Journal of the Plague Year Review

I received Journal of the Plague Year in digital form and it wasn’t until I opened it that I found out how long it was. For any reader that may want to read this book but finds the length a little intimidating, I would still urge that you put the time in to read it. It may be a long book but it was very enjoyable.

Journal of the Plague Year is a 400 page monster of tightly packed text. It is a collection of 3 short stories by Malcolm Cross, C.B. Harvey and Adrian Tchaikovsky that take place one year after the Earth is struck with a deadly plague that kills nine out of every ten people. If you are willing to put in the time to read the whole book it will be well spent as the stories are very good and are each very different than the next.

The first story, Orbital Decay by Malcolm Cross, revolves around a small group of astronauts and cosmonauts on board the International Space Station. The story takes place just a few days into the plague on Earth and is really meant to provide plot and back-story to the rest of the book. It does drag in places but also does a very good job giving the reader lots of information about the plague and even going into detail about what the molecules of the virus look like and how they behave. This story is much slower than the rest in the book, but it’s necessary one. If the reader shows patience and reads it you will be rewarded with a pretty good ending.

The second story, Dead Kelly by C. B. Harvey, is a one of revenge that follows a criminal and former gang leader Kelly McGuire who has just spent the last year in the Australian bush hiding from the police. He has emerged from the wilderness to find the world a much different place. Seeing that there is no law enforcement to speak of, McGuire sets out to track down the members of his gang and find out who ratted him out to the police. This is a fast paced story full of action and double-crosses as McGuire tries to regain some of the power he once had before the plague. Lots of Australian slang is used in the story which makes it feel more authentic, but you may have to look up a few terms. Other than that it’s a great story.

The third story, The Bloody Deluge by Adrian Tchaikovsky, also has a good amount of action, but is far more introspective than the previous. The story follows a scientist (Emil) and his assistant (Katy) as they are being sought by a gang of religious extremists. The gang wants the scientists dead because he is an atheist and they feel that the plague is a sign that God is punishing them for the world’s wickedness. The scientist and his assistant are taken in by another religious group who want to protect Emil and Katy. This situation leads the two sides into a very bloody conflict. There is also a lot of religious debate and internal conflict. This is yet another great story full of interesting characters.

This novel is recommended for readers who are comfortable with long books. The language and grammar in all the stories is easy to read and follow. The stories are diverse in plot and location around the globe. Overall it’s a great book.