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geekwayne's review against another edition
2.0
A historical medical thriller that I really wanted to like more. In 1796, a ship arrives in Newburyport with sick crew members. It is immediately put under quarantine, but some soldiers escape to land causing the plague to spread to the town.
The main characters include a young boy who sees his entire family become ill, a surgeon who see the effects of the plague first hand as he attempts to tend the victims, and a rich family with internal conflicts. Some of the main characters were interesting, others were buffoonish and seemed drawn from a night time soap opera.
There are conflicts with doctors as they discuss the cause of this plague and how to cure it (sweat it with hot bricks? Cut the patients so they bleed the infection out?), a group of greedy townsfolk devise a plan to take advantage of the situation, and romantic interests are formed. There is also a chase at sea, and family feuds.
It's all somewhat interesting, but for me, it lacked a feeling of authenticity. I don't know if it was the dialogue or some of the crazy over the top antics of some of the people in the town, but it didn't ring true for me.
The main characters include a young boy who sees his entire family become ill, a surgeon who see the effects of the plague first hand as he attempts to tend the victims, and a rich family with internal conflicts. Some of the main characters were interesting, others were buffoonish and seemed drawn from a night time soap opera.
There are conflicts with doctors as they discuss the cause of this plague and how to cure it (sweat it with hot bricks? Cut the patients so they bleed the infection out?), a group of greedy townsfolk devise a plan to take advantage of the situation, and romantic interests are formed. There is also a chase at sea, and family feuds.
It's all somewhat interesting, but for me, it lacked a feeling of authenticity. I don't know if it was the dialogue or some of the crazy over the top antics of some of the people in the town, but it didn't ring true for me.
organchordsandlightning's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's funny how, for a book titled 'quarantine', the actual epidemic itself is mostly set-dressing. The real story centers around a dysfunctional family situated in Newburyport. However, the writing style is easy enough, and the characters are lively.
carolpk's review against another edition
Though I thought I would really like this, I just couldn't get into it. I've read other books, fiction and non-fiction about ship or city quarantines that were far more compelling. This being said, I always wonder if it's just me and perhaps I should give it a second go at another time. I found myself re-reading passages, losing the character voices and decided to just give it up for the moment. I was disappointed in the book and a bit frustrated with myself.
abookishtype's review
4.0
Oh, how I love to read good historical fiction! I love good dialog in which the characters don’t drop anachronism. I love it when authors put in the time to do the research to find out how people actually lived and thought during the time they chose for their setting. And I got all of those things from John Smolens’ Quarantine. In the afterword, Smolens writes about the summer he spent in Newburyport, gutting a house for renovations. The house had been built during the 1790s and some of the wood was original, down to the carpenters’ notes on the backside. He wrote that he felt a connection to the past by pulling out original square-headed nails and reading those notes. I think Smolens brought some of that connection to Quarantine....
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
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