Book Review: Blackout, by Mira Grant

Blackout, by Mira Grant
Publisher: Orbit
Pub Date: June 2012
Reviewer: Joshua Palmatier
Rating: 5/5

This is the third and final book in Mira Grant's Newsflesh series. The first book blew me away, and while the second book wasn't as good as the first, it still rocked. I was looking forward to the third book, and read it as soon as I could.

The basic premise is that the news group has discovered that the outbreak caused by the hurricane in Florida is caused by genetically altered mosquitoes... and that the mosquitoes may have been unleashed because of their own reports and break-in at a CDC center. But they need evidence. So Shaun and the rest begin a search for that evidence.

Meanwhile, Georgia Mason, his sister, has been cloned by the CDC and wakes in one of their centers with most of the original Georgia's memories. All she wants to do is survive and escape the center, to let Shaun and the rest know what other illegal activities and cover-ups the CDC has been involved in. Her escape attempt, and Shaun's attempts to get to Florida for the evidence they need (and to save one of his news group's only remaining sister) put the entire news group on the road to their biggest story yet... one that could destroy them, or change the world and its view of zombies forever.

This book pretty much picks up right after the second novel left off. The issues I had with the second novel (mostly that it felt kind of unfocused) are not present in this novel at all. This is tightly written, fast paced, and brings back the great emotional turmoil that was the best part of the first book. And that emotional turmoil--especially in regards to Shaun and Georgia's relationship--is what rocks about this book. The conspiracies and cover-ups and how far up the ladder they reach is interesting and integral to the plot, but it's Shaun and Georgia that keep you riveted to the book. And perhaps that's what is missing the second book: Georgia.

In one sense, the book is spectacular. On the other hand, I'm disappointed the series is over. But this definitely a series I'd recommend highly. A great concept, well-written, and emotionally intense.

Blackout, by Mira Grant

Joshua Palmatier
Benjamin Tate