Imagine a world where just the touch of someone could quite literally kill you. In fact the spread of contaminants and bacteria are spiraling so out of control that physical touch is banned. To prevent the spread of bacteria, you are not allowed to touch your face at all. What has become a habit is now against the law. A new motto is in effect, "Habits learned early are habits for life." In fact the world's population is now spiraling out of control as government agencies like the CDC and Homeland Security are trying to figure out just how to control the spread of bacteria like Ecoli and others that are killing people faster than 48 hours.
Suddenly bans on everything is becoming the norm as they try to isolate the sources and causes for so many wide spread deaths on a global scale. Antibacterials or AB's are now sought after in great supplies along with sanitary supplies like bleach and antibiotics. People are now becoming obsessive in their attempts to stay alive and even companies like AgriBiz have been trying to find safe food products and have worked to genetically modify things like wheat and corn to increase supply while trying to fight diseases.
The common cold, allergies, and other respiratory infections all become dangerous beyond discomfort. People, even close relatives, would shy away from an afflicted person. It was impossible to know what was causing an illness, and the illness caused symptoms that became shunned. A kind of stoning occurred when infected individuals ventured out in public with an audible cough. You could have called it a beating - it would have sounded more contemporary, less ancient - but the fact was no one wanted to touch an infected person. So throwing things - bricks, chunks of concrete, anything you found that was heavy and safe to pick up, though not garbage, obviously - at someone who coughed or sneezed was a safe way to eliminate a contaminating source, who happened to be a person, a person who ignited your deepest fear, the fear that a cold could kill you. After that, people with colds quarantined themselves, sought medical attention and called in sick. It was that or face the wrath of the terrorized public.
So foods became unsafe, first fresh vegetables and fruits, then pork, chicken and beef until all sources of those products were completely destroyed in an effect to contain whatever was killing people. Pretty soon the only thing that remained was government surplus products that were divided as an allotment based on your age and weight. Soon the government took things further creating groups designed to specifically looking for offenders to the bans and arrest or contain them as needed. Pretty soon even the population was controlled in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly bacteria, but were they killing themselves in the process?
I received Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson compliments of Virtual Authors Book Tours and Mill City Press for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions are strictly my own. Based on where we are headed with the recent introductions of GMO's into our food supply, what Denise has written could very well be a chilling future look at where we as a country might be headed. The controversy over the use of GMO's, overuse of antibacterial products and immunity of antibiotics are chilling to see the results of this played out over time. While this novel is science fiction, it could quite possibly give us insight into our own apocalyptic future. I'd rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars based on my personal rating scale, which includes some profanity and sexual content.
Now for some great news, thanks to the generosity of Virtual Authors Book Tours and Denise R. Stephenson, they are offering a giveaway eBook copy of Isolation to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your details to enter.
1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart.
2. "Like" Denise R. Stephenson's Facebook page and leave a comment.
3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.
4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of the book. Don't forget to include your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.
I will be contacting the winner of the giveaway when it ends on June 25th by email so be sure to include it. Without it, I won't have a way to contact you. The winner will have 72 hours to respond to the email notification. If I don't hear from you, I will redraw another winner.
For more information about Isolation, Denise R. Stephenson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:
You can also find Denise R. Stephenson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.
To read more reviews on Isolation, please visit Virtual Author's Blog Tours website.
It's always a little nerve-wracking for an author when a new review is posted. Thanks for the positive review! I'm glad you appreciate the work Isolation is doing in terms of looking at our possible future. I also greatly appreciate your including a Like for Isolation's page as part of the book giveaway! Thanks for being part of my blog tour!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking part in the tour. I'm so glad you enjoyed I 'solation'.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary the way our food industry has gone with gmos and hormones, etc. I am convince that gmos are the root of the sudden outbursts of food allergies.
I've seen this book on various blogs and continue to feel both fascinated and terrified that it is not an impossible future. As you say, it's possible that this is a vision of where we as a country might be headed. As frightening as it might be, I'd love to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog by email so I get every post: carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
I also liked and left a message on Denise's Facebook page: Carl Scott
I have a U.S. mailing address. Thanks!
The book sounds interesting and scary, but one I definitely want to read. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteFollow by Email and GFC as Anita Yancey
Liked Denise's Facebook Page as Anita Yancey
US Resident
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
I have come to love dystopian reads. This holds a particular attraction since I've seen so many people who are terrified of germs and wash their hands dozens of times each day, unaware that there is such a thing as TOO clean. My husband used to worry me (before we married) because of his poor housekeeping skills. He was perhaps the most unsanitary person I'd ever met. Now. he has become a "germaphobe" (yes, I know that's not the correct term, but it's what the kids and I call him). He's terrified of all germs, to the point of distraction. This book is so very attractive because it's where I see a society of people like my husband progressing to. I cannot wait to read it. I'm following your blog via email and I liked your FB page already. I have a US mailing address. michelle_willms at yahoo dot com
ReplyDelete