kalventure
Written on Jul 1, 2019
Chances are that you've heard me yell about how much I loved Contagion. Considering the first book in this duology was one of my top 5 reads for 2018, I was equal parts nervous and excited because my own expectations sometimes ruin a book for me. But I didn't need to worry. Immunity is an action-packed, smart, and satisfying end to the story.
Immunity raises the stakes and we learn a lot more about the world as our characters find out that escaping from Achlys was just the beginning... turns out their rescue ship has turned into a prison, and there's a reason that Hevetz was on Achlys despite the debacle with Witch Hazel fifty years prior. A certain conspiracy theorist was right all along.
"They'll try to replicate us, and then they'll try to control us."The book picks up at the exact moment where Contagion ends. Thea and Coen are taken into custody and it's quickly learned that the two of them managed to survive the infection the wiped out all of Black Quarry. Considering they are essentially now superhuman, that doesn't bode well for them: they are poked, prodded, and tortured to test the breadth of their abilities.
This duology is ultimately about survival. Where the theme of Contagion was mistrust and fear, our characters have to learn to trust one another and themselves in Immunity. And looking at their journey across the duology, it is really satisfying to see their growth.
I really enjoyed how Coen, Thea, and Nova grow through the course of this book. While I would still consider this to be a plot-driven book, the characters all have dimension and drive. Even with the hive-mind telepathy ability, Coen and Thea continue to be their own people. We do have a new addition to our teen cast of characters: Amber Farraday, who is my new favorite. Caught in the case of wrong-place-wrong-time, she has to make a number of difficult decisions. I love when characters do the hard thing, and she is just a bamf.
There is some romance and it developed naturally in my opinion. I thought that the bonding vs. feelings debate our characters had worked well to subvert the insta-love trope (even though I think anyone who goes through something like this probably would form an intense connection with someone in a matter of weeks).
I personally really appreciated the PTSD representation in the book. The events of Contagion were horrific, and the survivors were forced to do things in order to survive. Nova's struggle hit home for me and it brought a very real component to the story.
I can't help but think about the duology as a whole. The overarching plot makes sense; however, the two books feel different. If what you enjoyed the most in Contagion was the horror, you will want to readjust your expectations. This book is about survival, but the enemy is of the human variety rather than zombie-like horror. The political groundwork was laid in Contagion, and that is the framework for Immunity.
I appreciated the plotting of this duology and am glad that the story didn't end with Contagion. All my questions were answered by the end of this book. This sequel is just as fast-paced and gripping as the first book, and I devoured it in one sitting! This is more strictly a science fiction story than the horror mashup in the first book, but you can tell the entire duology was intricately plotted and it feels right. I loved the book and can't recommend it enough to fans of science fiction, and gave this 4.5 stars!
REPRESENTATION: lgbtqiap+ (f/f), PTSD
CONTENT WARNINGS: medical experimentation without consent, torture
Many thanks to Harper Teen and the Fantastic Flying Book Club for sending me an eARC for my honest review and letting me participate in the blog tour! Thank you Wunderkind PR for sending me a finished copy, you have my eternal gratitude! I switched to reading the finished copy after page 65.
Blog | Twitter | Pinterest