The Third Pandemic

By Pierre Ouellette

I picked this book based on fact that it is my favorite post-apocalyptic sub-genre. Humans wiped out by disease. A novel where 60+% of the human race dies off? What could be more exciting to read about? I would call this more an apocalyptic novel than a post-apocalyptic novel though.

I really enjoyed this book. You could say that the first 2/3's are flashbacks as the story starts with a look into the future, after many people have already died. Then we go back to the beginning to see how it all started. An effective way to start a book if you ask me.

I enjoyed the science in the book. The author sets up a story where through random chance various drug resistant bacteria inhabit the same person (via international air travel) to create a super bug that is quickly spread through the air around the globe. While unlikely, I found it to be believable.

As I mentioned 60% of the population dies. There lies the problem. The build up in the book is wonderful but it wasn't until the last 50 or so pages that they dying started. Nothing gruesome and there was little description on how people were living in the aftermath. The part I was looking forward to. There were many threads of the story that all came together near the end. Most were tied up but one in particular was left up to your imagination.

I thought that this was a well done story. My only complaints was the lack of focus on the time after the disease hits and the story thread about the serial killer who spreads the bacteria in Seattle. It just seemed out of place.