Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

I was hoping I was going to love Contagion because I’ve enjoyed all of the Teri Terry novels I’ve read so far, but unfortunately Contagion fell a little short for me.

Contagion is about – surprisingly enough – a virus that sweeps across Scotland and the north of England called the Aberdeen flu. When the novel starts we are rapidly counting down to time zero, jumping between the perspectives of two girls called Callie and Shay.


Callie has been missing for a year, and she’s trapped in an underground laboratory being experimented on for unknown reasons. Shay is the last person who saw Callie, but she doesn’t even know Callie is missing until the book begins, so she contacts Callie’s brother Kai and they begin searching for her and for answers regarding who took her and why.

Despite the fact that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, I didn’t find the world that convincing which gave it a serious lack of tension. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t click with, but part of it is that there are ‘surprising reveals’ towards the end of the book which I found obvious as soon as that aspect of the plot was introduced. I couldn’t believe that the characters involved weren’t able to see the pattern sooner.

Because this is YA there is a strong focus on the romance which develops between Shay and Kai, and although their relationship is quite cute it felt rushed. Within a day of them meeting each other Shay is getting butterflies when Kai texts her, and while I can believe that might happen I can’t believe it would be the priority during the outbreak of a pandemic which is killing huge swathes of the Scottish population.

I also struggled at times with the switching perspectives because Shay and Callie’s voices were quite similar. I found myself wishing we could follow Kai instead, because he was going off by himself and I was interested in what he was getting up to!

That being said, the scientific aspects were handled really well. The origins of the virus are realistic, and the way that Teri Terry explains some difficult concepts makes this easy to digest even if you don’t have a head for science.

I will be continuing on with the trilogy because this story has a lot of promise, but I’m feeling apprehensive. One of the characters has a mysterious identity and it seems obvious to me who will end up being unmasked. I hope I’m wrong because I don’t want all of the twists and turns in this story to be highly predictable, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the story resolves (and hoping I will like the next two installments a little bit more!).

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy of this book for an impartial review.

Took me a while to get round to reading this trilogy as it seemed very alike to others - I wish I hadn't left it. These books are great - very fast paced, very informative. I'm hoping that the characters don't become too stereotyped like other young adult books and that the story line has enough strength to get through 2 more books but I'm looking forward to them.

Loved this book. It was a little weird with the chapters skipping between Callie and shay but I soon got engrossed in the story.

A cleverly plotted sci-fi/thriller where the main characters curiously run towards the danger instead of away from it! Gripping and fast-paced I can't wait to see where Teri takes it!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I found it really interesting, and there was quite a lot of mystery and secrets to be discovered. Although some plot points were predictable, others were really surprising and things that I could not have imagined myself.

It was different than I was expecting, I was just expecting a mystery / search for a missing sister during an epidemic and the search for how it all started, but it also had paranormal aspects that were major to the plot that I wasn’t expecting. Although I wasn’t expecting it, it was a welcome aspect and did add a lot to the story.

The plot was fast paced and interesting, there wasn’t a boring moment, it was exciting to read, i wanted to find out the answers as much as the characters did. There is so much more I need to know!! The writing was so detailed in the science aspects, although it was mostly fictional, it linked in with real science, and I thought it was well written.

It was a great start to the series and I’m looking forward to discovering more! I have a hunch about something and I can’t wait to see if that hunch is true!

Rating: ★★★★

I am an absolute sucker for the disaster genre. Anything apocalyptic, be it book or film, and I'll give it a go. So I was eager to read this YA disaster novel and see if it bared any similarities with its film counterpart of the same name (which I really enjoyed).
Terry's protagonist Shay, is feisty and strong-willed, and consequently it was easy for me to invest in her. More than once I found myself on the verge of screaming at both Shay and Kai to urge them on and warn of dangers.
I haven't read any of Terry's other novels, but 'Contagion' really did grip me. The plot twists and turns had me turning the pages without even realising and the ending has me desperately awaiting the sequel.

A good book that kept me entertained and continuing to read.

I was really excited about this book and I think the concept is great. The voice at the beginning of the book was very strong and I really liked the characters. Unfortunately, I found the events surrounding Callie really difficult to read and personally triggering, so I didn't finish reading it.

Kai's younger sister, Callie, has been missing without trace for a year, so when a girl called Shay contacts him with new information, he has no doubts about dashing up from Newcastle to the small village of Killin in Scotland to investigate the lead. Together they try to piece together Callie's last known movements but events in the wider world are working against them.
A secret scientific facility on Shetland has been conducting some very dodgy experiments, and when a supposed earthquake destroys it, a horrendous,highly-infectious, fast-acting flu virus is leaked into the world. Special army units are called in and quarantine zones are soon established across Scotland, making it difficult to travel, but even so the disease continues to claim victims at a dreadful rate. Very few survive, and those who do are considered too dangerous to be left at large.
Against this backdrop, Kai and Shay pursue the leads to uncover what exactly happened to Callie, and why ...

Anyone who's read this blog will know how much I love Teri Terry's teen/YA novels, whether set in the dystopian worlds of the Slated trilogy and Mind Games, or the urban fantasy of Book of Lies. This time the story is a mix of dystopian horror as a mystery illness sweeps the country, thriller and conspiracy theory as Kai and Shay uncover far more than they'd expected in their search for Callie.
It's a great read, with characters to warm to, and a plot to entice you in - the sort of book you don't want to put down, but read in one sitting (no matter how late you have to stay up to do that!). You'll be left wanting more though, as this is the first book of a trilogy, and, although it ends at a logical point, a lot of questions have been raised and not answered yet. I can't wait to see how things develop in Book 2!

CONTAGION is the first in a series about a killer plague sweeping through Scotland and northern England. I read and enjoyed Terry’s SLATED series, and although I haven’t yet got around to her stand alones, I know she’s one of my favourite UKYA authors.

This is an apocalyptic plague thriller crossed with a roadtrip of Scotland (ft. Newcastle). Shay and Kai travel from town to town, trying to figure out the secrets behind the “Aberdeen flu”.

I’m a big fan of this sort of book, so I was really excited when I realised it was about an epidemic. I think Terry really captures the atmosphere of terror that comes with this kind of story. Shay and Kai’s desperation is written really well – and Callie’s story is too. Plus, the ending! I hate how long I have to wait to find out what happens.

There are some interesting ideas at work in this book and I liked the tone and prose style. It tells the tale of Shay, a young girl living in Scotland who meets Kai, a young man looking for his sister, Callie and the horror of a pandemic outbreak that cripples the country. Terry has created some good characters here that are three-dimensional and vivid and the pacing of the narrative is very good, ensuring that you keep turning the page. I think my main problem is that the premise is a little bit tired. We have had a spate of infection related fiction over the past thirty years, so much so that it has become very difficult to do much of anything creative or original. I didn't find the plot very original at all, and in fact, I found it all woefully predictable. That being said, some of the results of infection are interesting and Terry has left enough loose threads here to continue the story in the remaining books. I can't say that I will be awaiting the second instalment with baited breath but I will probably read it.

Looking for a fast-paced YA sci-fi thriller? Look no further. Contagion will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. There is a perfect blend of genre even adding in romance, fantasy and post-apocalyptic with a great deal of mystery keeping you reading. The chapters are fairly short. The characters are quite likable. You become invested in their journey. There is a huge cliffhanger, which is only a bad thing when it comes to the long wait for the sequel. In a sea of many virus type novels, Contagion is a standout. Here's to hoping Teri Terry writes more of these. Highly recommend you check out if you enjoy YA sci-fi virus thrillers.

Contagion by Terri Terry left me with mixed feelings because it was of a similar nature to a book I read earlier in the year which I felt was slightly better. However, having said that I am not saying that I didn’t enjoy Contagion, just that I enjoyed Defender more.
Contagion begins with a chapter written from the point of view of Xander. This chapter deals with some kind of incident which leads to the outbreak of the mysterious disease. All the reader knows is that the fail safes have failed and that as a result Xander is somehow changed.
His new gifts enable him to see the ‘unique pattern’ that exists within every person and is “more individual than fingerprints.” He thinks what he can see is similar to their soul. Their Vox I call it, a voice they do not know they have.
The rest of the book is told from the point of view of ‘Subject 369X” (Callie) or a girl named Shay.
We first meet Subject 369X when she is being taken away by people in suits to be ‘cured.’ They say I’m sick, and I need to be cured. But I don’t feel sick. Not anymore.
Something that the people in suits have done to her has made her struggle with her memory but the one thing she can remember is her name, ‘Callie.’ She holds on to her name as the painful cure starts.
Shay lives in a place called Killin in Scotland. Whilst in the local shop one day she spots a poster for a girl who has been missing for a year and realises she saw her about a year previously. She takes the poster and calls the girl’s brother, Kai. The girls name is Callie.
Meanwhile, Callie is watching in wonder as her own body burns.
“Am I dead?
I must be musn’t I?
I stand in fire, and feel no pain.
Living things can’t do that.”
After watching someone hoovering up her ashes, labelling them and hanging them up, she knows for sure she is dead.
Callie goes into a panic when she realises that she can’t just pass through walls but eventually she realises that she can get out as long as she follows someone. As she is leaving she sees the beginnings of a strange illness taking over the doctors and nurses who had been looking after her and people start collapsing.
Callie sets off in search of the doctor who was in charge but when she can’t find him she decides to head home to her family if only she can remember how to find them.
Back in Killin, Shay and Kai meet up and set out in an attempt to find Callie but will they manage before they too succumb to the virus? A virus which infects 95% of people and kills 90%of those who have been infected.
On the whole, this was an interesting and highly readable book and I will be reading the sequel.

Really gripping from the start - fast paced and exciting

I really enjoyed reading this book and was left wanting more. I liked the female characters - Shay and Callie. I felt that all the main characters were well drawn - I could imagine them all. The action moved quickly and the three voices were distinctive so you were not confused about who you were hearing from.

Some of my pupils may be put off by the multiple voices but I will encourage them to try - it is worth their effort.

Now to wait for part two!

After a slightly slow start Contagion gets off to a fast paced and tense scifi thriller will one helluva ending. Shay, Kai and Carrie are all engaging characters and I really enjoyed the race against the clock in this book. One of my favourit dystopian tropes is a mysterious disease wiping out most of the world population and watching how those who remain pull everything together, or not as the case maybe. Contagion is in thr grand tradition of The Stand, Earth Abides and the Survivors. Thoroughly enjoyed this epic dystopia.

I thought this was an odd book that couldn't seem to make up its mind whether to be a love story, a supernatural thriller or a post-apocalyptic tale.
Callie disappeared over a year ago and appears to be held in a facility which experiments on children. Callie becomes aware just as her body is incinerated and her ghostly form follows us for the rest of the tale.
Meanwhile Shay goes to a shop and sees a poster of a Missing girl that she suddenly recalls seeing from a year ago.- Don't worry she has special abilities that allow her to recall every detail with perfect clarity.
Shay called Kai, Callie's brother, and they join together to find Callie which coincidentally happens just as the contagion is released. People start dying and Kai's mother is called on to help with a cure.
The two leads have an almost magical "love at first sight" connection. The contagion is potentially supernatural in origin and the 'special abilities' of the lead are very convenient. Of course Shay can see Callie when she shows up- because, why not.
In parts it was very slow going and you could see the twists coming a mile off (Gee, I wonder who their father is.) Whereas other parts were very fresh and different.
Overall I was confused as to the general direction and probably won't read the sequels.