaal plots in elkaar zakt om dan later terug opgetrokken te worden. Het ging gewoon van spannende stukken naar een rustiger stuk om dan terug aan te zwengelen.
Vond ik het goed? Ja, ik vond het een goed boek. De andere delen van deze reeks zullen geduld moeten hebben want ik lees eerst alles uit wat nu op mijn tablet of in mijn kasten staan die ongelezen zijn. En ze zijn met velen maar ik moet dringend plaats maken. Nog iemand hier die al kennis gemaakt heeft met deze boeken of deze auteur?
October 18, 2019
**Spoiler alert - this book was not for me!!!**
I loved the premise of this and the general plot is pretty good and interesting...BUT there was too much romance in this for my taste (what I call putrid romance i.e. completely OTT and sugar-coated and even extreme conditions cannot make me accept it - bleurgh).
I'm sorry I am not a romantic person (although low i.e. normal levels would be acceptable).
So unfortunately there were large chunks I had to fast forward but I made it to the end and then got annoyed all over again. I imagine subsequent books being the same tedious fight for survival amongst people who have no idea what they're doing and keep screwing it up!
ALSO what is the point of having people in authority if you don't trust them to help in the emergency situations they are trained for??? Clearly dealing with it on your own is NOT a good plan... bah... mumbling ... mehhhhh...you will get hurt! Duh!
Clearly I am in the minority but not being a romance fan was a big factor in my reaction to this one...
and then other bugbears crept in...sorry.
I loved the premise of this and the general plot is pretty good and interesting...BUT there was too much romance in this for my taste (what I call putrid romance i.e. completely OTT and sugar-coated and even extreme conditions cannot make me accept it - bleurgh).
I'm sorry I am not a romantic person (although low i.e. normal levels would be acceptable).
So unfortunately there were large chunks I had to fast forward but I made it to the end and then got annoyed all over again. I imagine subsequent books being the same tedious fight for survival amongst people who have no idea what they're doing and keep screwing it up!
ALSO what is the point of having people in authority if you don't trust them to help in the emergency situations they are trained for??? Clearly dealing with it on your own is NOT a good plan... bah... mumbling ... mehhhhh...you will get hurt! Duh!
Clearly I am in the minority but not being a romance fan was a big factor in my reaction to this one...
and then other bugbears crept in...sorry.
February 28, 2016
So, if a cure was found for Zombies, what would happen after?
I think that is a really good premise for a book. Unfortunately in After the Cure, the author decided to concentrate more on the romance side of the story. Now I know that this book is part of a series, so maybe the actual after the cure idea is explored in more detail in the later books. But I do think that by not exploring it more in the first book of the series, the author missed a trick.
An ok book, 6 out of 10. 3 stars.
I think that is a really good premise for a book. Unfortunately in After the Cure, the author decided to concentrate more on the romance side of the story. Now I know that this book is part of a series, so maybe the actual after the cure idea is explored in more detail in the later books. But I do think that by not exploring it more in the first book of the series, the author missed a trick.
An ok book, 6 out of 10. 3 stars.
August 5, 2015
Oh wow, what a ride. I'm normally not a huge fan of "zombie fiction"- or horror, or thrillers, or really anything that's creepy or spooky- but this is probably one of the most interesting and gripping books that I've read in a long time. I couldn't put it down! Unlike your typical zombie story, this book focuses on the social, psychological, and legal aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, when what remains of society is separated into the Cured (people who were zombies but have been cured) and the Immunes (people who were not susceptible to the zombie plague).
Things I liked:
-Honest-to-God originality. I never felt that what I was reading was trite or over-done. The premise is such a cool idea, and prompts the reader to examine the concepts of guilt, humanity, and ethics without feeling heavy-handed.
-I loved seeing how the author incorporated actual science. I'm a Biology student, so a lot of it really resonated with me. It felt believable, which only served to make it scarier!
-There are plenty of women in this book, which is (sadly) sometimes hard to find in the sci-fi genre. Not only were there women, but the women were so VITAL and important. Gosh, there were so many women and it made me so happy.
-Main character's best friend is a lesbian and a woman of color who is in a happy relationship. (YES YES YES!!)
-It was chilling and scary without being downright terrifying. There are some very graphic descriptions of violence and a good deal of suspense, but it's not the kind of thing that keeps you up at night. I guess disturbing would be a good word to use.
-There's definitely a romantic element, but it's not the focus of the story at all.
Things that could have been better:
-This book is free on the ibooks app, and I suspect that it's free elsewhere as well. That may account for the overall poor editing. I kept finding mistakes in punctuation and spelling, and sometimes sentences were awkwardly phrased. I dearly wish that whoever edited this book had done a better job.
-I love the story so, so much, but stylistically, the writing wasn't as sophisticated as it could have been. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the author is a great story-teller, but not the best writer.
Overall, I enjoyed the crap out of this book, and I would probably re-read it. HIGHLY recommend to more mature audiences looking for something new and exciting!
Things I liked:
-Honest-to-God originality. I never felt that what I was reading was trite or over-done. The premise is such a cool idea, and prompts the reader to examine the concepts of guilt, humanity, and ethics without feeling heavy-handed.
-I loved seeing how the author incorporated actual science. I'm a Biology student, so a lot of it really resonated with me. It felt believable, which only served to make it scarier!
-There are plenty of women in this book, which is (sadly) sometimes hard to find in the sci-fi genre. Not only were there women, but the women were so VITAL and important. Gosh, there were so many women and it made me so happy.
-Main character's best friend is a lesbian and a woman of color who is in a happy relationship. (YES YES YES!!)
-It was chilling and scary without being downright terrifying. There are some very graphic descriptions of violence and a good deal of suspense, but it's not the kind of thing that keeps you up at night. I guess disturbing would be a good word to use.
-There's definitely a romantic element, but it's not the focus of the story at all.
Things that could have been better:
-This book is free on the ibooks app, and I suspect that it's free elsewhere as well. That may account for the overall poor editing. I kept finding mistakes in punctuation and spelling, and sometimes sentences were awkwardly phrased. I dearly wish that whoever edited this book had done a better job.
-I love the story so, so much, but stylistically, the writing wasn't as sophisticated as it could have been. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the author is a great story-teller, but not the best writer.
Overall, I enjoyed the crap out of this book, and I would probably re-read it. HIGHLY recommend to more mature audiences looking for something new and exciting!
October 6, 2023
Virus
This one was a nice change from so many of the other zombie and end of the world books that I have read. It was a very good premise and I felt that the whole story was laid out very well. What's interesting is that you also have a bit of a love story throughout as well. Albeit and unconventional one. There are essentially two main characters in the story along with a host of secondary and other characters that all play off each other very well. I enjoyed the idea of there being a cure in this one but they really don't have enough of it or a very good way to distribute it. Plus the added fact of what happens when someone is cured after a couple years being infected. The characters are enjoyable and likable and it should be interesting to see where they go from here. Definitely worth it if you're into these types of stories.
This one was a nice change from so many of the other zombie and end of the world books that I have read. It was a very good premise and I felt that the whole story was laid out very well. What's interesting is that you also have a bit of a love story throughout as well. Albeit and unconventional one. There are essentially two main characters in the story along with a host of secondary and other characters that all play off each other very well. I enjoyed the idea of there being a cure in this one but they really don't have enough of it or a very good way to distribute it. Plus the added fact of what happens when someone is cured after a couple years being infected. The characters are enjoyable and likable and it should be interesting to see where they go from here. Definitely worth it if you're into these types of stories.
September 6, 2021
A good read. Loved it.
August 1, 2015
This was a free Kindle offering, and the premise sounded very interesting. There IS a cure for the "zombies" ... as you can imagine, physically, many are in horrible shape, even if they can return to humanity. But additionally, they REMEMBER what they did (like eating their family). Tough stuff to live with.
It was a very interesting approach to other zombie reads. I did like it, but it kind of dragged on and on. The writing was fine, but it didn't have the flow that some better books do. It was a bit repetitive at times too. Most of the chapter titles were one of two words that were reflective of the text in the chapter, but one was
Nella woke with a gasp as cool water hit her ...
Which was also then the first sentence of the chapter. I just found that weird.
So while I did like the story, and thought it had specific plot and structure, about halfway in I felt like I was trudging along, just pushing to get through it.
There is another book in this series, but apparently it is a companion book, happening at the same time or before this one. Same setting but completely different characters with no crossover. I probably won't continue on.
It was a very interesting approach to other zombie reads. I did like it, but it kind of dragged on and on. The writing was fine, but it didn't have the flow that some better books do. It was a bit repetitive at times too. Most of the chapter titles were one of two words that were reflective of the text in the chapter, but one was
Nella woke with a gasp as cool water hit her ...
Which was also then the first sentence of the chapter. I just found that weird.
So while I did like the story, and thought it had specific plot and structure, about halfway in I felt like I was trudging along, just pushing to get through it.
There is another book in this series, but apparently it is a companion book, happening at the same time or before this one. Same setting but completely different characters with no crossover. I probably won't continue on.
January 28, 2016
Well what can i say about After the Cure? It was a free recommendation on book bub and i thought i'd give it ago. It opens at the end of a pandemic. I want to say zombies but its the wrong word, the illness that swept the world doesnt fit the regular zombie criteria. The effected are more enraged cannibals then reanimated dead. Luckily (or unluckily depending on view point) a cure has been found and administered to the infected! Horah! Nella (cant quiet get over the fact that her name makes me want to have nutella on toast every time i read it but thats the only issue ive had with this book) our resident physcologist is tasked to help the infected readjust after thier illness. She'll be much needed as it turns out the cured, remember everything that they've done. Six years later and Nella is tasked with evaluating the mental health of Dr Pazza and his assitant Ann, two of those responsible for releasing the illness about to stand trial for their crimes.
During these meetings with Dr Pazza and his lawyer Frank, Nella discovers things may not be as over as they appear to be. Can she stop it with the help of Frank and her friends?
I have thoughly enjoyed this book. The concept is a fresh take on the apocolyptic wrting genre. The stories that the cured tell about thier actions are moving and haunting at the same time. The budding relationship between Nella and Frank ( a cured witha lot of guilt) hits subtly upon social restrictions in relationships still prelevent in todays society.
Gould creates a realistic and believeable post apocolyptic setting with a well thought out plot line. I found it increasingly difficult to put down. My only suggestion when reading this is make sure you have Nutella in the cupboard..... just saying.
During these meetings with Dr Pazza and his lawyer Frank, Nella discovers things may not be as over as they appear to be. Can she stop it with the help of Frank and her friends?
I have thoughly enjoyed this book. The concept is a fresh take on the apocolyptic wrting genre. The stories that the cured tell about thier actions are moving and haunting at the same time. The budding relationship between Nella and Frank ( a cured witha lot of guilt) hits subtly upon social restrictions in relationships still prelevent in todays society.
Gould creates a realistic and believeable post apocolyptic setting with a well thought out plot line. I found it increasingly difficult to put down. My only suggestion when reading this is make sure you have Nutella in the cupboard..... just saying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2017
Make no mistake about it, this book is very much a ROMANCE. Get rid of the romance subplot and this novel becomes a short story. I don't mean that as a point of criticism either, just stating it as reality. If you go into "After the Cure" expecting something closer to horror or post-apocalyptic thriller then you will be disappointed but if you like romances AND zombies then you just may love it.
I fall somewhere in the middle. The premise for this book is awesome. I've read hundreds of zombie books, some good... most of them not so good. In general they're all pretty stale since there is so many of them all following the same tropes and there is a comic book and TV show that already does it better than 99% of them. After The Cure promised something different, and to a point it delivered on that promise. The idea of exploring a world after a cure is discovered is a unique twist on the genre. The problem is that this book doesn't execute that concept to its full potential, or even 25% of that potential. Instead we get bogged down by a romance subplot that takes up the majority of the book.
To make matters worse the world building, a very important element to a story like this, was pretty lousy. It really failed to live up to its expectations on all the elements that really sold the book to me in the first place. I can't really comment on the romance subplot except to say that I didn't buy it. They didn't seem to have much chemistry. I didn't think any of the characters in this book were very interesting.
I applaud the author for trying something new but I think the mistake here is that the audience for this type of book are probably not the people who will be most eager to read it based on the description.
I fall somewhere in the middle. The premise for this book is awesome. I've read hundreds of zombie books, some good... most of them not so good. In general they're all pretty stale since there is so many of them all following the same tropes and there is a comic book and TV show that already does it better than 99% of them. After The Cure promised something different, and to a point it delivered on that promise. The idea of exploring a world after a cure is discovered is a unique twist on the genre. The problem is that this book doesn't execute that concept to its full potential, or even 25% of that potential. Instead we get bogged down by a romance subplot that takes up the majority of the book.
To make matters worse the world building, a very important element to a story like this, was pretty lousy. It really failed to live up to its expectations on all the elements that really sold the book to me in the first place. I can't really comment on the romance subplot except to say that I didn't buy it. They didn't seem to have much chemistry. I didn't think any of the characters in this book were very interesting.
I applaud the author for trying something new but I think the mistake here is that the audience for this type of book are probably not the people who will be most eager to read it based on the description.
September 23, 2016
I loved the concept of this book: zombie-like people who are cured and can remember everything they did, and a world trying to recover with both the Cured and the Immunes. But it's like this writer took a great idea and didn't really do anything with it. I liked the characters well enough, but near the end, it's like the writer just had to hurry up and wrap it up with a happy ending, which was cheesy and over the top. Trying to tack on a twist ending was predictable and just made me roll my eyes. I wish a better writer would take this idea and start all over again with it.
November 25, 2017
In all the zombie fiction I've read over the years, I can safely say I've never read this spin on it (if you know of others, please comment).
In this first installment, a cure has been found and the story is told through the eyes of the Immune and the Cured. What would it be like to wake up from this nightmare one day and totally remember everything you did as a monster and who you dined on? Think there would be psychological issues? How about physical appearance? While dealing with all that, maybe you find out the there could be a deadly pathogen out there...one even worse than the first.... and you're playing beat-the-clock to find and destroy it before it brings down the rest of humanity.
This one held my attention, even with all the romance and corny chapter headings. Do I purchase #2 in the series? Stay tuned....
In this first installment, a cure has been found and the story is told through the eyes of the Immune and the Cured. What would it be like to wake up from this nightmare one day and totally remember everything you did as a monster and who you dined on? Think there would be psychological issues? How about physical appearance? While dealing with all that, maybe you find out the there could be a deadly pathogen out there...one even worse than the first.... and you're playing beat-the-clock to find and destroy it before it brings down the rest of humanity.
This one held my attention, even with all the romance and corny chapter headings. Do I purchase #2 in the series? Stay tuned....
October 18, 2015
Really loved the premise of the book. Definitely seemed like a new way to look at zombies/outbreaks - a cure? And those cured remember everything they did while zombified?
Book seemed a little tedious, and the romance talk about/between the two main characters felt repetitive at times.
I did enjoy the twist at the end!
There are more books in the series, but I'm not sure I'll read them. Also, it seemed as though the book didn't have a decent editor...
Book seemed a little tedious, and the romance talk about/between the two main characters felt repetitive at times.
I did enjoy the twist at the end!
There are more books in the series, but I'm not sure I'll read them. Also, it seemed as though the book didn't have a decent editor...
September 8, 2014
Started out great - went on forever - ended pretty hokey.
March 2, 2017
Fantastic!
This is an amazing series with a great plot line that kept me at the edge of my seat. I can't wait to read the next one!
This is an amazing series with a great plot line that kept me at the edge of my seat. I can't wait to read the next one!
March 18, 2020
Really interesting addition to the "zombie" genre. The ending was a bit too cute for my liking, but the rest was great.
February 12, 2024
Free books from Google Play.
I love a good zombie apocalypse (ZA) story, and I was immediately intrigued when I read the blurb. If you're hoping for fast paced, full of action, horror, and a gore-fest apocalypse, you're going to be disappointed. This is probably one ZA book that lacked a lot of gore and horror flicks. This book focuses on the recovery period six years after the ZA. Pretty much everyone are in steady survival mode but still in the early stages of the post-apocalyptic stage. I mean, we always know that the world will never return to how it was before the ZA. So that's where the story starts.
In this universe, you could actually reverse the zombie/infected person, which is a good thing, but it looks like it did more damaged than good, especially when the cured person could recall every single thing they did while they were in zombie mode. That's totally awful and disastrous because you can't help who you attacked and ate during that time. So if you can recall everything you did, like attacking and eating your loved ones while they screamed in fear, and pain—all that is recorded in your memories. So many cured people commit suicide after they regain consciousness. because they could not handle what they did and were consumed with guilt.
Some persevered to keep going, maybe as some sort of penance for their wrongdoings or just long enough to see the people who caused this mess should pay the price for causing this ZA chaos. It did not help that there is an obvious divide between the cured and immunes, the way they tend to keep to their own circle, and immunes are encouraged to procreate with each other to create more immune babies, just incase if this were to happen again.
We meet Nella Rider, the court psychologist, to investigate if the accused is fit to stand trial and sane enough to face punishment. She was there to analyze Dr.Pazzo (one of the scientists) and Ann (patient zero) she was the pundit person when it comes to doing medical and professional diagnosis about the cured and accused.
I like Nella, I think she was very down to earth, and I appreciated that even though she is a professional, she had natural anxieties and sort of a guilty cynicism when she first met Frank Courtlen, a cured person who is a defense attorney for Dr.Pazzo. I sort of get it that she tends to look at his lanky and raw-boned body and tries to picture him attacking someone with his long limbs. I like that the author didn't make Nella detached from basic human reflects and thinking. I think it would have crossed my mind too each time I wondered about a cured person. Like how they would have looked like and behaved in their zombie mode, not as a negative thing but more like just a basic curiosity.
Nella is very attentive, and she immediately picked up on Dr.Pazzo trying to gain control of the room and his influence over her. She also noticed that Dr.Pazzo was testing her to see if she was worthy to share something only he seemed to know. Nella then played the same game back with him and used Frank against him too. I also thought that Nella was compassionate person and was willing to help Ann be comfortable and receive proper medical care, she also knew that Ann wasn't the one to blame for this mess, and that Ann was beyond help anyways. I pity Ann, even when she is cured, her brain is too damaged to fully recover.
Frank is a kind and almost capitulate Slenderman look alike. He is one of those cured who tried to find justice as to why the ZA happened, and he want answers. He wants someone to pay for all the pain they caused him, and basically everyone on the planet. I adore Frank because his backstory was so painful to read. I mean, he remembers everything that happened to him and what he did to his wife. That's just awful. It takes a lot of patience and courage to represent that arsehole, Dr.Pazzo who treated Frank like dirt under his shoe. The dude responsible for this whole mess in the first place. Frank should have taken a gun and shot and killed Dr.Pazzo slowly for his arrogance and absolve himself of any responsibility for his actions.
If I were to choose a team, Frank and Nella would be in my top selection. Frank always shows loads of empathy for the infected and cured. He understands the pain they will face when they regain their memories and has always tried to avoid any violence inflicted on the still-infected.
I liked that Nella and Frank clicked right away; they were both seeking something, and they found it with each other, while I liked their chemistry and adored their love for each other, but sometimes I felt like it was kind of interfering with the story progress. Maybe that's just me, but while I adore them both, I still felt like they kind of fell for each other very quickly. Then again, what else do you have going for you in this post-apocalyptic time anyway?
Supporting protagonists like Sevita and Christine was just that, they only appeared and were around for some part of the book. Sevita is well-known journalist yet her involvement in this book is very minimal. I don't think I have anything to add more than they are good people and beneficial friend to Frank and Nella LOL.
I think the author had tried to make some actual sense of the approach to scientific research and how it went out of control. There is something there and it wasn't vague, like most ZA stories. I also like the video diary approach to telling us readers how the infection started without having someone narrate the whole thing. The reader is able to "see" it from the video collection. I also checked with my sister (laboratory research officer) to see if the method and lab system/protocol that were explained in the story made sense, of course, I did not mention that this is from a ZA book HAHAHA.
So, basically, Nella and Frank suspected that Dr.Pazzo was not telling the entire truth about the bacteria strain and that he is hiding something. Turns out, I thought the twist was clever; it was the little clues and backtracking that finally gave out the big reveal.
While I liked the book for its twist and psychological thriller take on this book, I can't help but wonder if this was all a big-chance game. I felt like it seemed improbable for Nahh ......While I understood that the dry freeze sample of the second strain didn't require high maintenance for storage, I doubt it will last for 6 years outside of that condition. Also, according to my sister, the bacteria strain is very delicate and needs a lot more than beef broth culture to revive it. She also said that you can use potato starch/broth to emulate and activate the bacteria, but you can't just do it with a random, simple home products and outside the lab conditions. Chances of that culture not working is much higher.
This book lagged a bit on the romance side, but thank god I actually liked Nella and Frank or else I would have definitely rated lower for this book. I also felt like the author also kind of stalled the "twist" and "big reveal" quite a bit, just to build some suspense, mystery, and character development. There were too many downtimes, in my opinion, because, like I've mentioned before, this book barely had any active zombie attacks, so it was already unwinded and the stalling kinda lagged the book, sure there was urgency to the problem faced, but it isn't like an active zombie attack where you need to get the hell out of that situation ASAP. They still had time to investigate, track down the lab and hopefully find the incurable sample, there was urgency and no urgency at the same time. Like when they didn't find the sample, they just proceed to go ahead with the court trial.
Like after they knew that the vial samples are really small and required no high maintenance, which basically made them easy to smuggle, yet when Nella saw the list of item Dr.Pazzo was brought in to the prison, she didn't think the She only later made that connection and almost certainly knew that Dr.Pazzo must know where the vial are and at risk of him doing something to it. She also strongly hinted her suspicion at him but only decided to search his cell after three days? LIKE WHAT!!! Sure, it's not easy to activate the cell with such limitations in the prison cell, but since you're not certain how or where he is hiding it, don't you think you should have checked his cell ASAP ? Like the very next day, especially since and he is in the room full of people packed like sardines for his trial ???
The jeweler.....excuse me did you not see anything suspicious here? I mean, WHAT!!! Also they don't check the prison visitors when they leave ? only when they enter the premise ?
Also what the heck was Frank doing? Why didn't he immediately tell Nella that he was suspicious about the WHATTTT at this point, I would not give a rat's arse if it hurt Dr.Pazzo's chance in the court trial. It was vital clue to their entire investigation, and so WTF was that ??? It makes no sense to me!!! It was only after Nella figured it out herself did they search together for clues to see if their suspicion is true. Just wasted time for no reason......because he wanted to protect his client ????
If there is ever a worse scientist team in the world, it is Dr.Pazzo, Dr. Greta, and Dr.Carton. My god, they showed no bloody remorse for what they did, and their bloody arrogance and ego are appalling. I was so happy they met their doom with their own infection. HAHA serve you right.
Also, the ending foreboding "scene". Miss Nurse, did you not think it was weird that the same jeweler But they just let him deliver it ? huh ??
I liked this book and will probably continue this series in the future, let's see how it goes.
I love a good zombie apocalypse (ZA) story, and I was immediately intrigued when I read the blurb. If you're hoping for fast paced, full of action, horror, and a gore-fest apocalypse, you're going to be disappointed. This is probably one ZA book that lacked a lot of gore and horror flicks. This book focuses on the recovery period six years after the ZA. Pretty much everyone are in steady survival mode but still in the early stages of the post-apocalyptic stage. I mean, we always know that the world will never return to how it was before the ZA. So that's where the story starts.
In this universe, you could actually reverse the zombie/infected person, which is a good thing, but it looks like it did more damaged than good, especially when the cured person could recall every single thing they did while they were in zombie mode. That's totally awful and disastrous because you can't help who you attacked and ate during that time. So if you can recall everything you did, like attacking and eating your loved ones while they screamed in fear, and pain—all that is recorded in your memories. So many cured people commit suicide after they regain consciousness. because they could not handle what they did and were consumed with guilt.
Some persevered to keep going, maybe as some sort of penance for their wrongdoings or just long enough to see the people who caused this mess should pay the price for causing this ZA chaos. It did not help that there is an obvious divide between the cured and immunes, the way they tend to keep to their own circle, and immunes are encouraged to procreate with each other to create more immune babies, just incase if this were to happen again.
We meet Nella Rider, the court psychologist, to investigate if the accused is fit to stand trial and sane enough to face punishment. She was there to analyze Dr.Pazzo (one of the scientists) and Ann (patient zero) she was the pundit person when it comes to doing medical and professional diagnosis about the cured and accused.
I like Nella, I think she was very down to earth, and I appreciated that even though she is a professional, she had natural anxieties and sort of a guilty cynicism when she first met Frank Courtlen, a cured person who is a defense attorney for Dr.Pazzo. I sort of get it that she tends to look at his lanky and raw-boned body and tries to picture him attacking someone with his long limbs. I like that the author didn't make Nella detached from basic human reflects and thinking. I think it would have crossed my mind too each time I wondered about a cured person. Like how they would have looked like and behaved in their zombie mode, not as a negative thing but more like just a basic curiosity.
Nella is very attentive, and she immediately picked up on Dr.Pazzo trying to gain control of the room and his influence over her. She also noticed that Dr.Pazzo was testing her to see if she was worthy to share something only he seemed to know. Nella then played the same game back with him and used Frank against him too. I also thought that Nella was compassionate person and was willing to help Ann be comfortable and receive proper medical care, she also knew that Ann wasn't the one to blame for this mess, and that Ann was beyond help anyways. I pity Ann, even when she is cured, her brain is too damaged to fully recover.
Frank is a kind and almost capitulate Slenderman look alike. He is one of those cured who tried to find justice as to why the ZA happened, and he want answers. He wants someone to pay for all the pain they caused him, and basically everyone on the planet. I adore Frank because his backstory was so painful to read. I mean, he remembers everything that happened to him and what he did to his wife. That's just awful. It takes a lot of patience and courage to represent that arsehole, Dr.Pazzo who treated Frank like dirt under his shoe. The dude responsible for this whole mess in the first place. Frank should have taken a gun and shot and killed Dr.Pazzo slowly for his arrogance and absolve himself of any responsibility for his actions.
If I were to choose a team, Frank and Nella would be in my top selection. Frank always shows loads of empathy for the infected and cured. He understands the pain they will face when they regain their memories and has always tried to avoid any violence inflicted on the still-infected.
I liked that Nella and Frank clicked right away; they were both seeking something, and they found it with each other, while I liked their chemistry and adored their love for each other, but sometimes I felt like it was kind of interfering with the story progress. Maybe that's just me, but while I adore them both, I still felt like they kind of fell for each other very quickly. Then again, what else do you have going for you in this post-apocalyptic time anyway?
Supporting protagonists like Sevita and Christine was just that, they only appeared and were around for some part of the book. Sevita is well-known journalist yet her involvement in this book is very minimal. I don't think I have anything to add more than they are good people and beneficial friend to Frank and Nella LOL.
I think the author had tried to make some actual sense of the approach to scientific research and how it went out of control. There is something there and it wasn't vague, like most ZA stories. I also like the video diary approach to telling us readers how the infection started without having someone narrate the whole thing. The reader is able to "see" it from the video collection. I also checked with my sister (laboratory research officer) to see if the method and lab system/protocol that were explained in the story made sense, of course, I did not mention that this is from a ZA book HAHAHA.
So, basically, Nella and Frank suspected that Dr.Pazzo was not telling the entire truth about the bacteria strain and that he is hiding something. Turns out, I thought the twist was clever; it was the little clues and backtracking that finally gave out the big reveal.
While I liked the book for its twist and psychological thriller take on this book, I can't help but wonder if this was all a big-chance game. I felt like it seemed improbable for Nahh ......While I understood that the dry freeze sample of the second strain didn't require high maintenance for storage, I doubt it will last for 6 years outside of that condition. Also, according to my sister, the bacteria strain is very delicate and needs a lot more than beef broth culture to revive it. She also said that you can use potato starch/broth to emulate and activate the bacteria, but you can't just do it with a random, simple home products and outside the lab conditions. Chances of that culture not working is much higher.
This book lagged a bit on the romance side, but thank god I actually liked Nella and Frank or else I would have definitely rated lower for this book. I also felt like the author also kind of stalled the "twist" and "big reveal" quite a bit, just to build some suspense, mystery, and character development. There were too many downtimes, in my opinion, because, like I've mentioned before, this book barely had any active zombie attacks, so it was already unwinded and the stalling kinda lagged the book, sure there was urgency to the problem faced, but it isn't like an active zombie attack where you need to get the hell out of that situation ASAP. They still had time to investigate, track down the lab and hopefully find the incurable sample, there was urgency and no urgency at the same time. Like when they didn't find the sample, they just proceed to go ahead with the court trial.
Like after they knew that the vial samples are really small and required no high maintenance, which basically made them easy to smuggle, yet when Nella saw the list of item Dr.Pazzo was brought in to the prison, she didn't think the She only later made that connection and almost certainly knew that Dr.Pazzo must know where the vial are and at risk of him doing something to it. She also strongly hinted her suspicion at him but only decided to search his cell after three days? LIKE WHAT!!! Sure, it's not easy to activate the cell with such limitations in the prison cell, but since you're not certain how or where he is hiding it, don't you think you should have checked his cell ASAP ? Like the very next day, especially since and he is in the room full of people packed like sardines for his trial ???
The jeweler.....excuse me did you not see anything suspicious here? I mean, WHAT!!! Also they don't check the prison visitors when they leave ? only when they enter the premise ?
Also what the heck was Frank doing? Why didn't he immediately tell Nella that he was suspicious about the WHATTTT at this point, I would not give a rat's arse if it hurt Dr.Pazzo's chance in the court trial. It was vital clue to their entire investigation, and so WTF was that ??? It makes no sense to me!!! It was only after Nella figured it out herself did they search together for clues to see if their suspicion is true. Just wasted time for no reason......because he wanted to protect his client ????
If there is ever a worse scientist team in the world, it is Dr.Pazzo, Dr. Greta, and Dr.Carton. My god, they showed no bloody remorse for what they did, and their bloody arrogance and ego are appalling. I was so happy they met their doom with their own infection. HAHA serve you right.
Also, the ending foreboding "scene". Miss Nurse, did you not think it was weird that the same jeweler But they just let him deliver it ? huh ??
I liked this book and will probably continue this series in the future, let's see how it goes.
October 26, 2015
This is a book that will always stay with me to some degree. The concept is both brilliant yet chilling. I read a lot of post apocalyptic novels. For the past couple years now it has been my go to genre of choice, largely I suspect that it has a lot to do with my life as I knew it and enjoyed was ripped away from me as a result of a texting driver, leaving me in a totally new world that I had/have almost no control in and I went from living to being willing to do almost anything just to survive. As time passed and in some ways I became more in control of myself and the world around me I couldn't forget how I got to where I was, often questioning myself, or feeling remorse for words and actions I wondered who I'd become to be the way I had been at times. But I can't change what I have done and do my best to make peace with those years. Obviously I didn't become a cannibal, or turn into a zombie but I could still very much relate to having to live with things I had done that hurt some people causing me to lose loved ones and be forced to live with things that I regret deeply.
For the characters in this book to have become zombies, killing not only innocent people they came across but even worse, often eating their loved ones, tearing at them until they either died, or joined the ranks of the living dead. Being cured of the zombie virus should have been a blessing but to be cured yet retain all the memories of their actions, plus have most people unable to forget, or forgive, what they had done when infected with the virus made moving on next to impossible. The characters and story line were so incredibly well written that I am certain even without me being able to relate quite deeply based upon my own experiences. This is a book filled with horrors that is so well written I think most readers will empathize for the so called monsters (the former zombies) and root for them to be given a second chance at their restored humanity.
For the characters in this book to have become zombies, killing not only innocent people they came across but even worse, often eating their loved ones, tearing at them until they either died, or joined the ranks of the living dead. Being cured of the zombie virus should have been a blessing but to be cured yet retain all the memories of their actions, plus have most people unable to forget, or forgive, what they had done when infected with the virus made moving on next to impossible. The characters and story line were so incredibly well written that I am certain even without me being able to relate quite deeply based upon my own experiences. This is a book filled with horrors that is so well written I think most readers will empathize for the so called monsters (the former zombies) and root for them to be given a second chance at their restored humanity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2013
There seems to be a shortage of great zombie fiction when measured up against vampire novels or ghost stories, etc. and the main reason I can find for that is that so much of what's out there is exactly the same. When something comes along that spins that genre on its head, I'm very grateful for it, but those stories are few and far between.
After the Cure, I'm happy to say, is one of the few.
The very idea that the "infected" can be cured calls so many ethical and moral ideas into question. How do you live with these people, knowing what they've done? How do they live with themselves? The novel devotes itself to exploring these and more questions fully. It leaves the reader satisfied, yet even though it is not a small book it leaves the reader wanting plenty more.
Beyond the themes of the book, After the Cure also pleases as a tightly plotted thriller. Each character is given their due, they are all fleshed out, and even when the characters can do unspeakable things, they are never one-dimensional. Even the worst of them give you some room for understanding. This is something I cannot give a writer enough credit for when it is done right and here, it is. It truly is. Overall, After the Cure was an extremely satisfying read and without any exaggeration it was easily the best zombie novel I've read in years.
September 9, 2014
I picked up "After the Cure" because the premise really intrigued me: contrary to most "zombie" books out there, this one starts from the end. The Cure has been found. What now? Do we just clean up and move on? Do we try to forget or do we try to understand what happened? And when we do look back, who's going to pay, who are we going to blame? Now, after the cure, justice needs to be made. People want justice in order to find closure. Dr. Nella Reider, the court appointed psychiatrist, has to find out who's really responsible for the December Plague. And it's a much tougher task than anticipated because, at a time of survival, right and wrong blur and good and evil are no longer so easily to discern. I loved how the author used the trial to look at what happened retrospectively.
I enjoyed this book at the "story" level: the plot flows well, with clever twists; there are some scenes that will make your skin curl; the descriptions of the "barren land" were almost poetic, despite the devastation; and I enjoyed the romance tucked in, it felt very real. But I also enjoyed this book because it made me think. The author gives us a detached look into human nature and its flaws, and it's not always a pretty picture. Acceptance comes at a high price, but it's only accepting that humans can move on and learn from their mistakes. And justice will finally be made.
I enjoyed this book at the "story" level: the plot flows well, with clever twists; there are some scenes that will make your skin curl; the descriptions of the "barren land" were almost poetic, despite the devastation; and I enjoyed the romance tucked in, it felt very real. But I also enjoyed this book because it made me think. The author gives us a detached look into human nature and its flaws, and it's not always a pretty picture. Acceptance comes at a high price, but it's only accepting that humans can move on and learn from their mistakes. And justice will finally be made.
September 17, 2013
In a world literally awash in zombie novels, After the Cure stands out as unique in that it focuses less on the undead and more on those who brought on the zombie apocalypse. In simple terms, can those who created the plague that gave rise to the zombies be held legally accountable for their deeds? In order to avoid spoilers, I won't tell you. What I will tell you is that it makes for an interesting read. The characters are likeable and you will find yourself rooting for them. The ending will give you pause, and isn't that the hallmark of good fiction? A good read.
April 2, 2025
This book was great. It’s interesting to think about what might happen in the event of some type of apocalypse happening. How would the world rebuild? How many of us would have done things that would haunt us years later? I like how the ending left it open for more, which clearly there are others after this one. The only thing was some of the romance stuff. Romantic plots in books don’t bother me but in some parts of this I was thinking “really?”. But I guess things are different in a post apocalyptic world. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews