The Patron Saint of Plagues

I very much liked the science aspect of this great book. I did have to read some things a couple times to understand them, but I enjoyed learning like that. The CDC being a part of the story, germ warfare, and it being set in the future also made for a good and compelling read There are some kind of man-made robots/automatons/droids, that are extremely strong and advanced, but somehow, very endearing, and human-like, at the same time. It is not a book for children. I would recommend it to anyone high school aged and up. It has a great story that both men and women will both enjoy equally. If you enjoy sitting down with a good book, have a long flight, or a lengthy commute of any kind, or are on a respite/vacation, this is a great book to bring along, for sure. I would say the Oryx & Crake series-by Margaret Atwood, was somewhat similar, as far as the advanced science aspect and dealing with a very communicable contagion and it's affect on the characters and their worlds. And both are also very futuristic but still relatable. Both are very good reads you can't seem to be able to put down. Get this book! You won't be disappointed!

i enjoyed this book immensely. barth anderson's books are hard to put down. he has a rare talent for writing page-turners that also meet high literary standards and keep you on the edge of your seat. i couldn't help but devour this novel in a few short days, barely stopping to eat, drink, and work. i savored every minute of reading pleasure.

Anderson creates a very real future, with characters that inspire concern. "Patron" is a reality check for all U.S. citizens who havn't ever considered their nation's place in the world's political food chain. This book is cohesive, allowing for the medical layman to easily understand the essential biophysics involved in the telling of the story without the author going through tedious explanations. Great book with exciting speed.

"The Patron Saint of Plagues" is a fantastic book. (And never mind the `for a first novel" qualifier. It's excellent regardless.) Through the first five chapters I was into it like any other very good book, intrigued by the futurist research, the medical espionage, insight about political ideology abusing/using the religiously faithful, a hero I liked being with, etc. But at the end of chapter 6 I actually grinned and said out loud as I walked down the sidewalk, "This rocks!" In that short chapter, Barth Anderson simply (but not so simply) describes the progress of a virus taking over a human body in a way that had me actually holding my breath! That's what made me grin: The realization that I had been literally holding my breath reading about the cells, DNA, nuclei, sweats and fevers and hemorrhages of a disease in a body. I know this sounds ridiculous, I wouldn't have believed it myself --until I read Barth Anderson's throat-grabbing yet poetic prose. Anderson's technical research seems at a level that belongs in a science journal yet some passages read like the best of Gothic sublime. I have nothing but praise for this book. And even IF I saw weaknesses, anyone who can write about blood cells and nuclei in a way that is as exciting as Hollywood wishes its car chases were has my rapt attention for the rest of the book, my recommendation, and my anxious wait for his next novel.

In the not so distant future on an alternate Earth, Emil Obregon is the president for life in a fascist Mexico thanks to the support of the Holy Renaissance Party. This theocracy has an alternate Pope who broke away from the Vatican and has much power over the country. Most of the population is hooked up through implants to the Pilone, an online form of the net that allows the government to keep track of its citizens. Mexico and the United States are at war with the former annexing Arizona and New Mexico as well as part of Central and South America. When Dengue Fever threatens to kill much of Mexico's population, doctors like Henry Stark from CDC rush over there to help. The airborne virus constantly mutates; after studying it the researchers conclude that it is manmade and someone is still spreading it around the country. If Stark and his team don't find the carrier, 80% of Mexico's population will die. This is as much a medical thriller as it is a futuristic alternate history tale. Readers will be fascinated by the theological fascist regime that has the church's blessing but the focus of much of the book is Stark, a man not interested in politics but in saving lives. Barth Anderson is a gifted storyteller whose debut novel is a roaring success. His descriptions of a futuristic Mexico are so vivid that readers can easily visualize it. Harriet Klausner