Sassafras and Lullabies......

The timing of this books release and the current events now occurring have made this book hard to put down! Although the books "sickness" (rabies like virus that takes little time to take over) and our pandemic are different, the actions of humans Fiction/Real are scarily similar though.

Natalie is very pregnant and has unfortunately been bitten. Luckily for her, her best friend is a Dr.
Dr. Ramola Sherman. Their friendship seems unbreakable as they race to save Nats and her unborn baby. Trekking from one over run hospital to the next hitting horrific bumps in the road.
Makes you wonder, what would you do for a friend and what would they really do for you?

This epidemic novel follows the story of best friends the pregnant Natalie and pediatrician Rams. It's a sort of race-against-the-clock situation in which Natalie may or may not be affected with a super rabies epidemic, and Ramola is charged with taking care of both her and her child. Now is a great time for a book like this to be released: just rooted enough in current events to grab our attention, but otherwise full of fantastical descriptions of gore, animals, and the satisfying tropes re-imagined that every horror fan enjoys.

This book was very hard to put down. Very interesting & topical, characters that were well drawn out and just a great read. A story that will stay with you & make you think about your current situation in the real pandemic

If Paul Tremblay wrote this before our current coronavirus pandemic, and I assume he did, it was spot on describing the quarantine, the mass panic, even the PPE's. Only this time it is a form of rabies that is passed on through saliva. It is a fast-moving rabies that develops in one to two hours, changing the human or animal into a raving lunatic. Natalie is 8 months pregnant, her husband is gone, and she has no one to turn to except her best friend "Rams", or Dr. Ramola Sherman, a pediatric doctor. Natalie was bitten by a rabid man, and needs to rush to the hospital to have her baby taken by cesarean. Rams and Nat struggle to reach a hospital, encountering militia men, rabid humans and animals. I read the majority of this book in one sitting. Riveting entertainment.

"Everything isn't ending. Civilization is more resilient than people think."

Paul Tremblay's penchant for high-concept horror with down-to-earth character development has seen him ascend the ranks of modern American horror authors. With each new novel, his work becomes more terrifying and more emotionally impactful. In his latest novel Survivor Song, Tremblay writes one of his most compelling narratives to date. A twist of fate has made his imagined scenario in the book eerily mirror the current situation that much of the world is still grappling with. I've always been a fan of Tremblay, so I happily accepted a copy of Survivor Song from his publisher.

Before this year, it would have been hard to imagine a world riddled with a global health pandemic. That's exactly the premise Tremblay presents in this novel. A highly contagious strain of rabies with an accelerated incubation period has begun to ravage parts of the US. Cities have been shut down under government-mandated lockdowns, hospitals are at full capacity, and people are panicking. Individuals infected with the virus lose all semblance of normal human function. They become crazed zombies, infected with the unyielding need to bite and infect others.

The book opens with a bang as pregnant Natalie is helping her husband Paul unload groceries. Their whole city is on lockdown, so they are eager to safely get their items into the house. A moment of carelessness sees them leave their front door ajar, allowing an infected man to enter their home. In a flash, Paul is killed and Natalie is bitten in the arm. Fearful of infection and eager to keep her unborn child safe, she frantically drives to her friend Dr. Ramola's house. The two race against the clock of the impending infection to try to save the life of Natalie's child.

Survivor Song is Tremblay's most terrifying novel to date, made even more timely by the fact that it is publishing as the world deals with a real-life infectious virus. I was amazed at how closely Tremblay's fiction captured the scenario we are dealing with now. A year ago, I would have found a glorified zombie tale to be unbelievable, but now it is chillingly close to life. Beyond the plot, Tremblay inhabits his novel with believable characters who you can't help but root for. Flashbacks provide context for Natalie and Ramola's relationship, allowing the emotional stakes to soar alongside the journey to safety. Being that this novel is really close to our current life, I do think you need to be in the proper mood to read it. Still, there's no denying the craft, thoughtfulness, and escapism that Survivor Song provides. "This is not a fairy tale. this is a song."

Library patrons will recognize Tremblay as a suspense writer whose works also have an emotional depth to them, and this book is no exception. It will satisfy fans of the suspense and horror genre, but will also satisfy book clubs looking for something shocking with a well-developed plot, and excellent pacing. This is a must-buy for library shelves and a unique pick for book club/discussion books that are looking for an 'out-of-the-box' selection.

An eerily-prescient account of the early days of a disease outbreak, centered on two women trying to make their way across town as society spins out of control around them. In Tremblay's trademark poetic writing, we follow these women as they encounter the victims of a rabies-like virus that seems to be turning people into animalistic, zombie-esque explosions of violence. The horror stuff is good -- it's tinged with real, emotional heart often missing from zombie stories. What if the zombies knew what they were doing, could sense that there was something seriously wrong with them, but were powerless to stop it?

What was even more dread-inducing to me, living as I am amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was the way Tremblay was able to anticipate how deeply our current government would mess up the response to an outbreak. Quarantine in SURVIVOR SONG has been going on for about two weeks when the book begins (it's unclear), but the National Guard is already providing meal rations to the residents who've been asked to shelter in place. What a quaint idea! The book is full of striking details, though, like nurses commiserating over not having appropriate PPE while the president tweets that hospitals have what they need, or an aside that mentions the epidemic has become much worse than it needed to be because of a government that prides itself on ignoring science.

Reality is stranger than fiction, but this fiction is very good anyway.

A viral strain of rabies is spreading across Massachusetts. It moves quickly among animals and people, with those being bitten rapidly (think hours) losing their minds and then biting others to spread the disease. Hospitals are overwhelmed. People are under quarantine, with packets of vaccine being dropped from the sky to try to control the animal population. Chaos reigns. Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman is a pediatrician, about to be called in to help at an overflowing hospital. Before she can, she receives a terrified phone call from her best friend from college, Natalie. Eight months pregnant, Natalie watched an infected man brutally kill her husband--and received a bite while trying to save him. She must get to a hospital--and fast--to try to save herself and her unborn child. She and Rams begin a horrifying odyssey to get Natalie help, traversing a world filled with untold dangers.

"The presentation of symptoms with this new virus is astronomically fast compared to a normal rabies virus."

Okay, first of all, I rarely read horror books like this, but this novel was offered by my Scene of the Crime group, and I had heard such great things about Paul Tremblay. Second, I am trying to avoid pandemic-type reads and, yet, I found myself reading an incredibly pandemic, virus themed book!

However, I have to say, this was a good book! I can't say I enjoyed it, because it was so incredibly stressful that I think my heart-rate and blood pressure were through the roof while reading this thing. BUT, I could not put it down. Tremblay has created an utterly spellbinding book that also happens to be incredibly timely.

The tension in this book completely crackles. There's a virus spreading across the entire Northeast, but Tremblay focuses his action mainly on just Rams and Natalie. Somehow narrowing the story down on the survival of these two (and Natalie's baby) makes the story all the more terrifying and stressful. Their journey to get to a hospital is fraught with danger and blockages at every turn, and you can totally see this as unfolding a movie, with the "zombies" popping out around every corner. It still makes me shiver even now thinking about it.

While this book is creepy and scary, it makes some amazing (and very timely) points on society and its backward viewpoint toward vaccines, fear culture, xenophobia, and more. I found myself nodding furiously so many times. And, of course, it's filled with words that are so familiar to us now--who knew that CDC, PPE, and quarantine would be such commonplace terms?

Overall, while this is a very tense book and it might resonate a bit *too* much right now, it's very well-written. I flew through it--I'm not usually a horror fan, but it was a good balance of scary and humanizing. 4+ stars.

Like a broken roller coaster, this book is a fast moving, no holds barred ride. It takes place over just a few hours. There has been an outbreak of rabies and the main character is pregnant and bitten. She and her doctor friend rush to try to save the baby by doing a C-section. Every second is packed until they can get to a hospital, It was interesting to read this during the pandemic.

Survivor song was a wild ride from the start to end. It was fast paced and stressed me out but also broke my heart. The two female characters, Natalie and Ramola were both strong as hell and I LOVED them and their friendship. This was eerily similar to real life with what's going on in the world and kinda freaked me out. Just hits a little close to home right now. Now would be the perfect time to read a book about a pandemic starting the apocalypse because it's not like we're living that in real life or anything! Just kidding but not really. I enjoyed this apocalyptical story and liked the characters and will definitely check out Tremblay's other books!

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the arc!

I read Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay a couple of weeks ago and it has taken me a while to digest this book. Let me tell you up front that this book is not in my wheelhouse. One of the genres is Horror Fiction. I've never read anything in that genre before. So that being said, I probably won't again. That doesn't mean it was a bad book!

This book gave me nightmares! It is so vivid, my mind couldn't let go of it. I guess you could say the author did his job. I just don't like to be scared out of my wits. If you like Terror and Horror, you're gonna love this book. It will be right up your alley especially while we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Maybe that is what bothered me so much.

Paul Tremblay did an awesome job scaring me! He will scare you too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.

“…I shouldn’t talk about fortnights, weeks, and time. It’s too much. Time is too heavy. It really does have weight you can feel but you can’t measure.” – Paul Tremblay, Survivor Song

In late 2018-2019, this book was written and turned into the publisher. With no idea what 2020 would bring, Paul Tremblay’s newest book, Survivor Song, is sure to be an eerie and disturbing read for quite a few people. As a devout reader of apocalyptic stories, I have become somewhat immune to the horrors presented in this genre. Even for me, this one was a gut punch; I had to sit back a few times and take a deep breath.

If you are interested in hearing more about how this book came about and Tremblay’s own feelings on releasing a book about a virus in the midst of a pandemic he couldn’t possibly have predicted, check out the podcast episode from InkHeist.

Usually an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic book is wide in scope. Huge amounts of characters and a vast landscape are sort of hallmarks for the sub-genre. In Survivor Song, Tremblay scales this back and readers find themselves focused on just 4 characters (mostly) and one small place on the map. This has the effect of making the terror and anxiety all the more personal as we are invested solely in the results of one situation. Think if King had used a laser focus on Frannie or another of his characters in The Stand or if McCammon had done the same in Swan Song. We are forced into this microcosm of the country and all the worries and stress we’ve had ourselves during our own REAL pandemic are gathered around us. It is quite the experience.

I like the structural manipulation Tremblay uses in the book. There are sections of text messages, blank spaces, and other quirks, but they aren’t just there to be witty or to “show off”. They hold purpose and add depth to the narrative. There are also switches in POV and interludes which also serve to provide the reader with a unique experience.

Honestly, I loved the book. Tremblay continues to focus on family, whether it’s blood relations or the family we choose; all the aspects of his writing that I have come to love are on full display. It is such a quick read because it is near impossible to put down. Set aside some time to get lost in this one. Tremblay remains one of my favorite authors and his work is an instant buy for me.

This is the plain, unedited text for the review appearing in Space & Time Magazine's Summer 2020 issue:
I first noticed Paul’s work when I put together a little book group with two of my best friends, Blake, and Tyler. We called it “Crack a Book with the Boys” — yes, I enjoy poking a little fun at the inert Midwest culture which raised me. We picked CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Mr. Paul Tremblay; a story about a gay couple who take their daughter on a vacation and things go apocalyptically wrong. Tremblay’s brazen style and willingness to take risks in his storytelling captivated me. You’ll find all the same style and literary finesse in SURVIVOR SONG.
Tremblay alternates the chapters in this story between two best friends who try to navigate a pandemic of “super rabies,” as the media in the novel calls it. Yes, it's a pandemic book, but not one that feels like it's cashing in. Survivor Song is here to live in the moment — to use the moment, to explore the author’s interests in human love, trust, and friendship.
The hard boxing ring strike of the prologue alone was enough to propel me through the first quarter of the book in my first sitting. Tremblay’s DOOM-fast rip and tear pacing couples perfectly with his choice to reprise his signature execution of the present-tense narrative. Much like Tremblay’s other novels, the reader is not told what to think about the journey. Instead, we are witness to incredible events involving people who prove to have incredible character.
The narrative voice is perfectly close, but not too close. It leaves us on our own to make judgement calls and draw conclusions. This is something to dig about Tremblay’s work. Many in genre today write stories which hold the hand of the reader and lead them to the “correct” conclusions. Those stories can be fine and dandy — but there’s something special in an exploration, safety-net guidance removed.
Fiction like this can leave you feeling raw. Fiction like this is important, because it makes us think about some of the most important questions we can ponder as humans. Time and time again, Tremblay proves horror is something to make you feel and think.
You might not enjoy it if you’re not feeling up to a pandemic book. But, this book is both very much a zombie book and also not a zombie book in that same way it is and is not a pandemic book. You’ll love it if you enjoy fiction with no punches pulled and no happy endings promised. This book is for horror fans who enjoy the raw and complex speaking ultimately to something higher than itself. If you enjoy most A24 produced horror films, you’ll enjoy Tremblay’s work and certainly this novel.
A special thank you to the publisher, William Morrow/An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, and their publicity team for getting us an ARC of this excellent book.
When purchasing this book, or any book, it is my strong encouragement that you support your local brick and mortar store or shop indie online through a site such as indiebound.org or bookshop.org.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

THERE WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER BE A BETTER TIME TO READ THIS BOOK.

After the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hit by a super contagious strain of a rabies-like virus, the entire state goes into lockdown. Hospitals are overrun, public resources drained, people are ordered to go into quarantine and it is literally dangerous to go outside.

Dr. Ramola 'Rams' Sherman receives frantic news from her best friend, Natalie, who is currently 8-months pregnant with her first child. Apparently, Natalie's husband has just been killed after an infected neighbor broke into their home and attacked them. Making matters worse, if that's even possible, Natalie was bitten by the infected man during the attack.

Due to the very rapid rate of progression for the virus, the clock is ticking for Natalie. She needs to get medical care right away and calls the one person she knows will help her, Rams. Natalie makes her way to Rams and the two women set out together to try to make it to the closest hospital. Even though the hospitals are at max capacity, the fact that Ramola is employed there as a pediatrician, makes them think that they will be able to receive care.

The rest of the novel takes place over just a matter of hours, as the two women race against time to try to save Natalie and her unborn child. This book is compact and extremely intense. Following Rams and Natalie on their journey was so incredibly vivid. I could completely imagine what they were seeing, hearing and feeling.

Picking up Survivor Song in the midst of a global pandemic, I will say, is a surreal experience. Within the first 20-pages, I'm thinking, is Paul Tremblay clarivoyant? How the heck did he release this book at just the right moment?

I think reading this, hot on the heels of the beginning of the pandemic, when we were first coming under quarantine, for the first time in my life, made this soul-shattering story even more impactful. While this is a horror story that, in concept is as frightening as hell, to me the most important aspect of the story, the aspect that effected me the most, was the relationship between Rams and Nats.

Their relationship reminded me so much of my own relationship with my best friend, Nichole. Just imagining going through what these women were going through, the choices they had to make, it tore my heart out. I'll admit it, I cried. It was very much one of those, there but for the grace of God, go I-moments for me. It was hard to read. I texted her a few times throughout the ending of the story and of course she was sympathetic. She knows how I get with my stories!

There was one scene that I did have to skip over, due to graphic content involving people's pets, but I don't think editing that out for myself diminished the story for me. I'm too sensitive on that topic to subject myself to that, so I just flipped on through.

With that being said, this is an great story. One that will haunt me for years to come and isn't that really what Horror it is all about?

Thank you so much to the publisher, William Morrow and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and as I expected, Tremblay does not disappoint! Get your hands on this as soon as you can, I know a lot of people are going to be talking about it!

It's an especially unique experience to read this book while in the midst of a pandemic. So many of Tremblay's passages hit really close to home, especially the ones about different people's responses to said epidemic.

The scenes with the zombies were so well written. Heart pounding and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved them, and I'm really hoping this one gets adapted into a movie!

Unfortunately, I thought the scenes in between the horror scenes were fairly boring. I wish there had been more of the horror and gore, and less of the characters walking and wandering around.

This is definitely a page turner because the rabies epidemic in the book parallels for me the current pandemic situation, Paul has a way of writing that seems to put you right in the middle of the action. You feel connected to the characters and feel their emotions. This will be a book I will definitely read again. Very well written.

This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go until I finished, read the entire book in a day.

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay is a very timely horror novel of a contagious virus that renders its victims mad. Scary good!

4 rabies stars

I read this one in one day! It seems WAY too timely since we are currently battling COVID-19. In the book, a rabies virus has taken over pets and wild animals and they have then infected people as well. There doesn’t seem to be much that the authorities can do – people should stay inside, keep their pets inside, etc. There’s a short incubation period and no vaccine.

This one starts with a chilling scene when an infected man breaks into Paul and Natalie’s house. The man attacks them both and a pregnant Natalie flees. She reaches out to her friend Ramola who is a doctor. The rest of the book shows how quickly something like this can get out of control as the hysteria rises, vigilante groups spring up, and the medical community struggles to cope.

Can Ramola get Natalie and her baby to safety? How far will she go for her friend? It’s a tense book and I wasn’t sure how it would turn out! It was disturbing to read during these times we are in, but it was just different enough from our airborne virus to make it manageable to finish. I will be locking my doors more securely after this when I get groceries!

Paul Tremblay is the master of terrifying books. "A Head Full of Ghosts" blew me out of the water. His latest, Survivor Song, is basically proof that he is almost psychic.

A terrifying illness is taking over and killing people. People are staying in their homes, waiting in lines for groceries. Healthcare workers are working with limited PPE.....does this all sound familiar. Maybe this wasn't the best book to read when my city is just entering into Phase 2 of our Covid 19 reopening....but how can I say no to Paul Tremblay?

This book has two strong female leads and the tension is HIGH the entire book. I could NOT stop reading this book. I basically stayed up for two days with a brief nap because I had to know the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.