Book Review: Species

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Species     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Michael McBride
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction   Fiction   Horror   Thriller   Apocalyptic Fiction
Black Death, 2004, $22.00

Her architectural husband Brad Morris mentioned that the hollow leg bones on big dinosaurs seems from an engineering perspective impossible; thinking about it the pregnant Jennifer begins to theorize that perhaps an external organism attacked the mallow. However, her opportunity to prove her theory goes wrong with the entire paleontology team dead, but before dying Jennifer manages to call Brad to save their child.

Several years later, pandemic destruction leaves few survivors. Brad and his son William meet a few other survivors as they make their way to sanctuary. Shannon, Jason, Nancy, her son Tim and her sister Cindy, and Trick stay alive while watching loved ones die horribly. Corpses are everywhere. None understand why they are the chosen to live when others died so horribly. In common they share a genetic mutation that has allowed them to become the survivors of the malady. The world they knew is gone and no longer safe for middle class people. One more death occurs while strange psychic powers blossom. The human SPECIES has taken the next Darwinian step of survival of the fittest.

Michael McBride provides a fabulous end of the world thriller that grabs the attention of the audience from the moment of the initial tragedy and never gives readers a moment to catch their breaths until the final tragedy occurs. The action-packed story line is at first difficult to follow as several subplots involving the survivors occur, but that also enables fans to meet the key players and sense the big picture scope of the calamity as well feel the impact on the shocked individuals. Book one of the SPECIES trilogy is a winner that will have fans seeking out the next tale, SPECIES: THE HIVE.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner