by Erin Bowman
Series: Contagion #1
Published on July 24, 2018 by HarperTeen
Format: ARC
Pages: 432
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
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 discover that some things are best left buried—and some monsters are only too ready to awaken.
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I really liked Contagion! It kind of came out of nowhere and surprised me. I thought from the very start that this was a fun book, perfect for my inner sci-fi thriller nerd, with just enough suspense to make me want to read with the lights on.
I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to Alien and Aliens, but for me Contagion felt more like Promethius(which I LOVE), in that the story built and built on itself to an epic conclusion. The story was actually my favorite aspect of this one. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next, why everything was happening, how it all would end. And I was really satisfied by it all when I finished reading. The ending especially felt right. As I said already, this story ramps up all the way to the conclusion, so the ending never gave me a moment to catch my breath and relax, which is something I’m always looking for in a book. I like to be kept on my toes, turning pages as fast as I can until I run out, and Contagion gave me exactly that!
Contagion’s story is told through the eyes of a few different characters, which is another factor I really enjoyed. While none of the characters jumped out as my favorite, they were still a lot of fun to read. It was nice to see a diverse cast, and they each had a voice that felt unique to them so it didn’t make switching back and forth confusing. One thing I really appreciated about every character is that they all had good and bad in them, making them feel very real, and making for a story that was that much more complex.
I highly recommend Contagion to fans of YA sci-fi, especially books like The Illuminae Files. It’s an engaging read from start to finish that has a really fun payoff at the end. I can’t wait for the sequel to Contagion!
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
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