
Konkoly asks the question, just how prepared are we to deal with a major pandemic, one that kills around 20% of those that contract it. even in the supposedly affluent and technologically advanced West.
We join Alex, his wife and two children as they hunker down in their upper-middle class Maine, suburban fortress to outlast and outsmart both the coming New England winter and the devastating effects of this new virus sweeping the world. Now Alex is a survivor, an ex-marine with a real paranoid streak, he's well prepared for any disaster that might befall them, but how about their neighbours and the rest of the State? What will happen when civil society begins to collapse? Will friends and neighbours turn against each other?
I found The Jakarta Pandemic and really good read. It moved with good pace and although some of the characterizations were perhaps a little stereotypical at times, I did identify with the tough ex-marine and his equally tough wife as they struggled to survive and to keep the interlopers from the door.
If I had one complaint it would the ending, which I felt was a little weak, until I realised, of course, that there was a sequel. The book includes an excerpt from the sequel as we again find Alex and his family facing another disaster together. I admit I am sucked into the story and very much want to read the sequel.
This is an excellent adventure and a well-written book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes action/adventure, with a bit of dystopian future thrown in for good measure. A great read, Mr Konkoly. Thank you!