Contagion

Article Written By: Gabrielle

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: Contagion ~ #1 in the Contagion Duology

Author: Erin Bowman

Publisher: Harperteen, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublisher, 2018

Category & Genre: Young Adult Science fiction, Horror Fiction, and Thriller

Page number: 423

Tropes: Isolation, Infection/Contagion, Space, Sci-Fi Technology, Mysterious Stranger, So Many Bodies

Synopsis from the book jacket:

"IT GOT IN US.

After receiving an urgent SOS from a work detail on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is dispatched to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission.

MOST ARE DEAD.

But when the crew arrives, they find an abandoned site, littered with rotten food, discarded weapons…and dead bodies.

DON’T SET FOOT HERE AGAIN.

As they try to piece together who - or what - could have decimated an entire operation, they realize that some things are best left buried - and some monsters are only too ready to awaken."

Why did I choose this book to read?

I chose this book to read because the cover is gorgeous! I love my different shades of blue, green, and red. The cover has lines and cells in the background to add to what the book is about. Another reason I chose to pick up this book is because I love horror movies! I was curious if there was such a thing as "jump scares" in books, so I was intrigued to see the tools that the author incorporated to give the reader jump scares and put fear in them. I was also excited and curious to read Erin Bowman's creation of a disease, how it's spread, and the side effects.

What did I like about Contagion?

Throughout the book, I could visually see EVERYTHING! I could see the people and places vividly! I felt like I had a movie playing in my mind. Even in the intense and scary scenes, I didn’t have any confusion on what was happening or what body parts on who was moving. I loved that the author would remind the reader about them being in spacesuits by focusing on how they would move in them, what they noticed on their helmets, and so much more. The way she described their technology was easy to conceptualize. As the readers, the author thrusts us into the world she created, and she covers all possible angles and gives the right amount of information about everything that is important. It felt like a full circle coming to the end of the book. This world felt real.

Additionally, this book did an excellent job of making you feel strongly for all the characters. I was angry at the Captain for her hypocrisy and risky behavior. To be fair, the book wouldn't have gone anywhere without the Captain disregarding the enormous red flags, but still! I wanted to punch her through the book. The author did a great job at making me love certain characters and root for them to survive. The characters were written well and they all had their own quirks and viewpoints. It drove the story forward and never had me questioning why a character acted a certain way. 

Last but not least, at the start of the book and before every chapter, there are a couple of pages written in italics by someone who is on the planet Achlys. It added the right amount of mystery that intrigued me to know more. I found myself getting excited to see that person's viewpoint, especially when the Odyssey crew landed on Achlys with him.

Where did Contagion go wrong for me?

Contagion was a complex book when it came to introducing characters and information dumping at the beginning. In the first 20 pages, the reader is introduced to almost all of the Odyssey crew, as well as some of their backstory and some history about the world. I did attempt to read this months ago and only got about 100 pages in because I was so confused about who each person was and their contribution and viewpoints. Going into this book a second time, I grabbed a note card and wrote down the names of the Odyssey crew and some quick little facts about each individual. I also wrote notes about who they worked for, the importance of drilling, and their world conspiracy theories. I personally struggle with memorizing a lot of characters' names. When I watch movies, I remember the person by their appearance. It's hard to do that in a book. To help with all the information dumping about the characters, the author reintroduced their backstory multiple times throughout the book in slightly different ways—however, some of what I was reading felt repetitive.

Furthermore, I am a reader who loves short chapters. In this book, the chapters were long, some spanning more than 30 pages. I'm the type of person who needs to finish a chapter before I can put the book down, otherwise I feel as though I’m dropping off a cliff, no end in sight. It was hard adapting to not being able to finish chapters in one sitting. The author tries to combat the long chapters by changing the points of view of different characters. It worked a bit because I could pause, collect my thoughts, and take a break if needed after one character's point of view ended.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

"She clamped her eyes shut, feeling as though her stomach had fallen into her feet, that her eyes were loose inside her skull, that the harness holding her in place was going to snap her in two."

"As the crew moved up the gangplank, lights from their helmets bobbed like cautious fireflies, the flashlights mounted to their pistols and rifles cutting into the depth of the cargo bay."

"The red glow danced over the nearest corpses in a way just creepy enough to make their icy skin suddenly appear tinged with life."

"Thea felt a smile crest her lips. Imagine that, smiling in a situation like this."

My character connection…

Most of the characters had something I could relate to, even the annoying Captain because they were all trying to survive. I could connect to what made everyone tick and why they acted the way they did. It didn't take away from me being frustrated at some of them, but it did help me find humanity in all of them. Jumping from character to character had the reader see their raw thoughts and emotions during a fearsome time. I witnessed the characters thinking of abandoning certain people but changing their minds. It is usual for humans to have thoughts of self-preservation, and the best part is that the characters struggle with this concept. They felt guilty for having those thoughts, the anger that they should have left someone behind but couldn't, and many more typical thoughts.  All the characters felt so real that I could connect to them all.

Star Rating: 4 stars

Spice Rating: 3 stars

Final Verdict:

I recommend that everyone read this book, even if they don't read horror. It was enough to make you fearful but not enough to cause you to sleep with the lights on. The book had the perfect amount of little facts and distractions to ease the panicked mindset. If you are a reader like me and get confused by many characters, then I recommend a note card for the beginning of the book. The way the first book ended left me feeling excited. A second book is out, and it's already in my possession. I can not wait to review it and share it with you guys!