Review: Viral

Viral by Robin Cook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It breaks my heart to say this, but this book was just no up to par. I know that Dr. Cook is very devoted to the state of healthcare in this country, and this book does a wonderful job pointing out that our healthcare sucks. But he does so over and over and over ad nauseam. I mean talking about beating a dead horse.

It did do one good thing to get me off of my butt and make sure we had decent insurance (not short-term health insurance), and our local hospital was not part of a chain.

DR. Cook did a great job setting this story up during the Covid pandemic, but changing the danger to EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis ) and explaining why climate change is making our parts of the world so ripe for this virus.

*ARC provided by the publisher, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

The story in itself was eye-roll-worthy and obvious to the reader, especially as you get into the book and the conclusion...well, what can I say. I guess an eye for an eye?

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SYNOPSIS: "In this electrifying new medical thriller from New York Times bestseller Robin Cook, a family's exposure to a rare yet deadly virus puts them at the center of a terrifying danger to mankind--and pulls back the curtain on a healthcare system powered by greed and corruption.

Brian Murphy and his family are enjoying a relaxing summer excursion in Cape Cod when his wife, Emma, comes down with mild flu-like symptoms. But their leisurely return home to New York City quickly turns into a race to the ER as she begins seizing and falls into a coma. At the hospital, she is diagnosed with Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare and highly lethal mosquito-borne viral disease caught during one of their evening cookouts. Worse still, Brian and Emma's young daughter exhibits alarming signs of the same illness.

An already harrowing hospital stay turns even more fraught when Brian receives a staggering hospital bill full of outrageous charges and murky language. To make matters worse, his insurance company won't cover the cost, citing dubious clauses in Brian's policy. Forced to choose between the ongoing care of his wife and daughter and bills he can never pay, and furious at both an indifferent healthcare system and the lack of public awareness about a virus that poses a growing threat, Brian vows to seek justice. But to get to the bottom of the predatory practices targeting his family and countless others, he must uncover the dark side of a historically ruthless industry--and bring down the callous executives preying on the sick and defenseless before the virus can claim even more people..."