Kingdom of Needle and Bone - Mira Grant

[goodreads]

Title: Kingdom of Needle and Bone
Author: Mira Grant
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~3hrs
Date read: July 2019, April 2020

It begins with a fever. By the time the spots appear, it’s too late: Morris’s disease is loose on the world, and the bodies of the dead begin to pile high in the streets. When its terrible side consequences for the survivors become clear, something must be done, or the dying will never stop. For Dr. Isabella Gauley, whose niece was the first confirmed victim, the route forward is neither clear nor strictly ethical, but it may be the only way to save a world already in crisis. It may be the only way to atone for her part in everything that’s happened.
She will never be forgiven, not by herself, and not by anyone else. But she can, perhaps, do the right thing.

We live in an age of monsters.


A fascinating book, which I'm sure I'll have to read several times to fully get all aspects of - especially in view of some of the twists revealed near the end which will influence how I read earlier parts. But I really shouldn't expect anything else from Mira Grant by now.

It's a thrilling story, that definitely shines light on the dangers of the anti-vacc movement. It's also really, really short and reads more like a prequel than a full story in its own right (which is the ONLY reason I didn't give it 5 stars - even though I'm pretty sure the prequel-feel was the intention, I still wanted to know more!) and I DEFINITELY want to read the rest of the story now! In many ways it's very similar to many of the shorts in the Newsflesh universe, and while I know they're not related, they very easily could be.

Mira Grant is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite authors. I've yet to meet a book of hers I didn't love.

Reread 2020: A bit too much "on the nose" right now, but that's basically why I felt a need to reread it. It's still amazing.