The Apocalypse Strain by Jason Parent

Goodreads Synopsis:

A multi-national research team, led by a medical genomics expert suffering from MS, study an ancient pandoravirus at a remote Siberian research facility. Called “Molli” by the research team, the organic substance reveals some unique but troublesome characteristics, qualities that, in the wrong hands, could lead to human extinction.

The researchers soon learn that even in the right hands, Molli is a force too dangerous to escape their compound. But the virus has a mind of its own, and it wants out.

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I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

My Thoughts

The Apocalypse Strain read like a mix of sci-fi and horror. I really enjoyed this novel; even if it’s not the type of book I normally read. It’s really hard to write a review about this book without spoiling anything, but damn, it was a fantastic read. It would be perfect to read around October with the creepy/horror elements.

I had to take a lot of breaks with this one, I caught myself reading quickly because of the fast pace of the novel. The first half was a bit slow to start, but the second half blew me away. It read like a movie for the last half of the novel with the action beginning to build.

There are a lot of characters in this novel; all of them served a different purpose and role. The diverse cast of characters in this novel includes paramilitary officials, and scientists trying to prevent Molli from escaping the facility. There was little character development, not that I expected much in this fast-paced novel. The lack of character development was made up for the plot and action.

Parent does the horror theme of isolation well. The whole time I kept feeling like I was trapped with no means of escaping this virus. Several times I kept thinking that the characters were not going to make it out alive. I remember my heart was racing towards the end of the novel; all the secrets were slowly being unwound thread by thread.

I can’t help but compare The Apocalypse Strain to Cold Storage by David Koepp; it had a similar tone, setting and premise with a virus that is running rampant in a closed facility. The settings were similar in Cold Storage and in this novel. In Cold Storage, the setting is in a storage unit in the middle of nowhere USA. The Apocalypse Strain is set in a top secret facility in Serbia that’s built like a maze. I was confused as to the layout of the facility, but that was done intentionally. Oh, plus there’s a virus on the lose killing everything in its path or mutating at an alarming rate and no one can risk it getting out in both these novels…

The twist at the very end of the book was well thought out. There were hints of it throughout with the recurring line/statement that Molli, the virus, is mutating and evolving, becoming more conscious the more it consumes humans. I really enjoyed this book, but I know it’s not for everyone. It was a very graphic read; some parts made me nauseous with how much detail was given into how Molli consumed people and spread consuming everything and everyone in sight. I would recommend this book to sci-fi/horror readers who enjoy virus novels.