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A review by winecellarlibrary
The Migration by Helen Marshall
5.0
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
I originally wrote this review in October 2020, and I am sharing it here for the first time.
The Migration by Helen Marshall is an apocalyptic dystopian novel. An immune disorder affecting only children and young adults has emerged, and the world's top doctors and scientists struggle to understand it. In addition to the arrival of this disease, massive storms and the subsequent flooding are decimating entire cities. Sophie's little sister Kira has never been the same since her diagnosis, and when she dies suddenly, Sophie's entire world shifts. Sophie begins to realize that the information being released by the government is false and incomplete, and after videos are leaked of the recently deceased seemingly still very much alive, Sophie is determined to find out what the government is hiding from the public and what exactly has happened to her sister. Armed with her aunt's research and the help of a young man who volunteers at the hospital, Sophie embarks on a mission to set her sister and those like her free.
When I picked up The Migration, I knew next to nothing about the plot. In fact, had I read the synopsis, I might not have read it. The synopsis reads like a zombie horror story, but it is not that at all. At times haunting and tragic, but at most times touching and inspiring, this novel left me in a surreal state many days after I finished reading it. Surprisingly, this novel is marketed to adults, but I would argue that it may have been better marketed to young adults. Sophie is relatable in her unfaltering devotion to her sister and those like her. Her passion for doing what she believes to be right and natural, despite what the government is implementing, left me with a swelling sense of hope. Given our current climate in the times of COVID-19, when the world feels off-kilter, this is exactly the story I needed to bring me back to center.
I originally wrote this review in October 2020, and I am sharing it here for the first time.
The Migration by Helen Marshall is an apocalyptic dystopian novel. An immune disorder affecting only children and young adults has emerged, and the world's top doctors and scientists struggle to understand it. In addition to the arrival of this disease, massive storms and the subsequent flooding are decimating entire cities. Sophie's little sister Kira has never been the same since her diagnosis, and when she dies suddenly, Sophie's entire world shifts. Sophie begins to realize that the information being released by the government is false and incomplete, and after videos are leaked of the recently deceased seemingly still very much alive, Sophie is determined to find out what the government is hiding from the public and what exactly has happened to her sister. Armed with her aunt's research and the help of a young man who volunteers at the hospital, Sophie embarks on a mission to set her sister and those like her free.
When I picked up The Migration, I knew next to nothing about the plot. In fact, had I read the synopsis, I might not have read it. The synopsis reads like a zombie horror story, but it is not that at all. At times haunting and tragic, but at most times touching and inspiring, this novel left me in a surreal state many days after I finished reading it. Surprisingly, this novel is marketed to adults, but I would argue that it may have been better marketed to young adults. Sophie is relatable in her unfaltering devotion to her sister and those like her. Her passion for doing what she believes to be right and natural, despite what the government is implementing, left me with a swelling sense of hope. Given our current climate in the times of COVID-19, when the world feels off-kilter, this is exactly the story I needed to bring me back to center.