Blood Mercury
By Malachi King
ISBN# 9781611873788
Author’s Website:  http://www.malachiking.webs.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Angie

Synopsis:

The whole world has been terrorized and we wallow in terrible fear of getting sick. We placed our faith in medicine and now we pray for redemption. That’s why our police kidnap the sick and send them to the furnaces.

After we conquered a return of the Black Death, our scientists celebrated the triumph of modern medicine and the awesome power of antibiotics. But our bodies became weaker and the bugs became stronger and soon they were immune to anything our doctors could throw at them. It wasn’t long until just the right conditions, high mercury levels in our food to be precise, came along and gave the super germs the breeding grounds for the elimination of the human race. That’s what’s happening to the United States; that’s what happening to my family.

First, Dad went missing, presumably dead overseas, then Mom caught the common cold and the Sanitary Police came and took her. Now I’m all alone. And I’m tired of wasting away, day-by-day, waiting for my turn to fall ill and be taken to the incinerators. I’ve decided I’m going to rescue her, even if it means the death of all of us. She deserves it. I deserve it. And the whole world deserves another chance to live. (Amazon)

Review:

In this short story we meet a 17 year old whose life has been turned upside down in a modern world that has been brought to it’s knees by resistant bacteria and viruses. This seemed to be a cautionary tale of what happens when people take for granted their health and safety. For years researchers have been telling us that the over use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers leads to strains of viruses that are resistant “super-bugs.”  So this story brings all those warnings to light and shows what *could* happen.

For me, there was no character development, no connection to the family. I didn’t have a moment where I felt like I was invested in the story.