Review - This Vicious Cure

This Vicious Cure (Waterstones Exclusive)

Title: This Vicious Cure
Series: This Mortal Coil (Goodreads)
Author: Emily Suvada
Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopian
Publisher: Penguin books 

Age Group: YA

Source: Waterstones (purchased)

Review 

This Mortal Coil series is a Ya sci-fi series, with a twist, and one that will leave you both shocked and impressed by Suvada’s writing and storytelling abilities. I started this series a few years back when I discovered This Mortal Coil and was instantly consumed by the story itself and Suvada’s masterful writing skills. I hadn’t read the first two books in this series that recently and by the time I came around to This Vicious Cure I slightly regret not rereading them before this final book in the series. This is because I had forgotten some key plot points and due to this series being very heavy on the science explanations (which I think only make total sense if you don’t have a gap between reading the books in the series). Suvada certainly knows how to write an intriguing plot, major plot twists, and engaging characters. Having finally finished this series I was not disappointed and cannot wait to see what Suvada next decides to write.

This Vicious Cure is unlike the previous books because it is written from two different narrators. For some readers multiple narration does not always work, and I sometimes believe that for some books I’ve read this is true. However, this is not the case for This Vicious Cure. I think the double narration is hugely successful in this book because it allows us to view two different individuals approaches to surviving a pandemic and how far they will go to find a cure. Catarina is still one of the main narrators alongside another very important character that shall remain unnamed in this review to keep from spoiling the overall series. What I will say about the second narrator is that their responses and actions towards the pandemic and attempts to find a cure contrast strongly with Catarina’s. But what both narrators equally struggle with is the moral and ethical decisions and actions they have to make and do to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their attempts to save the rest of society.

‘When you’re working with a virus that could kill everyone on the planet, there should be no limit to the things your prepared to do to build a vaccine.’

Although there are a lot of strengths and reasons to enjoy this series finale I did find that there were some personal disappointments whilst I was reading it. In the previous books there was a huge interaction and development of relationships between Cat and the following characters: Cole, Leoben, Anna and even Dax. However, by This Vicious Cure a lot of these relationships were pushed aside and I personally felt they were forgotten about, which was rather disappointing. Although I do understand that the focus of this book was to finish the series by finding a cure and reaching a satisfying conclusion, I do think that the sudden lack of relationship developments was a weakness in this book. But apart from this I did really enjoy the series and its conclusion because it did leave me with a satisfying conclusion, there was plenty of shock twists that appeared and were answered, and overall I was left with hope that there is a future for these beloved characters. 

‘A new design is woven through the animals etched across him. A phoenix – its flaming wings inked in gold and crimson, its story tangled with the others – taking flight, burning into ash and being reborn as something new. It seemed appropriate for me.’

This Vicious Cure 

Synopsis (From Goodreads)

Two factions at war.

A plague that can't be stopped.

A cure that could destroy them all...

Cat's hacking skills weren't enough to keep her from losing everything - her identity, her past, and now her freedom.

Meanwhile, the person who's stolen everything from her is close to realizing a hacker's dream: the solution to humanity's problems in gene form. Or so she thinks...

But now a new threat has emerged - a threat that could bring the world to the brink of a devastating war.

Both sides will stop at nothing to seize control of humanity's future, and that the centre of this war is Cat, and a race against the clock save millions of lives . . .

*The extraordinary conclusion to the This Mortal Coil trilogy - who will survive the oncoming storm?*

Key Quotes 

‘... It’s a Panacea – a piece of code that lets us alter our minds the same way we change our DNA. It should be the most important code in existence, but it's still missing one final, crucial piece.'

‘Every part of this lab seems genuine – every door, every tree and pebble has been perfectly coded to smell, taste and feel realistic. It’s a flawless simulation, barely distinguishable from reality. And there’s absolutely no way out.’ 

‘My entire existence was built on serving another person’s needs, but I’m not going to be pushed around any more. I want a life, I want to be free and I’m willing to fight for it.’ 

‘I don’t remember everything from when we were children…and I don’t want to. I don’t think there’s much benefit to carrying pain around forever. Memories can be precious, but sometimes they’re just a burden. A wound that won’t ever heal.’ 

'…A lot of people start out as twins and end up absorbing their sibling instead of being born with them. Shark embryos eat their siblings in the womb. What Cartaxus did was evil, but nature can be pretty vicious too.” “You must be fun at parties,” Anna mutters.’

Similar reads

Nemesis, Eve & Adam

Afterthoughts

So many Parallels to the Coronavirus we are facing right now, luckily with less Lurkers (thank goodness)

How far would you go to create a cure?

What would you do to survive a pandemic?

What books would you recommend for someone who liked this book and series?

Let me know what you loved about this book or series, I'd love to hear your thoughts!