Review of Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design

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Laura Ungureanu
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Review of Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design

Post by Laura Ungureanu »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design" by L. A. Hollis.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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What would happen if Hitler lived in our times and had the advanced technology we have today? Well, let’s just say that covid-19 would be the least of our worries. Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design by L. A. Hollis is a medical thriller about a deadly virus that seems to only affect the African population. This virus manifests through a hemorrhagic fever that causes thousands of deaths in West Africa, originating from Benin. Dr. Lennox Richards from CDC is assigned to investigate the cause of the virus and find a way to stop it. But is he able to fight the great evil that is behind this?

Reading this book was a very thrilling and immersive experience. I enjoyed how well-researched everything was. After all, L. A. Hollis has a minor in microbiology. I don’t have any medical background, but I was scared at how real the situation seemed to be. The possibility of a bioengineered and ethno-specific virus didn’t occur to me as something credible until reading this book. The author provides explanations and examples of different pandemics to help the reader grasp the magnitude of the situation. Even in the past, there were attempts at infecting one group or race, like Romans who dipped their arrows into plague corpses to infect their enemies. Nowadays, playing with death has never been easier.

This book was full of action. Because of its fast pace, I finished it in no time. My favorite aspect of the book was learning more about the culture of Benin. We follow Liz, Lennox’s wife, into a small village where voodoo is still the main religion. Through her eyes, we get to experience this exotic culture. However, bad things can happen when strangers interfere in ancient rituals. I liked how the author kept some words from Fon, an indigenous language. Local characters also spoke a mix of English and Fon, which could be expected.

The book also deals with family and relationship problems, as Lennox brings his wife to the center of the epidemic. There are also some conflicts with the in-laws that turn out for the best. The characters are complex and interesting to discover, as you also see them make mistakes and work together to fix them. Regarding our big bad villain, we get to know him from the beginning, but our characters remain completely clueless. Watching them decipher the puzzle while being in danger is the main entertainment of this book. Our villain’s idol is Hitler, so his goal is to cleanse the world of any impure blood. Nowadays, he has the means to do it in a way that would make Hitler proud. He is also a genius, as I was blown away by the revealing of the contamination process.

Even though I enjoyed most of the book, some things felt flat. For once, some major events seemed to be rushed, like skipping over a serious problem in just a few pages or less. This happened more than once. I would’ve liked to know more about how the characters felt about those things, as it could’ve helped me empathize with them. It also felt like the characters didn’t discuss their problems but somehow solved them. That applies especially to Lennox and Liz, who had some serious communication issues that I expected to be discussed more thoroughly. Because of that, I feel obliged to take a star away from the perfect rating, as the book could definitely be better.

The book terrified me on some occasions. The accurate descriptions of corpses made me feel uneasy. I know that this is the effect the author wanted, so soft-hearted people should probably think twice before reading this book. I think that the book is best suited for people who enjoy thrillers and action-packed books. The editing is pretty neat, as I found only five typos. My rating for Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design is 3 out of 4 stars because of the problems mentioned above. This book offered me the full experience of a terrifying scenario that got me thinking about many of the world’s problems.

******
Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design
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Theana De lima Araujo
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Post by Theana De lima Araujo »

Thank you for your detailed review. A pandemic created to target a specific race is quite interesting as a concept. I really like how the author refers back to Hitler as he had similar diabolical ideas to create a superior race. However, reading about a pandemic while the world worries about co-vid, is not something I want to do. Have a lovely day.
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Precious Lynn
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Post by Precious Lynn »

A medical thriller authored by a microbiologist with professional insight into the scientific world of medicine promises to be thrilling. The reviewer expresses his enjoyment of the book in a way that piques my curiosity. I can't wait to get my hands on this book.
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Amy Luman
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Post by Amy Luman »

I love books about something that could really happen. Who is to say that research into this kind of thing isn’t going on already.
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Post by Ntombifuthi Londi »

The book appears to have a learning purpose. Simply reading the title piques your interest. Indeed, we live in perilous times. Why would someone develop a disease to infect Africans? I mean, it's already seen as a destitute continent. Why should they have to go through any more pain? the review was enjoyable
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Post by Pandora10 »

This book sounds intriguing and alarming to think what can be done with technological advances as we are seeing today. To target a particular race is horrifying. What level of humanity would a person need to succumb to? While it does seem to be a thought-provoking book, I think this is one I would have to pass on. Thanks for the excellent concise review on this novel.
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Suzer6440 xyz
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

Interesting for sure. Having the sub just of hitler really makes you think too. A pandemic only striking certain people- that should be a much different thing to read about but about something that you never know could weirdly happen!!! The picture on the cover made me want to look into thus book more. Thanks for the great review
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

The idea of targeted biowarfare and bioterrorism can be really scary and this novel seems to develop this theme well offering a grim vision of a possible future. Thank you for your great review!
Ciao :)
Massimo
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Kirsi Cultrera
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Post by Kirsi Cultrera »

This book truly sounds too horrifying to me! First of all, imagining a pandemics like described in this book is sickening. Secondly, the accurate descriptions of corpses you mentioned would result as me loosing my good night sleep. I am quite sure this is a great read for less sensitive readers, though. Thanks for the detailed review!
Kirsi
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Tarie07
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Post by Tarie07 »

Considering the fact that we are currently faced by a deadly pandemic, I would have wanted to read this book. However, I'm not sure I can stomach reading about corpse. Thanks for the great review though.
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Post by MsH2k »

This scenario sounds realistic and extremely unsettling. I'm pretty sure it was a good thing for you that the book terrified you on some occasions. That is also the reason I will stay clear. :D
Thank you for your thorough review! :balloon:
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Adelle v
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Post by Adelle v »

A race specific pandemic sound scary to say the least. This book sounds like something I would read in one sitting. Great review.
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