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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “It took me a little bit of time to gather my senses after I'd turned the last pages of this book tonight. I sat silently, halfway between tears and sheer wonderment. I wanted just a few more minutes to soak in this amazing story and how it made me feel. When I sat down earlier this evening to...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Book club book. It was okay. Reminded me of Life As We Know It, which I enjoyed more.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Sneh. This novel about bird flu and its effects on a family just did not grab me at all. I set it down to read another book then tried to return to it but was bored silly. Plus, it just reminded me of how much better written Laura Kasischke's novel on the same subject was (In a Perfect World) and Daphne Du Maurier stories and just about everything else. Snooze.”
librarycarol wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The Things That Keep Us Here, by Carla Buckley, is remarkable, realistic and relative. Anyone can relate to this novel. When shunned on by a terrible virus the country goes into quarantine. Everyone is avoiding each other, staying inside and stocking up food at the last minute. After dealing with their separation, Ann and Peter Brooks see that there are things worse than growing apart. When forced to live together, along with a former colleague of Peter’s, the two realize there are times when people have to come together to stay alive, even if that means going without certain things, like electricity or running water. When life or death, and protecting family come into play, even the most considerate people are surprised at what they might do during hard times….
Imani wrote this review Friday, March 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This book really brought upon the epiphany that family is all that you have at the end of the day. When people need you, or vise versa, family instincts pop up first, and if your family is in danger, you’ll turn them away. Carla Buckley’s style of writing (allowing the reader to engage in the thoughts of both main characters) really grasped my attention on how in certain situations, not everyone thinks the same. While one person says: “Risk it all” , another says : “Stay safe.” It’s a huge controversy that one has to consider in order to grasp the true tension of the situation. I’ve never read a book that was so real and welcoming to the thought that although this is fiction, this could happen to you, as well. This book should be read by virtually all age groups, you’re never too young to realize the difference between necessities and wants, and just how important family is
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Venus Bee wrote this review Thursday, February 9, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It was an interesting enough story sometimes I thought the characters actions weren't quite believable.”
jazzminey wrote this review Monday, December 19, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Book club book. It was okay. Reminded me of Life As We Know It, which I enjoyed more. ”
katrina b wrote this review Wednesday, December 7, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“If you're still a little freaked out by the swine flu, The Things That Keep Us Here might not be the best choice for your reading list. I've already had the swine flu, but this chilling, engrossing debut novel by Carla Buckley, about a flu pandemic that takes out 50 percent of those it infects, gave me the serious willies.
Jenn Schopper wrote this review Friday, November 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
If you can handle the "too close to home" aspects, I'd heartily recommend this one to anyone who enjoys suspense and exceptional writing. Just make sure you've got a large bottle of disinfectant nearby.
The book tells the tale of Peter Brooks, an Ohio university researcher, and his extended family as they deal with the onset of a flu pandemic. The book opens with scenes of horror as Brooks discovers huge die-offs of local bird populations. "On the clear water, surrounded by golden reeds, bobbed a legion of blue-winged teal, hundreds of them, mottled brown and cream, every one of them silent and turned the wrong way up," Buckley writes.
Buckley gives the best explanation I've yet read of how avian and human flu strains can combine if they mix in the right host: "The pig is ideally suited for this role, because it's susceptible to both avian and human influenza viruses," Peter explains to a group of students. "So let's say these two viruses meet and mingle within a pig. Out pops a new virus, one that carries avian code but has human protein receptors. Now we have humans getting infected with an avian virus."
Worse than that, he continues, humans have no community or individual immunity to this new virus, and no quick way of attaining immunity.
When the book's flu reaches pandemic level, Peter and his research assistant, Shazia, end up staying with his ex-wife, Anne, and kids for convenience's sake; Shazia is an international student with no place to go, and his bachelor pad is ill-equipped for survival.
Peter and Anne's attempts to protect their children are thwarted by any number of factors, including neighbor kids who innocently wander over to play on the trampoline, people fighting over necessities at the grocery store, and the inevitable power outage amid frigid conditions.
Buckley, or her editors, get at least one number glaringly wrong, when Peter tells his students that 30,000 to 40,000 people in the U.S. die each year of the flu, and that that equals slightly more than 1 percent of the U.S. population. The number of flu deaths is accurate, but 1 percent of the population would be more like 3.6 million people.”
“Whoa - what a book. This is a story about the avian flu and what happens when it takes over and travels around the entire world. A great story of survival and of famlies and how this tragedy effects the world and those who live through it.”
Raine wrote this review Saturday, October 1, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a beautifully written story about a family and their journey through a pandemic that would rival the 1918 flu pandemic. The story is set in Ohio. Peter and Ann have two children. Peter does animal research in order to help heal dying animals. At Sparrow Lake, Peter had been doing research on birds that had been popping up, dead. Before he knew it, he would find large numbers of dead geese. Avian Flu, H5N1. Before this family knows it,the disease has spread to humans and cannot be contained. They have a pandemic on their hands. No one is safe. Everyone must stay home. Will Peter, Ann, Maddie, and Kate survive this awful flu? Or will they become 1 of millions of people who would become victims of H5N1.
Marisa Lynn Farmer wrote this review Tuesday, September 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
To find out, read "The things that keep us here" by Carla Buckley.”
“Nation plagued with pandemic avian flu; one family's journey through the time of quarantine. Thought provoking”
Gamma C wrote this review Friday, July 22, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
