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The Flu #2
The Flu: Book 2: Healing
A deadly flu pandemic has decimated humanity. Now, the remaining twenty percent of the population must rise from the ashes to rebuild.The losses are great and no one is immune to the residual heartache that lingers in the air of the barren cities.Life goes on.Mick Owens, struggling to come to terms with his own grief, takes his surviving young sons away from their hometown and the memories it holds. But their short trip to clear their minds turns ugly when the world outside of Lodi Ohio isn’t what they expected and they become separated.In a world without communication and power, a land without law and order, Mick desperately follows the trail in search of his missing sons. But in his attempts to find them, he discovers that even in a barren world, the danger of extinction still exists as another threat, one even bigger than the flu, is on the horizon.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 2013
188 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 25, 2014
The Flu 2: Healing is Jacqueline Druga’s follow up to The Flu (A Novel of The Outbreak). While I liked the first book, I found myself engrossed in the second, and to be honest, I absolutely loved it. Healing picks up where the first book left off and we find Mick Owens taking his two sons Chris and Tigger Hughes on a much needed backwoods getaway after the devastation of the global pandemic from the first book. The boys are dealing with the loss of not only their brother Dustin, but their grandmother and their mother Dylan as well. Mick has lost the love of his life and best friend; the trio is simply grief stricken. They set out toward Pennsylvania in order to get some R&R, only to stop at a small campsite for the night since traffic jams and blockades just outside of Pittsburg have hindered their travels. They meet a school teacher by the name of Ethan who has set up the camp with his mother, taking in orphaned children and trying to give them support and some semblance of a family. Ethan invites Mick along to a nearby town to help scavenge supplies and look for more children. All the while as we are following the story of our main character, we are also following others. Lexi and Bill, the CDC field doctor and California’s “patient zero” from the first book, are making their way east since the entire western United States has become a viral wasteland. Back in Lodi we find Tom, Dylan’s father, and the famous Lars Rayburn (my personal favorite) are attempting to rebuild and bring Lodi back from the catastrophe of the flu that destroyed the entire world. We meet a new character, Jonah Briggs, dishonorably discharged from the military. Briggs has worked quickly and carefully to rally private militias and survival groups in order to bring back order and defend America’s grounds at his New York base.
You find yourself wondering how all these character’s stories will intertwine and then out of nowhere, it hits you. Where there is devastation and the government has disappeared, you get the rebels; the sour apples that think they can run the world and in the midst of their marauding, ruin it for the few survivors trying to make it on their own. Mick and Ethan arrive back at the camp in time to find the camp has been raided, their people killed, and the children missing. Briggs discovers that one of his groups has gone rogue, starting their own militia in Eerie, PA and bringing down anything and anyone that doesn’t join them. Lexi and Bill discover a new terror in Las Vegas that could very well mean the end of the world all over again. It’s a battle against time, between the good and evil inside of every man and woman left in the now scarcely populated United States of America. Will Mick find Chris and Tigger? Can Jonah Briggs win the battle against this rogue militia and save all that he’s worked so hard for? Can the remaining Lars Rayburn and Lexi stop this new found horror from ripping everyone’s worlds apart so soon after they’ve barely recovered from the flu?
Those are all questions that you will have to find the answers to by picking up a copy of Druga’s Flu 2: Healing.
It’s an exciting read that pleasantly surprised me. There was no love triangle drama or overly combative dialogue between characters. The story paced itself extremely well and as you got further to the finish, every page begged you to turn it in order to satisfy your curiosity. Druga does an excellent job of expressing the panic and grief of our surviving characters from the first book in the series. There is a very clear conveyance of devastation and emptiness in every sub story told, bringing the entire novel together in one whole package that does not disappoint. These are normal, everyday people that are struggling to cope with loss while trying to grasp the concept of “life after the flu.” One of my favorite lines from the book that could best explain everything going on would be a man by the name of Ross who owns the funeral parlor in Lodi. In a conversation with Tom he says, “People need to see that life goes on.” And that really is the bottom line in any post-apocalyptic fiction. The world may have ended, but for those who have survived, it continues. A new addition to Flu 2 was Chris’s journal entries. I enjoyed these because it was refreshing to have the point of view of a teenager that has come through so much and still maintains some sort of positivity after coming through the end of all he’s ever known.
The only downside of the book is that it could have gone through another round of editing and although the dialogue between the very different characters has improved since the first book, sometimes it tends to drag out and take you away from what is really going on.
In conclusion, Druga’s “Flu-ology” is probably best read back to back for new readers, and readers of the first book will be in for a ride with Flu 2: Healing. The ending has a tight and simple finality to it, she could end the series here or even open it up to future adventures for our remaining team of heroes.
You find yourself wondering how all these character’s stories will intertwine and then out of nowhere, it hits you. Where there is devastation and the government has disappeared, you get the rebels; the sour apples that think they can run the world and in the midst of their marauding, ruin it for the few survivors trying to make it on their own. Mick and Ethan arrive back at the camp in time to find the camp has been raided, their people killed, and the children missing. Briggs discovers that one of his groups has gone rogue, starting their own militia in Eerie, PA and bringing down anything and anyone that doesn’t join them. Lexi and Bill discover a new terror in Las Vegas that could very well mean the end of the world all over again. It’s a battle against time, between the good and evil inside of every man and woman left in the now scarcely populated United States of America. Will Mick find Chris and Tigger? Can Jonah Briggs win the battle against this rogue militia and save all that he’s worked so hard for? Can the remaining Lars Rayburn and Lexi stop this new found horror from ripping everyone’s worlds apart so soon after they’ve barely recovered from the flu?
Those are all questions that you will have to find the answers to by picking up a copy of Druga’s Flu 2: Healing.
It’s an exciting read that pleasantly surprised me. There was no love triangle drama or overly combative dialogue between characters. The story paced itself extremely well and as you got further to the finish, every page begged you to turn it in order to satisfy your curiosity. Druga does an excellent job of expressing the panic and grief of our surviving characters from the first book in the series. There is a very clear conveyance of devastation and emptiness in every sub story told, bringing the entire novel together in one whole package that does not disappoint. These are normal, everyday people that are struggling to cope with loss while trying to grasp the concept of “life after the flu.” One of my favorite lines from the book that could best explain everything going on would be a man by the name of Ross who owns the funeral parlor in Lodi. In a conversation with Tom he says, “People need to see that life goes on.” And that really is the bottom line in any post-apocalyptic fiction. The world may have ended, but for those who have survived, it continues. A new addition to Flu 2 was Chris’s journal entries. I enjoyed these because it was refreshing to have the point of view of a teenager that has come through so much and still maintains some sort of positivity after coming through the end of all he’s ever known.
The only downside of the book is that it could have gone through another round of editing and although the dialogue between the very different characters has improved since the first book, sometimes it tends to drag out and take you away from what is really going on.
In conclusion, Druga’s “Flu-ology” is probably best read back to back for new readers, and readers of the first book will be in for a ride with Flu 2: Healing. The ending has a tight and simple finality to it, she could end the series here or even open it up to future adventures for our remaining team of heroes.
January 1, 2022
Sequel to "The Flu"
A good story, and a nice follow-up to the first book in the series, Mick decides to take Chris and Tigger on a camping trip a few weeks after the flu burned out in Lodi. He wanted an adventure -- and, boy, did he get it!!
Two competing militias, deadly viruses escaping from compromised BSL-4 facilities, a bleak, empty country. These are just a few of the things that plague the flu survivors.
Once again, great characters! Needs some better editing, though. If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, check out these two novels. A good read!
A good story, and a nice follow-up to the first book in the series, Mick decides to take Chris and Tigger on a camping trip a few weeks after the flu burned out in Lodi. He wanted an adventure -- and, boy, did he get it!!
Two competing militias, deadly viruses escaping from compromised BSL-4 facilities, a bleak, empty country. These are just a few of the things that plague the flu survivors.
Once again, great characters! Needs some better editing, though. If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, check out these two novels. A good read!
February 3, 2024
Good read!
He crossed the street with Rose, and before he could register a man pointing a gun at them, a bullet sailed into the man and he dropped. Lars looked for the shooter, and a soldier flew around the corner. He aimed, lowered his weapon and used it to point in a direction. “Almost free, keep going. Watch your backs,” he told them.
He crossed the street with Rose, and before he could register a man pointing a gun at them, a bullet sailed into the man and he dropped. Lars looked for the shooter, and a soldier flew around the corner. He aimed, lowered his weapon and used it to point in a direction. “Almost free, keep going. Watch your backs,” he told them.
February 16, 2024
AWESOME Read,
This book/series will definitely go in my to be read again pile! Just a wonderful satisfying end to this series. I found myself laughing out loud last night so many times my family couldn’t figure out what was going on. Thank you Jacqueline- I didn’t know this series was what I needed!
This book/series will definitely go in my to be read again pile! Just a wonderful satisfying end to this series. I found myself laughing out loud last night so many times my family couldn’t figure out what was going on. Thank you Jacqueline- I didn’t know this series was what I needed!
August 21, 2021
Loved the series
Great ending for a post apocalyptic book. Not the happily ever after, but a realistic life goes on.
As always, the story ideas are out there as only Jackie Drugs can do--unique with a twist. Definitely recommend this book.
Great ending for a post apocalyptic book. Not the happily ever after, but a realistic life goes on.
As always, the story ideas are out there as only Jackie Drugs can do--unique with a twist. Definitely recommend this book.
September 10, 2021
A really good book
While this second book wasn't as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the first one, it was a good wrap up of all the happenings in the first book and I managed to get through it without crying. Have fun reading.
While this second book wasn't as much of an emotional rollercoaster as the first one, it was a good wrap up of all the happenings in the first book and I managed to get through it without crying. Have fun reading.
November 23, 2021
Loved every page of this series. The character's were so
Relatable, loved the banter going on with each other. Especially the kids. Highly recommended this series wish there was book 3
Relatable, loved the banter going on with each other. Especially the kids. Highly recommended this series wish there was book 3
December 11, 2021
Wow
I wasn't really sure about this book. Usually when I read your books that cool right in, right away. This 1 didn't not really. But then it grabbed you somehow it hooks you when you least expected and it's like you can't stop reading it .
I wasn't really sure about this book. Usually when I read your books that cool right in, right away. This 1 didn't not really. But then it grabbed you somehow it hooks you when you least expected and it's like you can't stop reading it .
December 30, 2021
Loved it!
I loved all of the characters, I felt like I knew them and cared what happened to them. The story line was well thought out, and exciting for me. I recommend reading it, it was worth my time .
I loved all of the characters, I felt like I knew them and cared what happened to them. The story line was well thought out, and exciting for me. I recommend reading it, it was worth my time .
June 12, 2022
Oh this writer!
I can't remember the first book I read by her here on Kindle, but I haven't been disappointed in that one or the many others. She is the reason I love apocalyptic genre. I have to admit, hers are the only ones I don't have to struggle through.
I can't remember the first book I read by her here on Kindle, but I haven't been disappointed in that one or the many others. She is the reason I love apocalyptic genre. I have to admit, hers are the only ones I don't have to struggle through.
September 12, 2022
My kind of storyteller!
From the moment I started I could not put this down. Her talents of building characters with such detail makes you vision this as a movie. I really really enjoyed this book!
From the moment I started I could not put this down. Her talents of building characters with such detail makes you vision this as a movie. I really really enjoyed this book!
January 14, 2023
Another good story
Loved loved loved the characters in this series. So many times I LOL and then the final letter had me sobbing. On the downside this book had to a spelling issues and should have been edited a few more times.
Loved loved loved the characters in this series. So many times I LOL and then the final letter had me sobbing. On the downside this book had to a spelling issues and should have been edited a few more times.
December 29, 2023
An exceptional read.
Another brilliant book from Jacqueline Druga, The Flu Book 2. Absolutely amazing and a must-read. This author has a way of getting you hooked on her books and she never disappoints.
Another brilliant book from Jacqueline Druga, The Flu Book 2. Absolutely amazing and a must-read. This author has a way of getting you hooked on her books and she never disappoints.
April 17, 2024
Exceptional Story line
Exceptional story and so very real, which makes it all the better. I couldn't stop reading this series, a book a day i read. Now i'm kinda sad the series is over, off to find another great book to enjoy!! Well done Jacqueline!! (two thumbs up)
Exceptional story and so very real, which makes it all the better. I couldn't stop reading this series, a book a day i read. Now i'm kinda sad the series is over, off to find another great book to enjoy!! Well done Jacqueline!! (two thumbs up)
June 12, 2025
Rating dropped one for lack of editing. Good story. Tired of this author not getting an editor or taking a few grammar and editing classes and taking the time to read through and fix most. There are errors on virtually every page.
September 13, 2021
Good story
This book didn't make me as emotional as the first but had its moments. There was plenty of action and the characters are likable. I recommend it to everyone.
This book didn't make me as emotional as the first but had its moments. There was plenty of action and the characters are likable. I recommend it to everyone.
Read
February 13, 2022I enjoyed reading this book . It showed what one can do in a very bad situation. How love and hope can deal with even the worse life can hand out.
February 17, 2022
A great read, characters are very relatable, you get quickly drawn into their world. Love the banter between Mick & his boys, enjoyed reading both books in the Flu series, well written.
April 13, 2022
Exciting
A wonderful exciting and adventurous book I don't know what else to say to add more required words. It isn't right to require a certain amount of words
A wonderful exciting and adventurous book I don't know what else to say to add more required words. It isn't right to require a certain amount of words
May 2, 2022
love a book with a tied up ending.
I’m relay pleased that the second book completed the story line. I enjoyed the ending. Now off to another one of her books.
I’m relay pleased that the second book completed the story line. I enjoyed the ending. Now off to another one of her books.
November 20, 2022
The Fluology
Good character development. The initial event and those that followed were believable. Exciting, hard to put down. Stimulates the need of hope for mankind.
Good character development. The initial event and those that followed were believable. Exciting, hard to put down. Stimulates the need of hope for mankind.
January 3, 2023
Great
I had read the first book and was really glad that I found the second one. I just kept reading and reading.
I had read the first book and was really glad that I found the second one. I just kept reading and reading.
June 12, 2023
This was an excellent sequel to listen to. ItJust when you think things will get better,human indecency takes over. Narration was very good.
May 17, 2025
This was an excellent ending
I enjoyed this book. It didn't make me cry but it definitely wrapped everything up. It was a great ending to the first book.
I enjoyed this book. It didn't make me cry but it definitely wrapped everything up. It was a great ending to the first book.
July 24, 2014
The first in this series really surprised me. I was expecting more "apocalypticness" than what was really in the story. This one picks up where The Flu left off, however this time there is a lot of apocalypticness to deal with. Most of that is in the form of human beings being assholes and trying to control or kill who is left after the flu.
The main characters are all still in this one (those that survived anyway!!!) and I was really pleased to see that it just kicked right off where the first ended. The characters that I loved in The Flu were fabulous again here and their growth in such a short amount of time was amazing. But really, under these conditions it has to be.
So, overall this storyline, although apocalyptic, was much more about the characters and their circumstances and how they reacted to those circumstances. The plot for each individual was pretty easy to follow although there are a lot of characters in this. I think the author did a great job of keeping the voice for each character separate from the others, and again, if the narrator wouldn't have been so damn good it would have failed with so many characters!
And much like the first, be ready for tears at the end, or close to it. I got so into what was happening with the characters that any foreshadowing of bad circumstances left me very anxious. I just want everything to be happy!! Yes, even in an apocalyptic story! The ending was great and fit well with what the author had set throughout. I really wish she would have set out to do a third.
In short:
If you enjoy apocalyptic stories with more about the characters than the disaster, this is definitely for you! Fabulous listen!
More about the audio review over at Audiobookreviewer.com
4.5/5
The main characters are all still in this one (those that survived anyway!!!) and I was really pleased to see that it just kicked right off where the first ended. The characters that I loved in The Flu were fabulous again here and their growth in such a short amount of time was amazing. But really, under these conditions it has to be.
So, overall this storyline, although apocalyptic, was much more about the characters and their circumstances and how they reacted to those circumstances. The plot for each individual was pretty easy to follow although there are a lot of characters in this. I think the author did a great job of keeping the voice for each character separate from the others, and again, if the narrator wouldn't have been so damn good it would have failed with so many characters!
And much like the first, be ready for tears at the end, or close to it. I got so into what was happening with the characters that any foreshadowing of bad circumstances left me very anxious. I just want everything to be happy!! Yes, even in an apocalyptic story! The ending was great and fit well with what the author had set throughout. I really wish she would have set out to do a third.
In short:
If you enjoy apocalyptic stories with more about the characters than the disaster, this is definitely for you! Fabulous listen!
More about the audio review over at Audiobookreviewer.com
4.5/5
May 17, 2014
Big change from the the first novel! For me, I didn't like it as much. For most, I suspect they will adore it because of the level of action involved!
So much happens that I couldn't hold my suspension of disbelief and doubts creeped (crept?) in and brought me out of the story. The ease in which people find transportation and move about large areas of the country just didn't work for me. But -- it's one heck of a story if you can ignore that! I still read the whole thing, no way was I putting it down before I knew the outcome of all the central characters.
This story takes place on two sides of the country - Lodi, of course, and Erie, Pa plus a west coast connection with CDC characters and new minor characters. Another bigger than life character/hero, and the realization of another huge threat drive the storyline.
The story is in hyper mode - so many huge events without much detail, the story moves very quickly to what seems like the end of the series with a flash forward.
So much happens that I couldn't hold my suspension of disbelief and doubts creeped (crept?) in and brought me out of the story. The ease in which people find transportation and move about large areas of the country just didn't work for me. But -- it's one heck of a story if you can ignore that! I still read the whole thing, no way was I putting it down before I knew the outcome of all the central characters.
This story takes place on two sides of the country - Lodi, of course, and Erie, Pa plus a west coast connection with CDC characters and new minor characters. Another bigger than life character/hero, and the realization of another huge threat drive the storyline.
The story is in hyper mode - so many huge events without much detail, the story moves very quickly to what seems like the end of the series with a flash forward.
May 6, 2021
One of the things I look for in post apocalyptic fiction is a somewhat believable story. So many books in this genre involve zombies or fantasy characters. This book presents the reader with a believable and frightening scenario where most of the population has died from a particularly nasty flu and the survivors struggle to establish a new world. The survivors from the first book in this series now face new threats, not the least of which is a growing army of militiamen attempting to establish their own notion of a new society.
The characters here are likeable. I found myself rooting for them. The author has a talent for building drama and then resolving it later in the book. Of course this means I had to keep reading.
This is an excellent series for those who like post apocalyptic fiction or medical thrillers. Highly recommended.
The characters here are likeable. I found myself rooting for them. The author has a talent for building drama and then resolving it later in the book. Of course this means I had to keep reading.
This is an excellent series for those who like post apocalyptic fiction or medical thrillers. Highly recommended.
February 29, 2020
Like the first novel, the sequel aptly named 'The Flu 2' is just as engrossing and has the benefit of not suffering from the bacteria/virus issue the first book had, rather the author seems to have realised there is a difference and just focused on the virus aspect here.
Like other post apocalypse novels some tropes of the fighting between nearby communities arise, but not in a terribly done way, rather it seems to fit into the story being told quite well and isn't overdone.
Overall, it was a brighter novel than the first with an underlying theme of hope even amongst the horror and depravity overtaking some communities. If you enjoyed the first it's definitely worthwhile to continue with the sequel.
Like other post apocalypse novels some tropes of the fighting between nearby communities arise, but not in a terribly done way, rather it seems to fit into the story being told quite well and isn't overdone.
Overall, it was a brighter novel than the first with an underlying theme of hope even amongst the horror and depravity overtaking some communities. If you enjoyed the first it's definitely worthwhile to continue with the sequel.
July 25, 2014
Once again J. DRUGA has kept me totally engrossed in her book, Part 1 THE FLU, was a roller coaster ride to say the least, need a box of puffs near by/ HEALING FLU2 though not as emotional, it does have you holding your breath, and even saying out loud as if the author was sitting right there..."WHY? Tell me why you would do that to...never mind don't tell me, please tell me you got your sanity back" See told you out loud if she was there, I was the one losing my sanity...once again Thanks J.Druga for a enjoyable journey.
October 25, 2014
"Healing" is about the aftermath of the deadly flu that killed off the major part of the world's population. We follow Mick and the kids as they leave Lodi and wade through post-apocalyptic America, where things are not what they were expecting anymore - some people just choose the wrong way to start rebuilding the country.
Compared to the first book, this one is more of an action thriller. I liked it but not as much as "The Flu". It was still an exciting read full of twists and suspense, making Druga the nicest discovery I've made this year.
Compared to the first book, this one is more of an action thriller. I liked it but not as much as "The Flu". It was still an exciting read full of twists and suspense, making Druga the nicest discovery I've made this year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews