“Seemingly overnight, the world had changed.” As of early 2020, these words have come true. With the world in the throes of the worst pandemic to ravage mankind in modern history, COVID-19 The Battle for Humanity: How Science Saved Us reads less like fiction and more like a historical account that details the struggles of patient zero in the US. The novel features Peg, a renowned virologist, who travels to China for a lecture. Peg, who is basically married to her work, is crushed when her employer accuses her of treason. As Peg tries to put on a brave face, news on the world scene takes a dire turn as a novel virus begins to spread like wildfire. Despite losing the confidence of her peers, Peg has a front seat to the action as fears, rumors, and real-life worst-case scenarios dominate humanity.
Loralyn Mears has done an amazing job capturing the hysteria and heartbreak of a virus sweeping the globe. There has possibly never been a more timely piece of fiction released on a topic affecting so many people. The cast of researchers, journalists, medical professionals, and other characters will touch the hearts of readers as the virus ravages populations indiscriminately. Young or old, rich or poor, nobody is immune. The text is peculiarly symmetrical and struggles at times with frequent info-dumps and periodic errors, which disconnect readers from the impactful story. Those issues aside, COVID-19 The Battle for Humanity: How Science Saved Us by Loralyn Mears PhD is a relevant and well-researched novel that provides a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
