Name: Jordan's review of Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
Item: Survivor Song
Rating: 2
Author: Jordan

Paul Tremblay

A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts. In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government's emergency protocols are faltering. Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie's husband has been killed--viciously attacked by an infected neighbor--and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie's only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child. Natalie's fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares--terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink. Paul Tremblay once again demonstrates his mastery in this chilling and all-too-plausible novel that will leave readers racing through the pages . . . and shake them to their core.

Survivor Song

Hannah E

Jordan

2.5

A well written terrible story is still a terrible story.

A propulsive and chillingly prescient novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award–winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts. “Absolutely riveting.” — Stephen King In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government's emergency protocols are faltering. Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie's husband has been killed—viciously attacked by an infected neighbor—and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie's only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child. Natalie’s fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares—terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink. Paul Tremblay once again demonstrates his mastery in this chilling and all-too-plausible novel that will leave readers racing through the pages . . . and shake them to their core.

A Novel

Suyash Goylit

Sussafras and lullabies

Hauntingly beautiful story. Being new to the genre, I was pleasantly surprised. I was intrigued by the description of the book and it turned out to be all that was promised and then some. It just kept on getting better, especially the last part, 'Do You Become a Rose Tree, and I The Rose Upon it', was so enthralling. Sure there was some room for improvement, namely the way certain characters or surroundings were described hampered the flow; but it was still an amazing experience. A wonderful introduction to the genre.

(view spoiler)[I seriously can't get over how engaging some of the parts were. The instance in the bus when they were taking Natalie's temperature. Basically any of Natalie's recordings for her kid. The climax when Natalie turned and Ramola had to perform an improvised C-section. The epilogue introducing Lily. These captivating moments, along with the tension leading to a satisfying culmination, made the story very special. (hide spoiler)]

Ryan LaFerney

Paul Tremblay has done it again. The Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World has written another suspenseful novel about survival . Instead of a crazy home invasion story, Survivor Song focuses on the spread of an insidious rabies-like virus overtaking New England. This virus has a short incubation time before the victim succumbs to feral and violent tendencies. The story centers on a woman named Natalie, who is eight months pregnant. When her husband is killed—viciously attacked by an infected neighbor—and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, is bitten, she calls the only person she knows who might be able to help her: Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, and one of her closest friends. Natalie's only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child. Can Dr. Ramola and Natalie make it in time? Will Natalie's child survive? You'll have to read to find out. Survivor Song is a harrowing journey through a ravaged New England landscape that resolves itself with one of the most memorable and slightly disturbing endings I've read in a long time. Survivor Song is ultimately about the persistence of the human spirit, the bonds of friendship, and the love of mother for her unborn child. Tremblay seems to have a knack for writing about familial bonds. Natalie is a wonderful character and is easy to empathize with. She's snarky and attempts to insert humor in a terrible situation. Throughout the story she records video entries to her unborn child, and these are easily some of the most touching passages of the story. 

Reading this in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic was quite the experience. Tremblay has done his homework. He effectively paints a picture of a broken health care system (lacking PPE for dealing with a virus), the fear and misinformation that spreads when a virus is attacking, and the crazy Militias that attempt to take things in their control (all things we've seen happen throughout the past few months). Survivor Song is well-researched which makes the story all the more real and frightening. 

Highly recommended. For fans of M.R. Carey or Stephen King.

Izza

Ewan

Honestly. This is a good four, maybe four point five, but I've rounded it up. Why? As I was reading it there were a few moments that I thought might ruffle some feathers. And scrolling through the low scoring reviews I can see this was the case. 

Cracking book, sped along at a lovely pace, reading it during 2020 was very timely. Also liked how it was a form of rabies. Nice and simple and not needing more explanation ( as someone who grew up in the UK, where rabies isn't a thing, I always had a bit of a fear of it)

Maggie Gordon

Survivor Song is a fantastic novel and totally not one I should have read during a global pandemic. WHOOPS. I regret nothing :D

"Fresh and surprising. Survivor Song may be one of Tremblay's best-- beautifully detailed, viscerally frightening, and deep with emotional resonance." --Dan Chaon, New York Times bestselling author of Ill Will A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts. In a matter of weeks, Massachusetts has been overrun by an insidious rabies-like virus that is spread by saliva. But unlike rabies, the disease has a terrifyingly short incubation period of an hour or less. Those infected quickly lose their minds and are driven to bite and infect as many others as they can before they inevitably succumb. Hospitals are inundated with the sick and dying, and hysteria has taken hold. To try to limit its spread, the commonwealth is under quarantine and curfew. But society is breaking down and the government's emergency protocols are faltering. Dr. Ramola "Rams" Sherman, a soft-spoken pediatrician in her mid-thirties, receives a frantic phone call from Natalie, a friend who is eight months pregnant. Natalie's husband has been killed--viciously attacked by an infected neighbor--and in a failed attempt to save him, Natalie, too, was bitten. Natalie's only chance of survival is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible to receive a rabies vaccine. The clock is ticking for her and for her unborn child. Natalie's fight for life becomes a desperate odyssey as she and Rams make their way through a hostile landscape filled with dangers beyond their worst nightmares--terrifying, strange, and sometimes deadly challenges that push them to the brink. Paul Tremblay once again demonstrates his mastery in this chilling and all-too-plausible novel that will leave readers racing through the pages . . . and shake them to their core.

Brian Walborn

As a fan of The Cabin At The End of The World, I was rabid to get my hands on Paul Tremblay's latest novel. While the tone and pace of the narrative fit with the overall action, I found it lacking in originality and I didn't connect with the writing much in the same way I haven't connected with recent Stephen King books. The dialogue just wasn't for me. Fans of Paul Tremblay will probably enjoy this one. For me, I simply wished the plot had a bit more meat to it.

New England is locked down, a strict curfew the only way to stem the wildfire spread of a rabies-like virus. The hospitals cannot cope with the infected, as the pathogen's ferociously quick incubation period overwhelms the state. But paediatrician Ramola Sherman can t stay safe, when her friend Natalie calls her husband is dead, she's eight months pregnant, and she's been bitten

Eleanor Luhar

I actually read this book way back in July. Because what's better than reading about a deadly pandemic in the midst of lockdown? 
This was actually pretty different from a lot of other pandemic novels. Okay, it was about a zombie virus (even if it's not officially acknowledged as that) but it was so *realistic*. The lockdown, the overrun hospitals, the lack of PPE... It was really similar to what I'd heard and experienced in the height of our own lockdown. It was weird but it shows just how plausible and well-thought-out the book actually was.
So the outbreak in this book refers to a new strain of rabies that infects humans and causes changes in behaviour - especially increased violence. And in the middle of it all is Natalie. Natalie is pregnant, due to give birth any day. But then her husband is killed in their own home, and Natalie herself is bitten by a rabid madman. If she's infected, the clock is ticking.
Natalie tries desperately to get to a hospital to be cared for and try the experimental vaccine. She does eventually make it into a hospital and is due to have a C-section performed. But then things start happening in the hospital and she's sent to another - but the ambulance doesn't make it. So with the help of her friend, a doctor, Natalie tries to get herself and her baby to safety before her time runs out. 
This had one of those bittersweet endings that I really appreciate. I won't spoil it, but it's... different. I kind of had my suspicions about this conclusion from quite early in the book, but it didn't feel overly predictable or anything. It was well-written and gripping. 
Overall, this was a really good book. There was a good level of emotion, and lot of anticipation and excitement. A strong 4 stars!

Lauren Attaway

Easily one of the scariest books I've read this year by one of my favorite horror authors of the now. Tense, smart, and I couldn't put it down.

Luna

** spoiler alert **
           most of this book was really boring single paragraphs that spanned multiple pages describing shit that had absolutely no relation to the plot but oh my GOD i was not expecting the ending (both parts — the ending was disgusting and then the ending ending postlude made no medical sense). 

i don’t understand how anyone with a vagina could stomach the gross medical malpractice in this and i know it’s supposed to be gross but um … it could have used a trigger warning for graphically cutting up a living and very not-drugged woman. i would 10/10 not recommend this to anyone but if you want to read it please be aware of how triggering and disturbing this entire book, but especially the nonconsensual/forced c-section scene is. thank u i am going to go dry heave now because i haven’t eaten in a week and i definitely won’t be eating anytime soon after that absolute shitshow

Jeremy Anderberg

“So how did the zombie fight go?”

I hadn’t heard of Paul Tremblay before I started reading The Last Conversation (a novella in the Forward collection). But as soon as I was done with that remarkable story, I knew I had to read more of his work. Lucky for me, Paul’s newest book was published in July, and it’s everything I could have hoped for and more.

Though we’re given a prelude, interlude, and postlude that provide some context and backstory, the primary heart of the novel is but a few short hours in which our protagonists try to get across town to a hospital.

Ramola, “Rams,” is a pediatrician. She’s soft-spoken, no-nonsense, and trying to manage a hectic life in Massachusetts as a British ex-pat. Before heading into work to help manage the growing-but-manageable local rabies problem, Rams gets a frantic call from her college friend Natalie (“Nats”). Something terrible has happened — I won’t tell you what — and she’s on her way over to Rams’ house right now with probable exposure to the virus. One more important detail: Nats is eight months pregnant.

Nats is sort of the yang to Rams’ yin. She’s bubbly, sarcastic, insanely courageous. Nats is a fighter, so she’s going to do anything and everything it takes to get to a hospital and save not only her baby, but herself too.

I get that a story about a virus seems prescient, but rabies is very different from coronavirus. It was plenty different to take me out of reality.

About that virus: Tremblay has envisioned a particularly nasty strain of rabies, which is a disease that’s 100% fatal once it gets into your brain. In humans, that process normally takes a month or two, but this sinister variety moves extraordinarily quickly, producing symptoms in just a few hours. Some of those tell-tale signs: fear of water (hydrophobia), delirium (vocal nonsense and babbling), and, of course, the desire to bite. So, even though Rams is insistent on clarifying that it’s not a “zombie” disease, that particular characterization takes hold in the locals’ imagination.

That’s all you need to know, and I’d suggest skipping the Amazon or book jacket description. I love going into novels like this with as little information as possible.

This marvelous and wrenching novel reminds me of Blake Crouch’s novels. The subject/genre is considered by many to be pretty low-brow, and yet there’s a human, soul-stirring element that inserts a more meaningful quality into the plot than what’s often found in zombie stories (though it is an element that’s undoubtedly common among the masters of the horror/thriller genre). I loved this book and finished it in just a couple days and I’m already looking forward to reading the rest of Paul’s books and stories.

Ruth Parker 

The beginning was great, but I got bored really quickly. I love other Paul Tremblay books, especially The Cabin at the End of the World, but this one just didn’t do it. I thought reading it after lockdowns and having low expectations from other reviews I’ve seen, heard and read would improve this book for me. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

Casie Blevins

This is a tight novel that takes place over about five hours. It's an intensely close journey for two characters. I found one of the characters unlikeable but it was still a fun read. I am reasonably sure there is a pretty prominent editing error. One of the side characters calls another 'guy' over and over. The teen is Hispanic so I'm pretty sure he was really calling him guey. Spell check error?

Jacklyn O’Brien 

** spoiler alert **
           The start of a pandemic/zombie apocalypse, awesome! But it was so unrealistic even for a zombie book. Natalie is bit in the beginning of the book and needs to get to the hospital. Supposedly there is only a few hours to give the rabies shots she needs to survive. And those few hours miraculously lasted almost the entirety of the book? Reminded me of the count down to a bomb in the movies that seems to last forever. But I still enjoyed reading my way through it.

Hannah E &
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

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