I just finished reading Brushfire Plague by R. P. Ruggiero. Aptly titled, the book deals with a world is overtaken by a fast moving pandemic causing a multitude of deaths, resulting in the breakdown of society. It is written from the viewpoint of a man who is not only coping with the harsh new realities of living in a world WROL, but is also trying to save his son, help his neighbors, and later find the origin and a possible cure.
Brushfire Plague is riveting and fast paced. Once I picked it up, it was hard to put down. I appreciated the detailed descriptions of the early days of the pandemic and how quickly society started degrading. The book portrayed in a realistic manner how people would react to a sudden disaster: they start out being in denial and have trouble accepting that the lawlessness can reach through their nice neighborhood. At the same time, there is a ray of hope that in the face of tragedy: good people can unite and help each other survive.
Brushfire Plague has a great story that is quite believable. I had a bit of difficulty bonding with the main character, Cooper, who seemed mercurial and volatile. One one hand, he was prone to angry and occasionally tearful emotional outbursts, on the other hand, he can quickly turn into a cold killer (albeit justified) without a second thought. Nonetheless, I appreciated the turmoil he found himself in, and he was overall a capable and heroic character.
There are plot twists and turns that are quite enjoyable though I don’t want to reveal the entire plot. Many questions were answered at the end of the book but there were a few unresolved threads that hint at a possible sequel. I look forward to reading more stories by R. P. Ruggiero. I hope that you will read Brushfire Plague and enjoy it as much as I did.
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This is actually in my to “To Be Read” pile. I own the author a review on Amazon, just hadn’t had the time to get started…