Rating: ⭐⭐⭐-(3/5)
Unprecedented Times, a sci-fi-themed book by Lisa Thomas, scours the events of the Covid-19 pandemic through the ordeals and outlooks of four main characters: Rosa, a nurse; Ben, a police officer; Clara, a scientist; and Dr. Vincent, the Director General of the World Health Organization (W.H.O), who stand related by blood, marriage, or a working relationship. This book is one of its trilogies, and it brandishes some jiffy elements of comicness and affair.
Despite being fictional, Unprecedented Times is a book that has a foundation built on facts and alternates on two different timelines, which makes it refreshing to read. It is a book that anyone could relate to because we all experienced Covid-19 firsthand. The author, through this book, opens our eyes to the ineffectiveness of the government in rapidly responding to the global crisis and the sad reality is that this is prominent in our actuality.
The author has captured sufficient emotion in this book, such that the first reading gives you the wealth of emotions laid in the hearts of all the characters involved. Her characterization is solid, and the writing style used is simple. She incorporates free-flowing conversations in her work, which enhances reading progression.
Previous readers of this book would agree with me that thorough research brought this book to life. The author grabs the readers with her input on the Zimbabwean cholera epidemic in 2008 and the 2014 Ebola outbreak. None of her claims are baseless. They are all backed by reputable organizations, which, at some point, made the novel look like a research paper.
Regardless of the many positives of this book, there was a lot of repetition of events, which made it seem like the book lacked chronological order. Likewise, the climax of the story was not satisfying. Moreover, I believe the book requires thorough editing due to the grammatical errors I encountered during reading.
Ultimately, I felt a kind of empathy books do not typically give while reading this book. This book deserves the broadest possible readership. Everyone must be aware of the horror brought to the world during the pandemic. I am rating Unprecedented Times 3 out of 5 stars.
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