If someone had given me a synopsis of this book before I dove in, I probably would have rolled my eyes. A global pandemic? I would have said I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime, thank you. But in fact this book completely captivated me (and I learned that Emily St. John Mandel wrote Station Eleven before Coronavirus which is irrelevant but interesting). The writing is engaging and the plot is well-crafted; Mandel keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat.

A few other things I loved about the book: references to Shakespeare and religion for me to nerd out to, a badass female protagonist, and some very complex characters.

And of course, it’s impossible to bring up this book right now without also commenting on the TV series adaptation (which I just finished). I’m not much of a TV buff in the first place, but for me the series was pretty underwhelming, mostly because I found that the plot modifications made the story somewhat less convincing. However, I know a lot of readers that have loved the series, so I’d say it’s worth giving it a shot! And definitely – DEFINITELY – give this book a shot.