I've been meaning to read one of Tremblay's books for a while, as I've heard such good things. Wow. Dang. This was really really good. Like...I read it in one sitting good. The characterization was tremendous. I feel like I know these people. I wish Nat and Rams were my friends. They felt like my friends. And the terror and growing dread was so real, and things just KEPT GETTING CRAZIER. This book goes in my very short list of recommended apocalyptic books, because the people felt real, the scenario felt (let's be honest, WAY TOO REAL), and the challenges they were faced with turned an innocuous suburb into a terrifying place. Bravo. I can't wait to see my library patrons check it out and take it home. I hope this gets adapted into a movie/show. In the right hands, this would make The Walking Dead look like a walk in the park.

This was a very interesting take on a pandemic, which came at an interesting time. I was rooting for Natalie and Rams the whole way.

Oh. My. God. In the era of the pandemic, this novel literally couldn't have been more timely. I can't decide if I'm more thrilled or terrified, but this was just too good.

"Survivor Song" is set in a waaay too familiar context: Massachusetts is under strict lockdown, terrorized by an unfamiliar new virus which spreads through saliva. Thankfully, it's not all that realistic with its horror undertones; the virus is basically rabies on steroids, making anyone who's infected go mad almost immediately. Victims attack other people in animalistic ways, spreading pure panic amongst the population.

The protagonists of the novel are Rams, an experienced doctor fighting the epidemic, and Natalie, a pregnant widow who got infected in the same attack that killed her husband. The plot evolves around their dangerous journey to the hospital to save Natalie and her baby.

This book is totally nuts. I'm so glad it made its way to my Kindle library, although I might be having some very related nightmares in the nearest future. This book is for you ONLY if you're willing to risk that. Heck, it's probably worth it.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure if I fall under the "glutton for punishment" umbrella or if I just really enjoy apocalyptic horror, but I have been reading all of the horror books that should make me uncomfortable during a worldwide pandemic. If you are the type who won't be able to sleep after reading a book about people getting sick and dying in a widespread manner right now, that's completely understandable, but my hope is that things will be settling into our new normal by July when this book is set to be published. Most of the plot is listed in the synopsis, so other than the very end of the book, there aren't a ton of traditional surprises, but I felt the purpose of this book was beyond twists and surprises, and more with the level of terror that the author instills in the reader. Also, I don't believe I've read a book to date that included zombie animals, and that was pretty cool. If you're a horror junkie who enjoys the running from bad things and a ticking clock that resembles a metaphorical bomb, you need this book!

I received an early copy of this book from the Scene of the Crime group.

This is my first introduction to Paul Tremblay, and while I liked the writing at times I felt there was to much description at times that took away from the suspense of the story. The author got the behaviors of the current population and what is going on now.

This is the story of a mutated rabies virus that is spreading throughout the animal and human populations of the U.S. Natalie's husband Paul runs to the grocery store (and again the experience mirrors the current COVID-19 situation.) When he gets back Paul is violently attacked in her presence and then dies. Natalie is bit by the man while she is trying to defend Paul and herself. She gets away and finds her friend Ramona and the race is on.

So if you can handle a story about a rabies gone rampant amid all of the COVID-19 craziness, then I recommend you read this book! If it all still to fresh for you, you may want to wait a while before reading this.

I'm firmly on the fence with this one. I've yet to read a Paul Tremblay, and this was certainly a nice introduction. And I loved the lines about this book not being a fairy tale, but a song. It was such a beautiful introduction to a bleak book. And there's some lovely stuff in here, including a frightening parallel to the virus that's currently rampaging the globe. But there's some that is predictable and tired.

We start with the shocking attack on Natalie and her husband, Paul, who are in the midst of a deadly rabies-like virus that is rampaging Massachusetts (and presumably elsewhere) and leaving the infected stark raving mad, biting everything in sight and passing on their sickness. The government's response has been less than effective, and people are starting to rebel.

We then meet pediatrician Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, who receives a frightening phone call from Natalie: her husband is dead and she's been bitten. Oh and to make matters worse, she is nearing the end of her pregnancy.

Ramola immediately agrees to help her best friend and what follows is the fight for their lives as they try to make it to a hospital before infection sets in and Natalie succumbs. And there is peril on every turn...

There are definitely moments of heart in your throat panic in these pages. The initial scene of the attack on Natalie and her husband unfolds quickly and terrifyingly. The action slows for awhile until we reach more nail biting moments as Natalie and Rams race to get Natalie and her baby to safety.

Unfortunately, there's a little bit that gets in the way of the pacing. In the middle of a life or death race against time and the rampaging infected, Ramola's parts get a wee bit purple. There's just too much introspection and reminiscing and it takes me out of the scene. And while I really appreciate that there are two distinct voices (I've been reading a lot of books where characters are virtually indistinguishable from one another), I'm not sure why male writers think women swear like sailors. Yes, I know some women are like this. I know some, am related to some. But I feel like Natalie's characterization and her incessant reliance on a variation of f--- gets distracting quickly.

I'm also disappointed that this felt like a garden variety "they've got the virus so everyone's biting each other and the infection is spreading." Though it wasn't quite a zombie tale (I did really like Ramola's desire to attach humanity to the victims), I was hoping for something different, fresher.

And I get it--the current administration is Republican, so here come the spate of "the president, government, etc. etc. is ineffective, incompetent, etc. etc. books. Everyone does this. Likewise, the ever-present line of "I'm not religious/don't believe, etc." All I needed was the white suburban dads who turn into camo-wearing, crossbow-wielding hicks and I was not disappointed. These things are nitpicky, but when you read a lot, it gets a tad...cliche.

The ending was bittersweet, and I appreciated leaving on a high, though sad, note.

A special thanks to William Morrow and their Scene of the Crime book club, through which I was able to review this e-galley.

Ok I’m exhausted! After reading Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay this weekend I have anxiety, exhaustion, and jaw pain caused by my mouth hanging wide open. This is easily my favorite book of his. It takes place in Massachusetts, present day. Natalie is pregnant and about to give birth any day and lives with her husband Paul. There is a quarantine going on due to animals and people being infected with rabies and attacking other people. This horrible strain of rabies takes an hour or so to get to its full effect unlike regular rabies. Natalie’s husband is attacked by their neighbor and in the process of trying to help him she gets bitten. She escapes and called her friend Rams, a pediatrician to help her get to the hospital. Supposedly if you get a vaccine in enough time you will not end up getting rabies. This story is about Rams and Natalie journeying through an apocalyptic nightmare. Tremblay has a way of describing action scenes that make it easy to picture. And there’s a lot of action in this one. I will not soon forget what happens in this book. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart or squeamish. Thank you to the publisher in and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Paul Tremblay has written another masterpiece of slow burning suspense. Survivor Song is so relevant in these turbulent times. With believable characters and situations, this novel is a must read!

I absolutely loved this novel! Living through COVID-19, it was exceptionally poignant to read this story of a mutated rabies virus spreading throughout the animal and human populations of the U.S. It was eerie how closely the author nailed the very behaviors we are all witnessing now, with the exception of toilet paper hoarding which no one would ever have anticipated. The author always does an excellent job of character development which elevates this novel to more than simply the horror or thriller genre. I find his writing style to be very similar to Stephen King another of my favorite authors. As a side note, two of the characters from his earlier work, Disappearance at Devil's Rock, make an appearance in the current novel, which is a really interesting way for the author to tie these very different stories together. So if you can tolerate reading about a virus gone rampant amid all of the COVID-19 craziness, then I highly recommend this page turner for your next read.

I received an early copy of this book from William Morrow’s Scene of the Crime group in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a Paul Tremblay book. It scared the crap out of me in the best way possible. I had to split up my reading between two days only because of other demands on my time. It was a fast read though because the story moves quickly.

This book ties in slightly in some ways to our current conditions. There’s some kind of sickness spreading through Massachusetts. It’s all happening very fast, so there is a lot of misinformation swirling. People start to fight over provisions. Conspiracy theorists are going bananas. The hospitals are overrun, there’s not adequate PPE for the medical staff ... you can guess where this is headed. So it’s unfortunate for the main character, Natalie, who is 8 months pregnant and may be infected. Lucky for Natalie, her best friend Ramola is a doctor, but it still won’t be an easy road for them or for anyone else in this book.

If you like scary books you will love this one.

Great suspense keeping you on the edge of your seat with the horror mimicking what is happening now with COVID-19 pandemic. Received a free copy from Scene of the Crime Facebook Group along with NetGalley and the publisher HarperCollins. In the book the virus is a new rabies virus turning folks mad within an hour of being infected and an epidemic in one US state instead of the whole world. Massachusetts is over run with rabid animals and people foaming at the mouth and intently trying to bite others at a brutal animalistic level. Best friends, Natalie and Ramola are tested to the end when Natalie's husband Paul is violently attacked in her presence and dies. Natalie is bit trying to defend Paul and herself. What ensues is the survival at its best.

I didn't think Paul Tremblay could equal the suspense and story line of The Cabin at the End of the World, but I was pleasantly mistaken.
Facing a localized epidemic of a super rabies virus, Romala and Natalie battle time and obstacles to try and save Natalie and her unborn child. After losing her husband to a rabid neighbor and having been bitten herself, Natalie calls on her doctor friend, Romala, for help. The story, told from both of their perspectives, is a mad dash through the lunacy surrounding the epidemic and some of the helpful and harmful characters they encounter. At times the story is an eerie reflection of our current situation with COVID-19 and perhaps a peek into what may lie ahead for us.
This character-driven novel is an engrossing story reflecting the best and worst of human nature and how selfish or selfless we can be. Taut and excellently written, this was an easy 5-star rating for me. I look forward to more from Paul Tremblay.

Reading a book about a rapidly spreading virus that kills everyone may have not been the best reading choice during the current pandemic. That being said, Survivor Song is an adrenaline fueled, thriller that grabs hold immediately, with well defined characters you hope will survive. It was difficult to put the book down,

The book begins in a wotld where a plague of super rabies is running rampant. A doctor has yo save her pregnant, infected friend before the virus takes hold of her. Such a heartwrenching and edge of the seat read. This book fell so close to home right now that it was a surreal mirror to some of our plague experience.

Loved the fast paced book.
Only complaint was the conversations between Luis and Josh and saying ‘guy’ so much....
Very entertaining and enjoyable!

Thank you to Scene of the Crime Early Read program and the publisher for an early copy of this book.
Wow, this book was amazing. I was drawn into the story from the very first page. The two main characters were so well written. I felt like I was right there with them. It.was a very fast-paced book. The writing was excellent and the ending was perfect. Highly recommend!

Natalie and Ramola are racing against the clock. Massachusetts is overrun with an extremely viral and fast-moving strain of rabies. When a very pregnant Natalie and her husband Paul are attacked, Paul dies and Natalie is bitten. Not knowing what to do, she heads to her college roommate's house, begging Ramola to help her and her baby. Ramola is a doctor and while she fears the worst, she hopes that medical intervention can save her friend and her unborn child.
Told in a short time frame, not even one day passes from the time we meet Natalie until the story's conclusion. The hospitals are overrun, the public is panicked, and trying to get help for Natalie is doubtful at best. But Ramola is not willing to give up without a fight, and she will do whatever it takes.
The tension is over the top, as recent events show that anyone bitten will succumb to the virus within hours. I am sure that the author finished Survivor Song long before COVID- 19 became a global pandemic, but talk about timing! The book doesn't publish in the United States until July, and hopefully, we will be beyond this stay at home, social distancing new normal, and this story won't seem quite so possible. It would be a dark, disturbing, heart-pounding tale in the old days, but considering what the world is like now, it ratches up the feelings of terror and hopelessness to an almost unbearable level. Two months ago, I would have said this was solid, I liked this book, four-star review, but considering the world today, this was a four and a half star read.

Review of Uncorrected E-Proof

A virulent, rabies-like virus besets the populace of Massachusetts, compelling the infected to bite others before they succumb. The contagion acts rapidly and, spread by saliva, creates a dangerous populace. Panic runs rampant in hospitals flooded with the infected. In an attempt to limit the spread of the disease, curfews and quarantines are in place.

But as procedures fail, it becomes increasingly difficult for Doctor Ramola Sherman to find help for her eight-months-pregnant friend Natalie who watched her husband, Paul, die and who herself is infected with the virus. It’s a certain death sentence for Nats even though she’s received the first dose of the vaccine.

On their way to a hospital, the two women meet Josh and Luis, a couple of bicycling teens who try to help them. But there’s danger everywhere. Will “Rams” find a way to help her friend and save the child she carries?

In a harrowing story that, except for the Postlude, takes place over the course of a single day, the tension is often palpable and the unfolding events, despite being predictable, are truly horrific. Believable characters, a strong sense of place, and a powerful premise all add to the reader’s sense of dread. Heartbreaking events ramp up the anxiety while moments of humor offer a respite from the underlying sense of foreboding that permeates the telling of the tale.

Take-aways from the story? The bonds of true friendship, the nature of courage, the things done for love. But the unnecessary over-use of an offensive obscenity pulls the reader out of the story . . . every . . . single . . . time . . . and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley
#SurvivorSong #NetGalley

Not a bad book but I didn't really get caught up in the characters or their fate. The book flows nice & easy though, so it's a quick read. Definitely perfect for our current situation. If u wanna read a book that has the fear & helplessness we are feeling now, pick this one up.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Truly a thrilling, action-packed zombie story. Unfortunately, that's about all it is - there's nothing new or innovative (and, oh, how I wish Rams had grappled more with her uncertainty and her promise to Natalie).

What it does really well is hammer home the merciless sense of anxiety and waiting for something to happen. The violence, when it does erupt, is thrilling and quick and devastating. The teenage slang is really excellent, believable and understandable.