A Cure For Madness Book Review

A Cure For Madness by Jodi McIsaac 

Synopsis

Clare Campbell has worked hard to create distance between herself and her troubled family. But when she receives news of her parents’ murder, she’s forced to return to the quiet town of Clarkeston, Maine, to arrange their funeral and take legal guardianship of her unpredictable and mentally ill brother, Wes.

While Clare struggles to come to grips with the death of her parents, a terrifying pathogen outbreak overtakes the town. She is all too familiar with the resulting symptoms, which resemble those of her brother’s schizophrenia: hallucinations, paranoia, and bizarre, even violent, behavior. Before long, the government steps in—and one agent takes a special interest in Wes. Clare must make a horrifying decision: save her brother or save the world.

Review

After discovering that her parents were murdered Clare goes back to her home town, Clarkeston, Maine, to plan their funeral and take legal guardianship of her mentally ill brother, Wes. Soon after arriving, however, a terrifying pathogen outbreak overtakes her town, leaving the infected with symptoms similar to her brother's schizophrenia. Then when an agent of the CDC takes a special interest in Wes, Clare has to face more horrifying decisions than whether or not to move back to Seattle. 

I will be the first to admit that this book was not what I expected when I read the synopsis. I was expecting a terrifying outbreak of crazy people running around the street trying to kill each other...but that's not exactly what happens, the book, instead, follows Clare and her brother as they try to hide from the CDC and decisions that could change weather or not the outbreak spreads across the whole world. 
What I like most about the story as a whole were the characters. What they thought, felt, and said seemed incredibly real to me, like something I would actually do in their situation, there wasn't really any awkward wordings or anything. Wes was great in that he seemed pretty normal until he wasn't, making the schizophrenia believable, though he came off as such a stoner sometimes. Clare was the confused yet clear minded sister who worked through what needed to be done and faced the hard truth of the reality of what was really happening. Overall, it wasn't difficult to connect or even feel empathy for some of what they did, the characters were, for lack of a better way to say it, realistic. Also, you really wanted to know what would happen to them next and how it would end. 

“You’re ordering pizza over the Internet?” “It’s not a new thing.” “Yeah, but now the government knows what kind of pizza you like.” 

There were, however, quite a few things I had problems with. For one, the scariness of the stories concept wasn't embraced enough for me, that is, this could of have been a book with scared and disillusion people running around the place practically flipping out, but instead the worst that really happened was some rioting. The story mainly followed the main characters while they were on the run and kind of skipped over  the big picture of the outbreak, in turn, loosing much of the suspense and horror factors. I'm not saying it had to be a horror story. but I was disappointed because I thought it would be. Overall, that was my main problem with is...it could have been scarier. The author had potential to make this either longer or a duology wherein the outbreak spread further and they were really on the run from what was happening as well as the CDC; give it more of a Walking Dead vibe. 
All in all, it was a good story that made you want to know how it ends. Not a good choice for those looking for something horror or zombie-esc, though an interesting suspense. Plus, the cover is kind of amazing. 

"But there's something powerful about embracing the worst parts of yourself, the parts you hope no one ever finds out about. to admit that you are not all light and bravery, that you are both hero and villain in your life's story." 

***THE FOLLOWING RANT HAS SPOILERS***
Okay, I have to get my feeling about the end of this book out of my system. Like WHAT?! The ending was very 50 First Dates and I don't think I like it. Plus! I really wish that the author at least said how long it had been, I mean, her hair has regrown and the government is on trial, you know it has obviously been at least a few weeks, but still it could have been even longer than that! I just wanted more from the ending, it felt almost too calm. She wakes up, the government is on trial, Wes has obviously had the same conversation with her more than once, and the outbreak has been completely dealt with. WHAT THE WHAT?! I mean, you kind of see it coming...but still. No lie, I was pretty upset with the ending, but I'll get over it. 
***END OF SPOILER FILLED RANT***