The Cure by Glenn Cooper - 3/5 ★★★
Blurb:
If you catch it, you forget everything. Your only hope is the cure...
Dr. Jamie Abbott is a Boston-based neurologist and single parent who has made a key contribution to a novel gene therapy treatment for Alzheimer's Disease. When Steadman, the principal investigator, short-circuits study safeguards, a highly contagious virus is released that wipes out the memories of its victims, leaving them hopelessly vulnerable and untethered. One of the early victims is Jamie's teenage daughter. As the virus spreads and civil order breaks down, Jamie, who possesses half of the potential cure for the pandemic, embarks on a dangerous cross-country journey.
He needs to reach his lover, Dr. Mandy Alexander, a virologist who has the other half of the cure, to save not only his daughter, but also most of mankind from the oblivion of total amnesia. Along the way, he finds a landscape littered with the best and worst of humanity. But he also finds his own inner strength to do what's needed to protect his daughter and to survive.
Review:
I was instantly attracted to this book based on the premise - a fast-spreading disease and the urge to find a cure.
The Cure opens strongly with an elderly Japanese woman called Mrs Noguchi who has Alzheimer's Disease. She is the 'Patient One' who is trying a new drug to potentially cure Alzheimer's. Her grandson visits from Japan and inadvertently spreads a virus to her which reacts with the drug, causing a new virus to form. The virus causes memory and language loss. This then spreads around the hospitals, towns and cities at a very quick pace.
Boston-based Dr Jamie Abbott is one of the doctor's looking into this disease and ends up with half a cure. One of his colleagues based in Indianapolis has the other half. His teenage daughter and her friend contract the disease so he is eager to get to Indianapolis to save her and as much of humanity as he can.
Reading this during the coronavirus pandemic was very strange and a lot of the situations were reminiscent of that. Obviously, this disease is a lot worse with most people dying, meaning that hospitals, food shops and police stations are closed followed by electricity companies so it seems like the end of the world.
It is a slow-paced book which I struggled with; I always like to feel a sense of urgency that pushes you to read on. There are a multitude of characters which can get a little confusing and all of which you love to hate. It is an interesting premise but a bit long and a little off the mark for me.
Thank you to Aries Fiction for inviting me to view an eBook copy for review.
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