Review: The Immortality Virus

The Immortality Virus by Christine Amsden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Speculative Fiction
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Anyone interested
Trigger Warnings: Misery, violence, murder, (implied) rape

My Thoughts: The author won an Eppie (EPIC Award) for this story. And I’m absolutely not surprised. This was a very well-done story, strongly written, fast-paced, nicely plotted—everything I look for in a great story! The characters are all well-developed and interesting, and the main part of the story is nicely wrapped up, but enough spare threads were left to make it realistic (life is never wrapped up in a neat bow at the end).

One thing that really bugs me is the question as to why no strong population control was ever enacted? People stopped aging in 2050, which is in the future from now, and even now there are plenty of countries that are sensitive to population control. If the entire world stopped dying of natural aging, it seems to me only logical that some sort of population controls would be put into place, but while there were some token efforts made in that direction, they were just that …token. That just boggles my mind.

Still, it wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying this book a lot. It has elements of dystopia, science fiction, and suspense all wrapped up together, and is something I can highly recommend to anyone who thinks they might be interested in reading this book. Stop hesitating and do it!

I notice that I also have a copy of this author’s book Touch of Fate, for which I owe a review, so that is up next!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book as a gift from a friend. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the increasing masses, it means starvation, desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find the man responsible for it all and solicit his help to undo The Change–if he's still alive. To complicate matters, Grace's employer is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police learn of their connection, they give her a choice–help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew Stanton, or die. But if they discover Grace's true mission, they won't hesitate to kill her in order to protect their shot at immortality.



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