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FORMULA
When Larissa returns to work after maternity leave, the hardest part is supposed to be leaving her three-month-old daughter Ruby at daycare for the first time.
By the end of the day, the world has ended.
As a mysterious illness tears through South Africa, turning the infected violent, then feral, then something no one has a word for yet, Larissa and her husband Jim must transform their suburban Pretoria home into a fortress. Nobody prepares you for the exhaustion of new motherhood, but then again, nobody prepares you for the end of the world either.
With a dwindling supply of baby formula, a baby who doesn't understand silence, and threats on both sides of the fence, survival becomes about more than staying alive. As weeks turn to months, their small household grows, and so do the dangers outside.
Larissa discovers that the hardest questions aren't about how to survive - they're about who you're willing to become in order to.
Formula is a gripping, intimate story about motherhood, marriage, and the terrifying lengths we go to for the people we love.
By the end of the day, the world has ended.
As a mysterious illness tears through South Africa, turning the infected violent, then feral, then something no one has a word for yet, Larissa and her husband Jim must transform their suburban Pretoria home into a fortress. Nobody prepares you for the exhaustion of new motherhood, but then again, nobody prepares you for the end of the world either.
With a dwindling supply of baby formula, a baby who doesn't understand silence, and threats on both sides of the fence, survival becomes about more than staying alive. As weeks turn to months, their small household grows, and so do the dangers outside.
Larissa discovers that the hardest questions aren't about how to survive - they're about who you're willing to become in order to.
Formula is a gripping, intimate story about motherhood, marriage, and the terrifying lengths we go to for the people we love.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 2, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC copy. I loved this read, it really had my heart going! Set in South Africa, apocalyptic setting with people getting infected and in essence, becoming zombies. A new mother learns to cope with the world changing, having to save her baby, set up their house as a fortress, stock pile and survive this pandemic. I loved the local setting, the relatable characters, the drama and suspense, things going right, things going wrong. I will say though, that I expected more heartbreak but I'm happy their family was alright and we still had a suspenseful ending with them traveling to a new location. This could easily be a hit-movie. I normally despise these kinds of movies (I'm too sensitive) but reading this was quite enjoyable and still scary (in the right way)!
October 4, 2026
Formula gave me serious World War Z vibes, but with one major difference - there’s a baby involved. And apparently, that is all it takes to make an apocalypse about ten times more stressful for me
The story follows Larissa, a new mother whose maternity leave has just ended. She’s trying to adjust to leaving four month old Ruby at daycare and returning to normal life with her husband, Jim. And everything feels incredibly ordinary at first. Work, daycare, grocery shopping, traffic, new friendships. But slowly, little things start feeling wrong. People are getting sick Workplaces are getting quieter. Fewer children are arriving at daycare. Something is happening, but nobody quite understands what yet.
And then things go very very very wrong. I actually loved how the outbreak crept into the story rather than immediately throwing us into complete chaos. There’s this growing sense that something isn’t right, and because Larissa has this tiny baby depending entirely on her, I found myself constantly thinking, PLEASE DO NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THAT BABY.
It added a completely different kind of tension to the usual post apocalyptic survival story
I also really enjoyed Tasha and her baby Nathan. The relationship between the characters and the everyday realities of trying to survive with two very young babies made the book feel different from the typical outbreak thriller
It isn't packed with nonstop action, especially as the story progresses. So a lot of the tension comes from waiting and wondering what could happen if someone has to venture outside the safety they've created.
One of my favourite things, though, was the South African setting. There were so many tiny details that I could relate to - from the shops to the taxis driving in the yellow line.
The ending was very abrupt. I genuinely reached the end and thought - Wait, that's it?! I was expecting something more to happen, particularly because I felt like the story was building towards something bigger
But overall, I really enjoyed Formula. It's an easy, addictive read that you can just sink into, with enough tension to keep you worrying about everyone - and putting babies in the middle of an outbreak? My nerves did not appreciate it
The story follows Larissa, a new mother whose maternity leave has just ended. She’s trying to adjust to leaving four month old Ruby at daycare and returning to normal life with her husband, Jim. And everything feels incredibly ordinary at first. Work, daycare, grocery shopping, traffic, new friendships. But slowly, little things start feeling wrong. People are getting sick Workplaces are getting quieter. Fewer children are arriving at daycare. Something is happening, but nobody quite understands what yet.
And then things go very very very wrong. I actually loved how the outbreak crept into the story rather than immediately throwing us into complete chaos. There’s this growing sense that something isn’t right, and because Larissa has this tiny baby depending entirely on her, I found myself constantly thinking, PLEASE DO NOT LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO THAT BABY.
It added a completely different kind of tension to the usual post apocalyptic survival story
I also really enjoyed Tasha and her baby Nathan. The relationship between the characters and the everyday realities of trying to survive with two very young babies made the book feel different from the typical outbreak thriller
It isn't packed with nonstop action, especially as the story progresses. So a lot of the tension comes from waiting and wondering what could happen if someone has to venture outside the safety they've created.
One of my favourite things, though, was the South African setting. There were so many tiny details that I could relate to - from the shops to the taxis driving in the yellow line.
The ending was very abrupt. I genuinely reached the end and thought - Wait, that's it?! I was expecting something more to happen, particularly because I felt like the story was building towards something bigger
But overall, I really enjoyed Formula. It's an easy, addictive read that you can just sink into, with enough tension to keep you worrying about everyone - and putting babies in the middle of an outbreak? My nerves did not appreciate it
September 29, 2026
It's hard enough living in South Africa today, to live in post apocalyptic South Africa...never. This is what made me want to read this ARC, and I'm so glad I did.
I love post apocalyptic movies and TV shows and this book gave me all the suspense, anxiety and emotional trauma I expected and more. Think The Walking Dead in South Africa.
I was hooked 30 pages in. The writing style and pace was on point, and not overly descriptive. I read this in one sitting and was on edge the entire time. I needed to know what was going to happen next. How will this young family survive?
I love post apocalyptic movies and TV shows and this book gave me all the suspense, anxiety and emotional trauma I expected and more. Think The Walking Dead in South Africa.
I was hooked 30 pages in. The writing style and pace was on point, and not overly descriptive. I read this in one sitting and was on edge the entire time. I needed to know what was going to happen next. How will this young family survive?
October 2, 2026
Heart pounding. Grip tightening. Edge of your seat insanity.
This apocalyptic novel was intense for different reasons than these genres normally are - because it's a family with a baby. You were rooting for their survival from the beginning. But there were also so many times you want to yell at the characters to "do something", "change this", "what are you thinking", etc.
The end... OMG! Quite the cliffhanger...
This apocalyptic novel was intense for different reasons than these genres normally are - because it's a family with a baby. You were rooting for their survival from the beginning. But there were also so many times you want to yell at the characters to "do something", "change this", "what are you thinking", etc.
The end... OMG! Quite the cliffhanger...
October 2, 2026
Amazing book, great pacing, fast read, suspense and the characters are emotionally strong and believable. I really loved this book! Thank you 🫶
October 2, 2026
I found it a great read had me hooked from the first page I could put it down. I finished it in two days. I really enjoyed it. Thank you Michelle I really had a great time reading your book
September 21, 2026
This was quite an intense story that both makes you think as well as feel the struggles these characters face. Not only did they have to survive a world that turned upside down, but they also had to do it with two babies that required so much more.
It was a view point from another angle that was a breath of fresh air.
The only thing that slowed me down (and this is purely my own opinion) was a few repetitive phrases that I felt were a little over done, killing the flow of the story. Repetition isn't necessarily bad, but too much can become frustrating.
Other than that, it really was an enjoyable story with realistic risks, tension and pure survival. It was well written.
It was a view point from another angle that was a breath of fresh air.
The only thing that slowed me down (and this is purely my own opinion) was a few repetitive phrases that I felt were a little over done, killing the flow of the story. Repetition isn't necessarily bad, but too much can become frustrating.
Other than that, it really was an enjoyable story with realistic risks, tension and pure survival. It was well written.
August 9, 2026
I couldn’t put it down!!!
I had the opportunity to read as a ARC.
Formula from Michelle Coetzee was such a great read and I couldn’t put it down! I mean I finished it in only 5 days. The story was so realistic and I really felt uneasy (in a good way) while reading. I get the same feeling when i watch movies in this setting.
The book is about a family with a new born in a post apocalypse world and how they try to survive and live to see the next day. What are you willing to do to save your loved ones?!
I had the opportunity to read as a ARC.
Formula from Michelle Coetzee was such a great read and I couldn’t put it down! I mean I finished it in only 5 days. The story was so realistic and I really felt uneasy (in a good way) while reading. I get the same feeling when i watch movies in this setting.
The book is about a family with a new born in a post apocalypse world and how they try to survive and live to see the next day. What are you willing to do to save your loved ones?!
August 12, 2026
This book was outside my typical genre but I really enjoyed it. I liked the flow, the style of writing and the characters. Definitely a good read! The ending left me wanting to know more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews