Survivor Song: A Novel

Masterful storyteller Paul Tremblay hits close to home with his latest, Survivor Song, a tale of resilience and tenacity in a world rampant with a human virus resembling rabies. With woven perspectives, we follow Natalie, a pregnant woman whose husband was suddenly killed by a rabid human only a month before her due date. Natalie herself sustained a bite in the altercation, and turns to her friend Rams, a pediatrician at the local hospital, to help her get the vaccine she desperately needs to save herself and her child.

In classic Tremblay form, our characters defy expectations through their choices and their most personal thoughts navigating the disease-torn world. We may not feel emotionally close to them (in a pre-2020 world, I might have said this is because we cannot relate to their experiences), but Tremblay’s talent is keeping readers just distanced enough from the leads that we can still empathize with them without losing sight of the consequences and overall implications of their thoughts and actions. Survivor Song leaves us with much to consider in many regards, making it a thrilling read in these pandemic-driven times.