Saving Hope

Saving Hope is a good thriller set with a plot that does intrigue but characters who interest more.

The story revolves around emotions, actions and realistic conflicts. Alexandra, a female microbiologist-scientist, is determined to help her daughter who requires medical attention for a heart defect she suffers from. However, things don't play in her, or her daughter's, favor and problems arise from realistic but sad circumstances and situations. There are underdeveloped medical facilities and people who clearly don't support the feminist-ic viewpoint of our protagonist.

The poignant scenes and frustration depicted by the lead is too heart-wrenching and is super affecting to a reader. She's a mother and is out to save her child—if this doesn't shout empathy, I don't know what would. The appreciable aspect is how she evolves; her calmness gets peeled layer by layer as the story progresses and makes her come alive for me. I also liked it for the deeper perspective it gave into the Russian systems and used the setting to its fullest. However, it didn't excite me as a thriller. The story isn't plotted as well as it could've been, especially since the focus frequently shifts from the deadly virus that's supposed to be stopped from exporting to her relationships with other characters.

I would recommend this to all those who like a female protagonist you can sympathize with while she's struggling amidst conflicts too realistically sad.

This was a fun read! The author's descriptions of the landscape were amazing and the suspense was well written!