Review of Particles in the Air

[Emily Meadows]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Particles in the Air" by Jenna Podjasek, MD.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Particles in the Air by Jenna Podjasek, MD, is a medical thriller that explores the dangers of bioterrorism and the impact it can have on society. The story centers around a disgruntled scientist who creates a new virus and unleashes it on the United States, leading to widespread panic and chaos. The protagonist, Dr. Mallory Hayes, is an infectious disease specialist and medical investigator who works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is the first to identify the bioterrorism virus when patients start showing unusual symptoms and dying at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) temporary relocation camp where she’s working.

The plot is fast-paced, and it immediately hooked me. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character, giving us the perspective from the eyes of the angry scientist, his ex-girlfriend, the terrorists, and Mallory. We don’t immediately know who the villain is, and we see the humanity in the “bad guys” and the “good guys.” The author is an expert in immunology, which lends credibility to the meticulously detailed description of the creation of the virus and the clues that Mallory and her colleagues use as they race to identify it. Is Mallory able to identify the virus before it becomes a pandemic? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are well-developed and believable. The author does an excellent job of creating tension and building suspense, keeping the reader engaged in the story. I couldn’t put the book down! I wanted to know what was going to happen next and how it would be resolved. To me, this is the mark of an excellently written thriller.

There wasn’t much I didn’t enjoy about Particles in the Air. The book felt professionally edited; I didn’t find a single typo or error in the text. I have no suggestions for how the plot could have been improved, and now that we have all lived through the COVID pandemic, the storyline felt very believable.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Dr. Podjasek's expertise and attention to detail make this book stand out in the crowded field of bio-terrorism thrillers. I would recommend this book to fans of medical thrillers; this one really delivers. I would also recommend this book to immunologists, as I would expect that it would be a fun read for those who understand the field. And finally, I would recommend this to people looking for a beach read; this book is engaging and fun.

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Particles in the Air
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[Ejimma Chika Promise]

To be honest, bioterrorism should be considered an act of wickedness, and the culprits be brought to book. Nice review!

[Husky03]

Thank you for your insightful review! A medical thriller sounds very exciting especially after COVID-19 and the fact that this is author's area of expertise definitely brings the book to a whole other level!

[Sarah Zain]

Although at the moment I do not like to read anything about bioterrorism because of what is going on around us, but your review and presentation of the story made it look interesting and carry a kind of suspense, so I will put it on my list. Great review

[NetMassimo]

A medical thriller connected to bioterrorism can be quite realistic considering the current international situation. The fact that the author is an expert in immunology means that the science part is believable, which adds to the realism. Thank you for your great review!

[Anil Baade]

You've explained very well about the book and you have mentioned the content of the book very nicely. I'll definitely start reading this book.

[Alissa Nesson]

Hey, I love your review! I wrote a review on the same book and I was curious how different mine may have been from the others. I gave less detail about the bioterrorism, so it might be surprising to people, but other than that we said a lot of the same things. I may have talked more about the characters themselves though. Check mine out, if you’re curious too! it’s fun to read reviews of the same book, or at least one that I’ve read. Thanks!

[Aishat Fatola]

Sometimes, I do hope that events of bioterrorism shown in movies or used in book is not already happening in reality. It will be disastrous if that's the case. Thank you for your wonderful review.

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

Diseases like Ebola are always a frightening prospect to consider, especially if they become pandemic like Covid. The story is a chilling reminder of the possibilities and is well written, ironically beginning on a beautiful beach. Thanks for the review.

[Brienna Cooper]

Excellent review! In a post-pandemic world (which we’re still very much dealing with the repercussions of, including the virus itself), this couldn’t be more scarily relevant. It reminds me of when the news of COVID-19 had just started making a buzz and people were worried about the possibility of a real-life version of the movie, Contagion. It’s still so sad how accurate that wound up being, and I’m sure this book reflects that in its own way.

The author is an expert in immunology, which lends credibility to the meticulously detailed description of the creation of the virus and the clues that Mallory and her colleagues use as they race to identify it.

Amazing! Kudos to the author on being able to have this book grounded in reality and on getting BOTD!

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

This medical thriller centers on the creation and spread of a virus in the United States by a disgruntled scientist. It sounds appealing that each chapter is told from the perspective of a character, which helps make the plot relatable and the story engaging. Plus, this thriller is full of tension and suspense. Sounds interesting.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I've had enough of pandemics with the real pandemic, but I understand the need for writers and readers to talk about this topic and process it. And I always enjoy it when both the antagonists and the protagonists get a voice since it gives a more rounded perspective of the plot. Thank you for your review.

[Emily wanja]

What a way to introduce me into the world of Bioterrorism, From the cover page you can bet its an interesting book, and true to it, its a special book that shows how a female Doctor dr. Hayes becomes the first one to identify the virus and now we follow through to know if she is able to prevent it from becoming a pandemic like we experienced worldwide recently. What a thrill. I recommend it.

[Leen282]

Medical thrillers are my kind of book. I like it that it is not obvious right away who the bad guy is, I love to think and guess while reading. Kudo's on the author for not having a single typo in the book.

[Solomon Odiniya 1]

Thanks for the great review of Particles in the Air by Jenna Podjasek, MD. Your insights into the book’s fast-paced plot and the multi-dimensional characters really caught my attention. I’m especially excited to read it because Dr. Podjasek’s background in immunology seems to bring a real sense of authenticity to the story, setting it apart in the medical thriller genre. Given how relevant it feels to recent global events and your praise for its suspenseful narrative, I am looking forward to experiencing the tension and well-developed characters for myself.