Strain of Resistance, Strain of Resistance #1

SCI-FI:  Emma Bixby was 12 years old when an alien mist came along and forcefully shoved humans from the top of the food chain straight to the bottom - no passing Go, no collecting $200. Eight years later she and her ragtag band of survivors have set up camp in an old hotel. They are barely scraping by, with no end in sight to their war against the “leeches” when a new threat is suddenly discovered by Bix’s group. Bigger, badder, and smarter than the last parasites, how will humans survive this new evolving menace? 

Forget about war, zombies or aliens with superior technology, this apocalypse starts with blood-sucking parasites that take over humans and use their bodies like a Segway, cruising along to their next meal. The use of an alien mist is fascinating yet also frustrating because the reader is left straining for an answer for far too long. Bix is difficult to like with her wildly swinging moods, act-first-think-later attitude, and inexplicable, uncontrollable rage. The world is also a bit much to swallow. In eight years the canned food should have long run out and yet the group is still managing to scavenge some out in the city, a long shot especially since their group isn’t the only one out there. However, having some of the survivors turn feral and cannibal is an only too real and shudder-worthy possibility, introducing an additional heebie-jeebie facet to this tale. Toning down Bix’s character, providing more tidbits about the parasites and providing the survivors with a means to feed themselves would go a long way toward easing the believability while keeping the reader enthralled.

Carol Conley