Before This Is Over by Amanda Hickie

The Blurb On The Back:

A normal family. A quiet, leafy street. A terrifying epidemic.

It’s been coming for a while: a lethal illness. With sons of five and fourteen to look out for Hannah has been stockpiling supplies, despite everyone telling her that it’s unnecessary.

Then it arrives.

At first there are a few unconfirmed cases. Then a death. Now the whole city is quarantined. But Hannah’s family is not yet safe behind their locked front door …

Basics soon become luxuries, and neighbours become hazards. There are power cuts, food shortages and an ever-growing sense of claustrophobia. How will the family cope?

How would you cope?

How far would you go to protect your children?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Amanda Hickie’s debut literary novels mixes pandemic apocalypse with domestic drama to solid effect, creating a suffocating sense of claustrophobia and fear as Hannah is forced into impossible decisions, creating emotional conflict with the people she’s trying to protect at the same time as she searches desperately for information and hope from the outside world.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.