The Hybrid Cure

by Jackie McCarthy

A devastating plague. Kids treated like lab rats. Can a teenager develop her powers in time to rescue the ones she loves?

London, 2042. Ofelia Stykes can’t forgive herself. Having lost her older sibling to the snatchers, the nearly sixteen-year-old scavenger vows to protect what’s left of her family from the lethal pandemic that toppled society. But when her little sister is captured as they dig through trash for treasure, the brave teen surrenders herself in exchange for the child’s freedom.

Locked in a research facility and subjected to tests, the desperate young woman shrewdly searches for an opportunity to escape with the rumored cure. But with the morally bankrupt chief virologist believing Ofelia’s DNA could save all of humanity, the extraordinary teen fears time is running out before she’s the next to die in a horrific experiment.

Can she uncover the truth and prevent an earthshaking disaster?

The Hybrid Cure is the rollicking first book in The Kaseath Chronicles, a YA post-apocalyptic science fiction series. If you like heroines to root for, action-packed suspense, and exploring the slippery slope between good and evil, then you’ll enjoy Jackie McCarthy’s coming-of-age adventure.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

Strong female characters and quirky, inspiring tales.

Jackie writes Young Adult (YA) and New Adult (NA) science fiction and fantasy. She is partial to dystopian and futuristic stories with a magical twist.

She has worked in publishing and the media for over 20 years, in both London and Sydney. Her debut novel, The Ghost Mothers, is very loosely inspired by her time working in the magazine industry, many moons ago.

Jackie's new release, Rebel Conspiracy, is the rollicking second book in The Kaseath Chronicles, a YA Dystopian science fiction series. If you like heroines to root for, action-packed suspense, and exploring the slippery slope between good and evil, then you’ll enjoy Jackie’s coming-of-age adventure.

If you would like to be notified of new books as they are released, you can sign up for the Reader's Group here:
www.jackiemccarthy.com/sign-up/

She thanks you for stopping by, and for your reviews!

Reviews

[Maggie Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

At 366 pages, this self-identified ‘YA Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic Adventure’ is indeed that! The characters certainly face plenty of challenges in their dystopian world.

The novel’s protagonist Ofelia at 15 years is coming of age, making decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions. She is different, having scales on parts of her body and has grown used to being targeted because of her difference.

Speaking in the first person, Ofelia details her daily routine of scavenging on Trash Mountain with other Northies, returning to a shack she shares with her mother, stepfather and younger sister, Imogen who suffers symptoms of plague. Ofelia makes every effort to keep Imogen safe as they avoid capture by the ‘Snatchers’ who kidnap children. She feels guilt for not having protected her step sister Demi, who met that fate.

Ofelia is determined to access a cure for the plague that she believes is available and also to locate Demi and bring her home. During this quest she herself is captured and by accident finds she possesses special powers to freeze time. This proves very useful as she becomes part of experimentation by Drs Figg and Wood in their lab during her captivity.

While in captivity Ofelia hears a voice in her head. This is revealed as communication from Trix, a strange looking alien, also a prisoner who has similar, stronger powers. Ofelia and Trix have much more in common than one might think. This is where the story picks up momentum. Trix is a star: truthful, loyal, on a peace mission to stop humans leaving earth so they don’t damage other parts of the universe. What’s not to love!

Ofelia and Trix team up to pursue their goals to locate the cure and to bring Demi home, while outwitting the evil and corrupt. The resolution shows Ofelia has grown in maturity and leaves the way ready for the next chronicle.

I like that there’s a strong and feisty female protagonist. I also like that from referring to her step-father, Roland, as ‘useless’ in chapter 2, Ofelia comes to respect him as a decent man who does his best to care for the family – a sure sign that she’s growing up. An aspect of a diverse society that is demonstrated is inclusion of Aze – a person of colour, as well as Maya and her family from Goa – quite subtly achieved. McCarthy’s decision to keep the chapters short is a plus, helping the reader navigate the length of the novel.

The novel is ambitious and shows opportunities for further development of the main characters. While I confess I am not part of the YA target audience, readers interested in this genre will eagerly await the next instalment

[Katie Steuerwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Ofelia's life in the future is hard. Trying to survive and protect her family.
I liked learning more about her life and what the world is like in the future.
When she is taken by the snatchers the adventure really begins.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens next.


I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non stop action from start to finish! Looking forward to the next installment to find out more about how this future world works and what’s in store for Ofelia and her friends.

[Fiction and Tea :D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bold new voice in YA dystopian.

The hybrid cure is an immersive debut that pulses with heart grit and unrelenting tension. Set on a plagued post apocalyptic earth, the novel is written from the perspective of a 15 year-old girl with lizard like scales on her skin. From the start she is not your typical heroine. Branded as lizard freak by others, she is scavenger who spends her day looking for food in the trash mountains

The novel ships into a high gear when she decides to find a cure for her little 🧑 and is captured by merciless scientist Figg and Wood. It is in captivity that she discovers something about her that changes her life for ever and she meets a telepathic piece seeking alien. Soon she discovers that she and the alien have similar capabilities and managed to escape from prison. However, she discovers that if she wants to survive in this world there might be no escape.

The Author keeps the chapter short and sharp which makes this interesting and fast read. The pacing is tight and action is relentless with touch of humour which made me laugh from time to time. I definitely like the main character but I also like the way the other characters like Maya and Aze introduced subtly and I like the fact that the Author made them quite real by doing research on cultural backgrounds.

The Author succeed in building a diverse and inclusive world without drawing and your attention to it. That definite echoes of the hunger games but this book has its own path. Ultimately this book is more than a survival story. It’s about identity sacrifice and the strength it takes to face a broken world and how hard it is to heal it.

Looking forward to read the next book.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed MCarthy's new book The Hybrid Cure.

Set in a post apocalyptic world, Ofelia (aka Lizard Freak) and her little sister Imogen (AKA plague girl) are Northies Rats trying to survive in a dog eat dog world where Shifty Pocks (the Northies king pin) rules the roost and decides who gets a place to live, and rations. The girls live with their mum, and their 'useless' step dad Roland. They had a step-sister once, Demi, but she was taken by the men in black and the woman in the baseball cap. Ofelia still feels guilty that she didn't try to save Demi, and she'll do just about anything to protect Imogen and try to find a cure for the plague her little sister suffers from, even if that means breaking into the secure facility where Dr Figg is working on a cure.

Captured by the men in black, taken to be a lab rat in that same secure facility, Ofelia begins to discover who she is, why Dr Figg thinks she's special and wants her DNA, and the benefits to having those orange lizard scales as she makes contact with the Kaseath.

McCarthy has written a book with believable characters, plenty of action and suspense that leaves you wanting more. Can't wait for book 2 in the series.

Highly recommended for YA readers.

[H.G. Ahedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Hybrid Cure, Jackie McCarthy delivers a gritty, fast-paced dystopian adventure with real emotional weight. Ofelia, a teen outcast with mysterious scales and a fierce love for her plague-stricken sister, survives by scavenging in a broken world. When she's captured by sinister scientists, she discovers strange powers—and meets Trix, a telepathic alien with a mission of peace.

What starts as a fight for survival turns into something much bigger: a quest for truth, justice, and a cure. With rich world-building, a diverse cast, and a heroine you can't help but root for, The Hybrid Cure is a strong, smart YA debut. Think The Hunger Games meets The Fifth Wave, but with a sci-fi twist all its own.

Short chapters, non-stop action, and big emotional stakes—this is one you’ll finish fast and immediately want more.

Perfect for readers 13+ who love dystopia, sister bonds, and bold, flawed heroes.

[Carmela Dimattia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read by Jackie McCarthy. It is set in the future after an apocalyptic event. Ofelia has lost it all and she is our heroine in this book. She will do whatever she can to protect her remaining family including exchanging her life for her younger sister. Can Ofelia help mankind or is mankind doomed? I enjoyed this book even though this is not my usual genre but as a massive fan of The Walking Dead I knew I had to give this book a chance and I was not disappointed. This is the first book in this series and I am very keen to get my hands on the next book to see what the author has in store for Ofelia, and us readers.

I received an arc copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Lisa Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a romp of a good story! The author paints such a colourful canvas with her words and I was drawn into the adventure right to the very last page. With a cast of interesting characters and a complex and well written story, now I have to be patient and wait for the next book to find out what happens! Ofelia is a heroine we can all get behind.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great start to the Kaseath Chronicles series, it was what I was hoping for in a sci-fi novel. I loved the post-apocalyptic feel to it and thought it worked well together. The characters were wonderfully written and I'm glad I got to read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kianne Werrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story! Sci-fi is not not usually my first choice but I really enjoyed this book.