Plague

by Graham Masterton

An outbreak of deadly disease across the U.S. No cure. Everyone who leaves the plague-zone must be shot . . .

At first the rules were simple: quarantine the city, and let the plague die. So men and women closed their doors, and lived in lockdown, fighting for survival against a disease as contagious and destructive as the Black Death. A disease for which there was no known cure.

But the plague did not die. And so, at lunchtime on a Friday afternoon, the President announces the new rules. Every American should take up arms to protect the disease-free zones. Anyone attempting to leave the plague-zone MUST be shot . . .

A gripping suspense thriller, perfect for fans of Dean Koontz or Stephen King.
 

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Apocalyptic, Ebooks, Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plague meets pulp in the 70s. At first plague starts in Miami and on the beach. Probably contaminated sewage is responsible for the outbreak of pneumonic plague (had to think about corona). The plague travels fast. Millions die (even though there is a lockdown and National Guards shoot to kill). Interwoven is the fate of different characters like Dr Petrie (his daughter Prickles, his friend Adelaide), a supermarket owner, a gay retired actor, a unionist, a bacteriologist fighting a lawsuit with a competitor and screwing his erotic step-daughter... will Dr Petrie find a cure against this deadly disease? Some saucy sex, some plague, some fast paced action, some eerie rat attack scenes, some connection to the crisis we face at the moment. On the other hand some tedious parts and lame "political correctness" of the 70s. It was a funny and exciting read at some parts but overall no match for "The Stand". Certainly not Graham Masterton's finest moment but a fine read for the present situation. At least he thought the rise of the plague possible. Now we face something different, partially lethal. From this perspective the book can even give some hope!

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plague is a rather badly dated bio-disaster novel from the 1970's. It's the story of a very fast-spreading epidemic that starts in Miami where a very misogynistic Doctor encounters it and we follow him and his daughter and young girl friend up the coast to New York City. The plague soon takes out the whole Atlantic coast and there are some sidebar characters we follow through various scenes of violence, greed, racism, and stupidity. The story is anti-American, but ironically is written in an unmistakably very British style; there are references to "bathing" rather than "swimming" in the ocean, there are "lay-bys" rather than "rest areas" along the road, the hospitals have "casualty departments" rather than "E.R.'s," etc. The characters are prone to phrases like "It might do" and "Make a go of it," all of the dialog is set with single apostrophes rather than double quotation marks, and I'll bet the author was never in a McDonald's, because the main characters go in an abandoned one and are able to stock up on cans of franks'n'beans for their journey north. The science is quite bad; the doctor is able to conclude that he and his daughter are immune to the plague because of radiation... he's looked at x-rays and she watches color television...Huh? It's a decently plotted and written story for the most part, but the poor female characters are depicted and treated quite poorly throughout. Even taking the lack of computers and portable phones into account, it doesn't much resemble the world of Covid we've all come to know in the last couple of years.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who would be masochistic enough to read a horror story about a plague when the world is reeling with COVID? Yes, that would be, sigh. In my defence I thought it might be sci-fi or dystopian but by the end I realised I had unwittingly read a horror story. Although this was first published years ago it still reads well and can be pictured in the current context. It was engaging and well written.

Dr Leonard Petrie of Miami struggled very much with his conscience as he wrestled with the decision whether to stay and help in the overflowing hospital or to try and save his daughter. They, along with his 19 year old girlfriend, Adelaide, embark on a cross country marathon from Florida to New York in an effort to outrun the plague. He also has an idea about why certain people, including himself and his daughter may be immune. But can he make the perilous journey to Washington to brief the Federal health authorities?

It was a very bleak story. The plague progressed quickly and effective action was hampered, as usual by political and business interests. The book illustrates how most of us are only ever a couple of days away from bedlam if our institutions collapse and people let fear drive them. But to put it into perspective, the plague in this story makes COVID look like a runny nose. I enjoyed the book but found it a little too bleak. Many thanks to Netgalley, Head of Zeus publishing and Graham Masterton for providing me a copy to review.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather lackluster and dated post-apocalyptic horror/thriller by Masterton, first published in 1978. From the title and back blurb, we know a deadly plague will strike the US. So, what makes a good post-apocalyptic novel? Typically, we have the odd group of survivors struggling after the Event and that is true here, but the characters Masterton gives us you want to see die rather than root for. Further, the science is incredibly flimsy here. While not quite a train wreck, this comes pretty close.

Our main protagonist Leonard is a doctor in Miami with a practice caring for old, rich women. His wife divorced him a few years ago but they had a daughter together named Prickles (my god Masterton, who would name their daughter Prickles?). Leonard sleeps with anything walking and is a sexist bastard to boot; he is currently 'dating' his secretary. Other main characters include a medical union leader in NYC, a suburban grocery store owner, a scientist defending his bacteria patent in court (Masterton, they did not allow patents on bacteria until 1982!), and various other doctors and such associated with the plague's outbreak.

Every one of the characters is a selfish, self-centered bastard and Masterton engages in some pointed critiques of American individualism (and politics, law, etc.) along the way. I am fine with a little USA bashing, but this, and the motley lot of characters, not only failed to engage, at times, it read as a screed. But if you are going to give us a screed, at least be sure to do some research into the USA. McDonald's does not serve pork and beans here! I did like, however, how the mayor of Miami refused to call a quarantine when the plague first emerged as it would hurt local businesses who were gearing up for tourist season. That sounds familiar in Covid USA...

The science? Some radiation infected the poo NYC was dumping into the Atlantic and due to strange weather, it washed up in Miami's beaches. Some sort of 'super plague' (yeah, like the black death plague) evolved in the poo/radiation and kills people within hours. It seems the doctor is immune because he works with X-rays at work, and his daughter because she watches color T.V.; both therefore get small doses of radiation. Huh?

The final verdict? 2.5 stars, only rounding up because all the assholes die in the end.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning I was really into it but then we got treated to a gratuitous graphic gang rape scene followed by a couple equally gratuitously graphic sex scene (they might have felt particularly gratuitous because of how deeply unsexy were), I've read Manitou I was not surprised of shocked by this scene, I was bored. Granted that stuff might not have felt quite so meh back in the days where this book was written.

This book felt like it was significantly longer than its 315 pages and there wasn't any kind of a good payoff. I give this book a it was ok, I guess, rating.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book was preposterous. From the premise to the ending, from the often awkward dialogue to the way the narrator spent the entire book referring to the main character as "Dr. Petrie," even when he was interacting with characters who would have called him by his first name had they been addressing him directly, there were plenty of times that I just shook my head in bemused disbelief.

Nevertheless and true to form, Masterton still found a way to make this book a fast and entertaining read.

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews.

“‘When it comes down to it, just show me one American who gives a fuck about any other American.’
Dr. Petrie said, ‘I’m a doctor, Mr. Garunisch, and I try to give at least half a fuck.’”

Ok, I think many reviewers missed the point of this book. It’s not dated writing. Masterton wrote quite intentionally, and no, he wasn’t a raving misogynist, racist pig in the 70’s. This was clearly a story satirizing America: the people, government, politics and culture. Come on, Masterton basically said we’re all gun-toting, incestuous, selfish monsters who can’t work together even when our lives, and our children’s lives, depend on it. A washed-up actor from the thirties (who only made two films) told the public to go be racist and everyone jumped right on it. The president didn’t try to help anyone and told NYC to go down bravely, guns blazing. Esmeralda, upon seeing a black maid, reminisced about playing slave and master with her step-father. Prickles, the child, mostly slept only waking up to ask about watching television. It was all very silly.

Oddly enough, as everyone screams “misogyny!” and laments the rape of Adelaide, no one bats an eye at the gruesome death and anal rape of the store manager. Maybe, call me crazy, it’s terrible when bad things happen to PEOPLE, regardless of their sex.

Oh, and the science complaints were thought through by Masterton as well. The radiation theory, was just that, a theory, and an incorrect one. We never find out the cause of, or the solution to, the problem.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Plague’ is a bio-thriller from 1977 that has been opportunistically republished to cash in on the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, that’s not the most offensive thing about it. It’s fun in a 70s disaster movie kind of a way, and even does a reasonable job of predicting some of the challenges society has faced in 2020, but it’s also plagued (geddit?) by pretty appalling sexism and racism. Sadly that’s often a risk with older horror novels and thrillers and to be honest I don’t always call it out, but I will in this case because it overwhelmed the book’s better qualities for me.
The book is set in Miami and New York and details an outbreak of plague (think proper medieval shizzle) that spreads up the east coast. The action is split, chapter by chapter, between the two locations. The Miami chapters focus on Dr Donald Petrie (who bizarrely is referred to as Dr Petrie throughout the book) as he identifies the virus and struggles with local officials to get the right action taken to prevent its spread. The New York parts detail the lives of a mix of characters in an upscale apartment building as they learn of the outbreak and nervously watch it creep up the coast towards them. There’s a nice disaster movie cast: an ageing, faded Hollywood star, a union leader, a brilliant but troubled scientist and so on.
Splitting the story across the two locations actually works really well, although the fact that all of the New Work neighbours end up having a direct connection to the plague stretched credibility a bit. It keeps things interesting though, and the plot rattles along nicely as events in Miami become more and more horrific and Petrie is forced to take drastic action to save himself and his girlfriend and daughter. He faces the classic hero’s dilemma of having to chose between his loved ones and the greater good. It’s hackneyed, but effective in this setting.
The problem with the book is that it feels like the answer to the question: “Siri, show me a book written by a white guy in the 70s”. With one exception (a dutiful, self sacrificing nurse), the black characters are looters, rapists or just a faceless mob. There’s also a sub-plot about a right wing group spreading the idea that the plague is caused by the poor hygiene of black and Hispanic Americans. It’s uncomfortably unclear where the author actually stands on this point, and like much of the book it feels cyclical and unpleasant.
Just as problematic is the treatment of female characters. Dr Petrie has a shrewish ex-wife, a girlfriend young enough to be his daughter and a busty secretary who flirts with him incessantly.At one point one of the most important women in the book defies her boyfriend and is immediately (and quite explicitly) gang-raped by a group of Hell’s Angels who turn up out of nowhere. It’s repellent and has even less place in 2020 than a publisher cashing in on the pandemic.
If (and for me it was too big an if), you can ignore all that, this is a gripping, if silly read. There’s a definite appeal to reading books that somehow chime with out current reality, it’s just that whilst this one does an okay job on the medical emergency front, it is so tone deaf everywhere else.

[Jon Von · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very early Masterton, his second book right after Manitou. Plague is more of a thriller from before Masterton developed his style. It is actually kind of weird how bad this book is because he immediately comes back a year later with Djinn which I think is pretty good. But then there is Sphinx in the same year, one whose reputation is not great and I started once and passed.

So what makes it bad? First, It's sexist, but like a weird sort of not-your-everyday sexist. It's written with a kind of woman-hating fetish that seems almost like a mean joke. Is the reader supposed to laugh? The way this book treats Adelaide is incredible. Sexy Harry Erskine wannabe doctor Petrie (like Dick Van-Dyke I guess) practices in Miami where he fleeces old ladies with his charm and good looks. Of course, every single woman is a cartoonish, sex-crazed pin-up model. And he has to brave their ridiculous woman-brained whims to escape a Miami collapsing into Anarchy as a plague that kills people in hours causes chaos. The daughter is a feeble-minded toddler that Petrie hopes "will be pretty one day".

The premise starts strong, but about halfway through the thing just collapses into misogyny and violence. Tons of rats show up. There's gang violence and rape. A guy accidentally shoots a child and has a breakdown. There's a super depressing sequence in which an older gay man and his young lover have a conversation that is so insane and homophobic that it has to be seen to be believed. In a lot of ways the basic ideas are good, there's a decent amount of action, rat attacks are pretty cool. It's sensational and tasteless but generally pretty entertaining.

But it just falls apart in the second half. It completely loses focus. It's too long by about fifty pages. It's confusing. There's almost like a Harrison's Make Room! Make Room! kind of thing where it's about environmental collapse and the situation isn't particularly resolved. But this one just couldn't pull off the wit and resort to some pretty mean-spirited writing. There's a stinger at the end I kind of like, it has a kind of "we did this to ourselves and now we're f*cked" mentality. There are shades of the ecoresponsibility present in The Manitou series where America gets what it deserves for crimes against the native people. But this time it's a tidal wave of diseased shit that kills half of Florida. Masterton just wasn't there yet and too much of this amounts to something like fetish writing, but there's a certain level of quality.

[Nadine · Rating 1 out of 5]

My expectations Reading the synopsis: A solid thriller about a deadly plague.

What I got: Sexism, racism, an unnecessary & graphic rape scene, weird fetishises

Rant review incoming folks.

Times like this I remember why I steer clear of anything like this written by a white male pre 2000 (heck, past 2000 sometimes too). I just feel tricked as this came with a 2020 release date - they rereleased it for obvious reasons.

With regards the racism, I don’t even mean the “blame the plague on black People” story line (yes, yes you read that right) - I mean the just uncomfortable things scattered through the book. My absolute favourite was that the rich couple had a middle aged black woman as their maid in a colonial style decorated apartment in New York. Just the way it was written felt off. And in general the way the black characters were written and described just didn’t sit right.

Women in this story are quite literally boobs on legs. You may think I kid you but oh no - that’s the description of the doctors assistant. I honestly can’t think of a single female character in the story who didn’t have a male character comment on their breasts.

I think I only finished the book because I wanted to know what would happen. The actual plot was good and I thought the actually story idea was well done. I just can’t get over what I’ve mentioned above.

[clumsyplankton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fairly good read. Not one of my recent favourites however it has a lot of things in it such as gore (but not a lot) and the bubonic plague which I like. Some things in this was very unnecessary (adelaide and the group of men). Read if you want a short read of something that’s free on kindle

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, this book is over-the-top silly and unrealistic but I have to admit that I enjoyed smirking my way through it anyway.

[Marnie Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

rounded up from 2.5* .. this is the second book in a row I've read by Graham Masterton where the main character is a complete jerk to his ex-wife, at least this book he wasn't a totally crappy father as well although I probably would not stay with someone that suggested I leave my child behind because they might be sick. I would say women and children are not held in very high regard which is kind of off-putting for me.

[Bjørn Skjæveland · Rating 2 out of 5]

You would think that a campy and sleazy 70's thriller about a plague outbreak would be pretty entertaining, but you would be wrong. For the most part, this was just plain boring. Also, it might be one of the worst audiobook narrations I've ever heard.

[Blake H.R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know it's an old book but that's not an excuse for the blatant racism, misogyny, and anti-union propaganda displayed in this novel.

[Jennifer Juniper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off really well, I couldn't put it down, then about two thirds of the way through it seemed to take a bizarre turn.

There is an idiotic subplot which seems to do little more than provide the author an opening to portray a certain political party in the most evil, vile light possible; it was asinine. There is at least one or two other subplots that seem to be completely pointless and go nowhere.

In the last third almost every character suddenly does ridiculous, nonsensical things and then the rats come and I am not quite sure how realistic or likely I felt that was since the rest of it was supposed to be realistic and believable as far as I could tell. And then the ultimate slap in the face: the ending. Total wtf-ness ensues in the last page or two.

Worth a read I suppose but I will be selling it right back to a used book store rather than holding it on my shelf for all time. Lame.

[Krystelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A mediocre thriller novel with cardboard characters and absolutely ludicrous situations, I went into this hopeful for similar stakes to the present situation we find ourselves in, and got nothing like that. This left me disappointed, and the rape scene was very much out of the blue and read more like a creepy fantasy. I keep hearing Masterton is a horror prodigy, but I'm yet to see concrete evidence of the fact.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plot was good (realistic in both how the plague started and responses to it) and story moved along quickly. However, I really, really dislike how he writes women, in every single book. The entire rape side-story was utterly unnecessary and the main character's treatment of the survivor was heinous. He also heavily victim-blamed which is unacceptable.

[Venkat Satya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most stupid book

[Amanda Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dated, misogynistic with racism tones, potentially good story line but in essence is awful

[Randy Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book written in the 70s, about a plague in the U.S., by a writer from the UK

Yes, I read about the plague in the middle of a pandemic. It was an extra helping of misery in the age of COVID-19, but there were a few interesting advantages to reading this book at this time in the world. There were several instances in the book that took on new meaning given what we going through now in 2021. This book was written in 1977, and it was definitely dated (more on that later), but some of the things Masterton puts in could have been written yesterday. Take this quote for example: " 'A fascist?' he said softly. 'Is it the mark of a fascist to speak the truth?' " This is a doctor speaking about the origins of the plague. I steer clear of politics in my reviews as best I can, but this does seem to be indicative of what I see going on now with COVID-19. Many times I have observed the term fascist being used to describe, and denigrate, doctors and scientists who speak publicly about the science behind COVID-19. No, its definitely not everybody, but its a lot of people.

Masterton also talks about adults succumbing to the plague more rapidly than children; the country's leaders claiming 'everything humanly possible has been done to contain the outbreak'; state lines being shut down to outsiders to prevent the spread of disease; masks; public announcements for people to stay home; people without the plague dying outside hospitals because there was no room to treat them; and this quote from page 260: "...the city of New York was told by the President to act brave, and go down with all flags flying."

So lots of things in this book sounded familiar, but there were many, many instances where it was clear I was reading a novel from the 70s. First and foremost, was a general attitude toward women. Nearly all women in the book were portrayed as secretaries, mothers, or lovers. The main character is a doctor who already has an ex-wife, is having an affair with his secretary though he will not commit to her, and eventually manages to cheat on the secretary while they are on the run. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the secretary is treated horribly by the doctor when she needs him the most. Masterton doesn't do this to show how uncaring the doctor is. Rather, he makes out like the doctor is a hero to be admired for the way he treats women. When he cheats on the secretary, it is with a girl they met that same day, basically to make the girl feel better. Kind of a sympathy screw because he is such a great guy. I don't know, it just makes me wonder about how different things were in the 70s from now.

Masterton is clearly a British writer. Although this story takes place in the U.S. many of his British phrases slip into the book. For example he uses the word "torch" instead of flashlights; instead of turning on the lights in a car, the doctor 'switched on the car's electrics'; and others. These didn't really detract from the story, but they are noticeable. He also speaks of "negroes" ,"blacks", and "coloreds" frequently, and I don't know if this was a British thing or a 70s thing, but in 2021 it is a racist thing. I will try to give Masterton the benefit of the doubt here, but be warned, its in there.

I did enjoy the nostalgia contained in Plague. Masterton speaks of smoking everywhere - even doctors - I had nearly forgotten Lark Cigarettes. He describes the New York skyline being defined by the looming twin towers of the World Trade Center. He talks about actors such as Ronald Reagan moving into politics. And, perhaps my favorite, the use of the word dig. "Do you dig massage?" [page 212]. Oh yeah! I can dig it!

So enough in here to make it an interesting read. It is sad though that I was actually able to think "that's not how a real worldwide pandemic rolls out" because I had actually seen how one rolls out. As a horror fan I can appreciate the truly terrifying rat scenes that Masterton includes in the book - but they are the stuff of nightmares! And finally, although the ending is a bit abrupt and did not leave me feeling uplifted, it is likely a realistic one.

I give this one 3 stars out of 5, because I liked it more than I disliked it. An interesting read given our current times.

3 out of 5 stars

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devastating Horror!

I realize that this horror classic that has always been compared to Kings' "The Stand" was written in 1979, and things were so different then as they would be portrayed today in horror; however with Masterton being one of my top 5 horror authors of all time, he always had to put 'that ONE' scene of sickening sex/rape scenes in his books that just had no reason to be there. This book was another one of those. With the story being SO incredibly believable without having a super natural aspect, it just makes you think; WHAT would the world do if another wave of the Plague came back to attempt to wipe humanity out!?

I remember when this paperback came out in 1979 and everyone was reading it....most with the thought that they 'did not like it as much as other of Masterton's books' and that it was not scary enough. BUT reading it in a time after we have somewhat conquered Covid that this was even more horrifying to read as it was back when it was pulished. This would have been a perfect 5 star read for me if there had NOT had the EXTREME scenes of rape and racism. But like they say......Karma BITES! Would still recommend though with trigger warnings.

Triggers: Rape and Homophobia
4 Stars

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много добра книга, финалът беше малко рязък. След тромавите изпълнения на Кинг и Фийст ми дойде супер.
След няколко дни закъснение, ето го и ревюто в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/plague/

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was ready to give this book a fair amount of leeway based on its title and age. but the author has emptied the cupboard of random moronic plot elements, thrown them all in a pot and given them a big old stir with the stupid stick. by the end of the book the plague is almost lost in a load of other junk.

[boat_tiger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

[Alisha Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Skip to the summary if you want to avoid spoilers, or if the review is too long)

The story was interesting enough and it did grip me at times, I did find it fascinating to think about what would happen if a plague like that was discovered and spreading fast.
However the characters were quite unlikeable which ruined the story for me - it seems as if we are meant to find the main doctor cool, but he disregards his daughter too much at the beginning for me to start liking him.. and he’s dating a 19 year old girl (Adelaide), closer to his daughters age, he even mentions how she’s still a kid herself.

The other character, Ivor (I think?) is sleeping with his step daughter, he compares her to her mother as well, which is just wrong. I skipped the sex scenes because I felt uncomfortable imagining it.

It seems as if the male characters are written to be “badass” and “cool” but I personally don’t see how anyone could admire them.
The women were written without any depth, and at least four of them had their breasts described upon first introduction.

As soon as Adelaide leaves the doctor she gets r*ped. Not only was this horrible to read because of the detail added to this scene, so much so that I had to skip it, but the underlying message is also detrimental. As if women can’t make it alone without a man protecting them, or as if she deserved it for leaving?
I don’t think it’s bad to write about the dark things that happen in the world, but I don’t think the detail was necessary.

The language surrounding the black characters was disturbing at times.. and the portrayal was even worse than women. The black characters were portrayed mostly as servants and looters. It made it hard to read.

The ending didn’t make much sense, I don’t understand why the rats would start attacking and eating the living when there were plenty of dead bodies outside for them, and if NYC was all dead by the end, then why wouldn’t they have invaded food stores or walked the streets… and why did the doctor and co even leave so soon rather than waiting it out a day or so, for the rats to all catch the plague and die too.

When he left Adelaide to get eaten by them I realised how truly disregarded the female characters were. As soon as he meets a hotter young girl, Adelaide becomes nothing to him. I didn’t expect a heroic rescue from him but he didn’t even care or have any after thoughts about it.
And telling his daughter right at the end that everything was going to be okay when he was dying, and soon after she would be left alone to deal with the pain of the plague and eventually die. He could have gave her some words of comfort.

Summary (or tldr);

Story was interesting and could have been a good read, but the character writing ruined it for me. I didn’t care about any of them. The women characters had no importance at all, and the book had misogynistic undertones and questionable wording surrounding the black characters. I am now thinking to give away my other books by Graham Masterton before reading them.

I don’t know what the quote “God, he’s good” by Stephan King was from, as it seems to be put on all GM’s books, but I can guess that SK wouldn’t have said this about Plague.

[Tasha Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly offered an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Given everything that is going on in our own current Covid-19 infested world, why not pick up a story that represents a very similar situation? The masochist in you, might even thank you.

Initially I thought this story was a bit bizarre, a bit hectic but then I realised that this book had in fact been published years ago, way before I was even born and things made a little bit more sense.

It has that old school horror feel about it, you know when things were actually scary, however this might have been scarier if we hadn't been living a similar nightmare for months. This story takes place at the start of the breakout and we get to see how people from different walks of life deal with it.

It skips about a bit between characters but things rather quickly come together, as the story moves along at a brisk pace between the beginning of the breakout of the plague and the ending.
The ending is a bit of an annoyance, it just ends and I was left with more questions than answers. I would have loved for a bit more but it is, what it is.

[Karen Mazzaferri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don’t know how to review this book. I am giving it a 3.5. The premise was good, and some of the scenarios seemed as if they could really happen, however, there were many grammatical errors, that usually don’t bother me, but spelling and grammar errors were many. The story is supposed to take place in the US, but the author has chosen to use many British words that are not familiar in the state. I also didn’t like the racial references and I realize that this book was written in the 70’s, but it seemed a constant theme. One section while a character was in jail, made sure to state the color of the skin at every opportunity. I get it, they were black and only needed one reference to skin color. Also the comments about the women being portrayed as morons “seen not heard” and cooking in the kitchen wearing their little aprons and making appetizers. Near the end of the book, Dr Petrie sleeps with another woman and then wonders when he stopped caring about his fiancé who he has now traveled with from Miami to New York in the midst of a plague, and falls for this other women. He already had an ex wife that he had nothing good to say.

[Dawn Thoma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the blurb definitely piqued my interest, it fell short of what I had anticipated. Overall, the plot was quite suspenseful, and I found the racist allusions to be unsettling. There seemed to be something off about the writing; I couldn’t put a finger on it until I realised it was written in the 90s, so perhaps that explained it.
Nonetheless, the action moved rather quickly and helped me to read on to see what would happen. Unfortunately, the conclusion was unsatisfactory; it lacked a satisfying sense of finality and seemed anti-climactic.

[Ash Bouchard · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first mistake was not realizing it was a book published in 1977 when I picked it up. I was sure it was published in the last maybe 5 years.
Not that books written in the 70s aren’t good. I’ve read my share! But boy, OH BOY did the blatant racism caught me by storm. Holy sh*t.
N words followed by EVERY. DESCRIPTION. OF A BLACK PERSON TALKING. BEING ; the blacks or the black absolutely creeped the hell out of me.

So yeah, I’m not excusing it on the year it was written but maybe it would’ve prepared me. The racism and blatant misogyny alone took a good 2 stars out of this book from the get-go, even without regarding the rest.

Story started “realistically”, stayed that way 2/3 of the book, and then suddenly we have thousands of fully grown rabid rats that attack as a hive mind.
My dear. I’ve had rats. They’re not viscious. They’re skittish. We’re not talking about a rabies pandemic here, but a plague one. Also… don’t they have WAY ENOUGH to eat outside in terms of dead bodies to leave our protagonists alone? Of course not.

All of this mixed with the sub plot lines leading absolutely nowhere, like Adeleine’s rape or the court one, or most of them really, mixed with the incest and the dubious age gaps, took me out right away.

I finished it, but eh.

A weak 2/5