The Survivors: Pandemic
By: Alex Burns / Narrated By: Zehra Jane Naqvi
Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
Wait, wait, wait! Lemme spare you the time—
I’ll tell you exaaaaactly what happens in The Survivors: Pandemic with one word: nothing. I do believe the concept is that it was written purely as set-up for the books to follow in the series. And by the way? I dunno how Burns managed it, but somehow he made the Red Death (plague) deadly boring.
It’s not that I hated it or anything. The characters are engaging enough, there is indeed the practical end-of-the-world from plague, and there is the beginning of survivors organizing to build a sense of community once again. And there’s the whole: Jiminy H. Cricket! What on earth would we do without technology and the things that make urban life possible? You know, like no electricity so cell phones can’t be charged enough for people to keep in contact with each other. And, like, no water coming from the taps, so what’ll ya do?
But here’s what happens just in case you find the concept of rebuilding, plus strife, compelling enough to go onto the second book in the series. Spoilers?
Hell, yes! You can thank me later!
The Red Death hits the entire planet, despite national/continental quarantines. Best friends die. Loads of family members die. A ragtag group of survivors come together, except for one who distances himself from the community to hole up in his self-made fortress. He’s shot at the end, so there’s the ominous whodunnit. Also, he professes his undying love for our heroine, so we’ve gotta expect THAT to come up in the next book too. Plus, there’s a stalwart guy whose girlfriend died in the plague, and he seems like a worthy suitor. Ahhhh, but our heroine doesn’t know if her fiancé is alive as he was stuck in Canada at the time of the Australian quarantine. So there’s THAT too.
So whadda we have? Love interests galore. The threat of an organized group of Others who are violent, and “they’re coming!” A niece who’s developed asthma? Well, will they have enough scavenged medicine to keep her alive? And the food! Will it all run out? And the planted garden: will the unforgiving Australian weather let it bloom and flourish?
And Naqvi’s performance? Well, it’s okay. But there are times our heroine screeches and cries, and I dunno if you’ve been around an Aussie screeeeeeching and cryyyyyying, but it kinda makes ya wanna ram an ice pick into each ear (or at least the one closest to your listening device of choice; in my case, my phone was by my right ear, and I was sorely tempted to grab a sharp instrument, I tell you).
So there you have it. Sound good enough? Now, you’re TOTALLY ready to get to the second book cuz I listened to the first for you.
You’re welcome!
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