The Cull

by Rachel Glickler

The world is thrown into a frenzy when an experimental virus is accidentally released. Highly contagious, its victims suffer a fate worse than death. Bodies ravaged by fever, their numbers increase at a startling rate as they mindlessly roam the streets infecting all with whom they come into contact until their inevitable and swift deaths. Frankie, a businesswoman with a young family, and Henry, a bachelor well on his way to becoming a grumpy old man, find themselves caught in the fallout. Terror the new way of life, each struggle to survive as society crumbles around them. Hundreds of miles away from one another, they find themselves on a journey to Los Alamos, New Mexico with hopes of finding a cure that, unbeknownst to them, resides within their veins.

410 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2020

About the author

I've lived all around the world, but have landed in New Mexico with my family. I write in a very colourful sunroom bedecked with rainbow curtains. The room still needs work, but who doesn't? Yes, sometimes this room feels like a living, breathing entity. Call me crazy. I like it.

Aside from my two self-published novels ("The Cull" and "The Gleaning") which, while only published in the last year, were written about four years ago, I have a YA book called "Alukah" for which I am currently seeking representation for traditional publication.

Reviews

[D.S. Marquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful and plot driven, The Cull by Rachel Glickler is a work of fiction that will keep its reader wanting more. The book is effectively structured with a braided plot of the two points of views of main characters, Henry and Frankie, whose main objectives are how to survive and how to keep the faith. Set in the American west, specifically New Mexico, Author Glickler does well with the descriptive details of people with zombie like symptoms (ashen skin, snowy hair, gaping mouths) over running towns and streets.

Death, disease, shooting, and despair are brought to life in each chapter, carefully headed with short messages on notes of the final words of individuals before death or after surviving their loved ones’ death. These messages build the final shreds of humanity crying out its end, where “grief sits and becomes heavier with no real release.” (Glickler p.356) Be it a missing person note tacked on a telephone pole, or a social media post announcing a suicide, or text message to announce illness or an act of violence, one by one the messages add to the portrayal of the human-race on the verge of extinction.

Mix in death by friendly fire, civil war among the survivors, biological weapons labs, selective slaughter, and lots of terms about blood type, this fast-paced tragedy is filled with action, elements of surprise, and science gone wrong. The story is set where, “Fear seems to trump compassion.” (Glickler p. 320) The book's ending has given me a hangover, that only a sequel can fix. I highly recommend The Cull for lovers of action and suspense!

[Patrick James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a forced to be reckoned with. This work is fun, addictive but above all tremendous. I highly recommend. This is a talent you don’t want to miss

[Bex Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Cull during a real-life pandemic has been a fascinating experience - and one that shows exactly why this book is such a brilliant read.

Rachel Glickler is great at capturing the human side of such a catastrophic event, which she does by adding lots of small and thoughtful details that flesh out the world she is building, while still creating a cleverly claustrophobic bubble of tension around the main characters.

I was particularly impressed at how many of the details and emotional journeys in the book echoed the way this past year has felt - from the use of face masks slowly spreading from hospital staff to a child in the street, to the gnawing guilt of being in a stranger’s space and worrying about unknowing, unsymptomatic transmission. Given that this book was published in March 2020, to me that shows an author who did her research well.

Without spoiling anything for future readers, I would certainly say the ending leaves you ready for more!

[Jacob Klop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cull is a great take on a pandemic that throws the world into chaos.

Most of the novel focuses around two characters, Frankie and Henry. Henry's story is mainly survival based, whereas Frankie's gives us more back story into the origin of the outbreak. They both meet various supporting characters and I found the author did a great job of fleshing out vibrant personalities from everyone we meet.

I was particularly drawn to Henry's journey. It's quite sad, but his companions are memorable and very likeable.

Frankie herself was quite good, but I didn't grow attached to her story as much and found the ending to be quite abrupt. It's possible there will be more of a resolution in the next novel.

The writing is very good and I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys dystopian novels with great characters.

[Borbala Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great story, so well thought out and well written. The characters are relatable and the story builds slowly, keeping you on the edge the whole time. Chapters end with cliffhangers so intense and abrupt that I felt like throwing my phone (I was reading on the kindle app) against the wall at the end of almost all of them.

What I also love about this book is that it’s built on real human behaviors. So many books have people running back for each other like idiots and getting killed in the process. In this book, the characters are intelligent and actually use their brains and use logic, like real humans would in these situations.

I’m a huge fan of this book and the author and The Cull is simply a must read.

Ps: dear hollywood. This should be made into a movie.

[Beth Fabel Tierney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in about 4 days. I most likely would have read it In a shorter amount of time but honestly, I was a little hesitant to read it in this time of the Corona virus. However, like all good stories, it had the effect of taking me away from the current world. In this case, it also had the effect of reminding me that this current situation could be so much worse. The characters in The Cull were well developed and led me to care about them, particularly Robby, the young boy that Hank takes under his protection. The Cull shows the best and sometimes the worst of humanity when faced with an extreme situation. I highly reccomend it and am looking forward to the next installment.

[Johanna]

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves dystopian settings and the found-family trope. This was a fun, fast-paced, duo point-of-view story. I found most of the characters very realistic and enjoyed the connections that formed through shared hardship. The plot keeps readers engaged as unexpected events unfold and difficult decisions have to be made. Characters struggle to survive and learn new knowledge about the virus before it's too late. This is the first book in what promises to be a gripping series and an excellent debut!

[Daphne Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An experimental virus has been accidentally released into the world. It is highly contagious and effects people in both expected ways (flu like symptoms) and unexpected ways making them roam the streets mindlessly and often becoming violent.
We follow two strangers who love hundreds of miles apart. Henry a bachelor who seems to attract those in need and Frankie a woman with a young family as they navigate the increasingly scary new world on their way to the same small mountain town both in search of safety and answers.
This book really is a page turner, I found it hard to put down at night.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner

Not knowing what to expect, because I know the author very casually, having not had any deep conversations with one another, I did not fully appreciate the extent of her talent when starting to read this book. I have a very busy life, I found myself having to force myself to stop reading to get things done, only to return to the Cull as quickly as possible. A very interesting book, very timely, and a good portion of it takes place in parts of the country that I know well. That made it ultra enjoyable for me. I can’t wait for your next masterpiece, Rachael!

[Keryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the age of coronavirus, this book is disturbingly relevant. Even though this book was in the works for the past two to three years, the author has a very realistic grasp on what an uncontrolled viral pandemic will do to a nation. This was an easy read, in fact it's the first non audible book that I've completed since my kids were born. There were lots of typos in my version, but a second printing has corrected those. I'm eager for the sequel.

[Rhyannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in July 2020, whilst living our own pandemic. Obviously it’s nothing like what happens in this story but it’s still close to home and I think the author has created a very realistic story - one that engages from the off. Chapters are well thought out and I love how each one starts and ends, for different reasons. My only criticism is spelling and grammar mistakes in the book. There’s quite a few, like ‘he’ instead of ‘the’ but thankfully it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story.

[Talea Alberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent first book by Rachael Glickler. I couldn’t believe I was reading a book about a pandemic, during a pandemic!
Great character development along with a plot line that makes you want more. Technical information does not overwhelm the average reader,yet strikes a good balance for those wanting more information.
How will things end? You just never know!

[Olubunmi Odumade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I could handle a supervirus apocalypse book right now. But I opened up “The Cull” and started reading...

Wow. Got sucked into it. Great writing. Captivating book. Finished it less than 3 days later in spite of being busy working and parenting (otherwise it would have been sooner).

I can't wait to read the next one.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in the middle of this exciting story as we speak! I try to only read a little at a time because I don't want it to end. I have loved every part of it so far. I will be excited yet sad when I finish it, can't wait to see if there will be another part!

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! I quickly felt connected to the characters and was drawn into the story being told. I highly recommend this book.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I am all about the zombie life, and the story was entertaining whole being very scientifically practical.

[Amalia Zeitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cull is absolutely thrilling. A page turner complete with humor, attention to fine detail, and heart-wrenching scenes.

[Sarah McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately hooked on the premise of a supervirus, and despite the current state of the world, I still enjoy a good all-is-lost end-of-the-world medical scenario. This book did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the two perspectives and going back and forth between Frankie's story and Henry's story. I also appreciate all of the detail the author put into the characters. She clearly took the time to come up with enough background information to make these two feel as realistic as possible, and the way she sprinkled in tidbits of information about the characters' pasts humanized them in a way that made certain parts of the story absolutely gut-wrenching.

There were elements that reminded me a bit of The Stand, and I liked that a lot. Overall, this was a well-thought out, interesting, and entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed! I admit I got nervous near the end, because it felt like things were wrapping up too quickly for me, but then I saw there was a sequel and I will be adding it to the TBR pile. Great work here!

[Elizabeth Merck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cull is a quick, fun read if you're into pandemic novels. It follows several main characters who manage to survive a deadly virus that is killing everyone around them. It's an easier read than other novels of the sort, focusing more on character development and less on the medical side of things. The story is pretty solid, and the book is a page turner. I would have given the novel five stars, but there were grammatical issues in several places. I also thought the ending was too abrupt and too much of the story left unresolved. Perhaps the author has plans to continue the tale in another book? It's a great first effort by Glickler, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

[A.S. McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely and terrifying, this tale of a modern-day plague will keep readers hooked to the very last page. The characters are relatable and the way nearly every chapter ends on a cliffhanger is genius. My only complaint is the ending left me wanting more!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twist at the end of this book totally got me! I did not see it coming!! I’m hooked, can’t wait to start book 2 :-)

[A K Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

captivating

The writer is brilliant, and the story kept me guessing what happens next. I highly recommend reading this! Don't miss out!