Dr. Deanna Nichols is a geneticist in a post-apocalyptic world. Only a few million people are alive, after the war and subsequent release of a deadly virus. The human race was saved by a vaccine, but the vaccine had an unanticipated side-effect. In order to save the human race from extinction, Deanna is sent to a secret military prison in the arctic, where a small group of prisoners exist who had never been vaccinated. Her job is to collect DNA and somehow, the human race will be able to survive and thrive again.

Tom, a convict, has taken over the prison. Working with the former prison staff and other convicts, life here is tenuous at best. But he is willing to assist Deanna with her mission, recognizing the importance of her success.

This book takes place in the near-future and happily, has absolutely no zombies, flesh-eating monsters, werewolves, space aliens or other silliness. It's suspenseful and moves along at a good pace - though it certainly could have been much longer. It was generally well written and well edited (though "orientate" is not a word!). I enjoyed reading it, though I was never clear on why Deanna was chosen to go on such a dangerous mission, given her own value to mankind, and I thought that MacKenzie's character could have been developed a bit more thoroughly. It's a good book for those looking for a quick read and realistic post-apocalyptic fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for providing a fair and unbiased review. ( )

I read this book in an afternoon. It was a quick read.

Pros: I liked that it wasn't some environmental dystopia, it wasn't zombies, or any of your normal topics. This was a nice change of pace. I enjoyed that overall, it was edited fairly well so it was easier to read. I liked the character Tom despite not feeling overwhelmingly connected to him.

Cons: I didn't feel invested with the main character. While from a general human perspective I wouldn't want anything really bad to happen to her in the jail, it's hard to care beyond that. And I had 0 investment with the psychiatrist... most times forgetting it was him that the author was referring to in places. I like to be given reasons to connect with the main character, to know them and their motivations. I felt that to some degree this was lacking.

I did enjoy the book. ( )