“Jay needed so many things. He needed Maia to be well. He needed a cure for both of them. He needed the world to somehow start making sense again. Above everything, he needed someone to tell him why these terrible things were happening to him.”Seventeen-year-old Jay Harris lives in a world struck down by a deadly virus. His parents are dead, along with half the planet. When Jay’s sister Maia … sister Maia falls ill, he must find a cure before he loses her, too. But unbeknownst to Maia, Jay is also sick… and he’s running out of time to save them both.
When Jay’s friends tell him there might be a cure for him in France, he must decide whether to pursue it. The journey will be difficult and dangerous, especially in his weakened state, but with little time left—for himself and for Maia—it soon becomes clear there’s no other choice.
Jay leaves the relative comfort of London to search for help, knowing he may never find it. Along the way, he experiences the effects of disaster on the bonds of friendship and fluctuating notions of family. These teens, decimated by a dangerous plague, face stark choices in their search for help, not knowing if their efforts will end in loss and pain.
Will Jay and Maia find a cure before the virus takes them?
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It was weird reading a book about a pandemic in the middle of a pandemic XD But I’ve had this on my shelf for years (so long that I still have an old copy!) and it’s a short book, so I thought why not.
This was an emotional read from start to finish. It was easy to relate to all the characters (possibly because it’s so topical right now – we all know what it’s like to go through a pandemic, even if Morgan’s virus is a lot more aggressive) and root for them. One of the late symptoms of this virus is gradual, partial memory loss, and Morgan wrote this beautifully when it was probably not that easy to do–I imagine it sounds easy to write but is tricky in reality to get right.
Because of the subject matter, this isn’t an action-packed book or a fast-paced one, but that does suit the story since two of the main characters are sick and quickly getting sicker. (I don’t think this spoils anything if you’ve read the blurb and know what this book is about!)
Some parts were a little repetitive for me, but that’s personal preference and might be because I have an old copy.
This was the only book by Morgan I hadn’t read yet, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.
Every so often, I decide to pick up a book outside of my usual preferences. This time, I decided to delve into a horror novel, and Blood and Water was my selection. Its compelling relationships and myriad of emotions are shockingly raw, and I was drawn in immediately. Briana Morgan has made a world that’s similar to ours in many ways. Especially now, with the Coronavirus raging around the world, we can see how horrifying pandemics can truly be.
In Blood and Water, Ebola-II is raging around the world, leaving death, sorrow, and copious amounts of blood in its wake. Enter Jay, a boy who has contracted the disease. Jay is resigned to his fate, keeping the truth from his remaining friends and family, but everything changes when he discovers that his sister has contracted it, too. So, with friends and sister in tow, he goes for the only option left to them and heads to one of the only people who can help them find a cure.
Things get complicated as emotions run high, passion is stirred, and relationships are tested. Time is short for Jay and his sister, and the doctor seems to be keeping things from her new patients. Maia is getting sicker much faster than usual, and Jay’s friends are angry and afraid. Everything begins to unravel for all involved. Is there any hope left?
This book has an interesting plot, great characters, and is a picture of humanity in its good and bad states. My only issue is that sometimes the emotions are too fragmented, thus leading to confusion. Still, if you like a slightly-apocalyptic book about a pandemic and the tattered hopes of a group of friends, this is the book for you.
I read BLOOD AND WATER by Briana Morgan in a day (and it was a work day too, so I snuck it at my desk!). I loved this YA thriller-slash-horror-slash-dystopian story. The world is consumed by a plague, a plague Jay, our 17-year-old narrator, thought he was immune to. However, when Jay and his sister Maia get sick, they recruit their friends, Sam and Melanie, to help them. The quartet journey from London to France, in search of a cure.
I loved the teen angst in BLOOD AND WATER. Jay navigates his first feelings of love as he’s in this horrible physical situation. I also enjoyed how the group worked together to help each other, and how they loved each other like family. I was glued to my Kindle as the weirdness and the plot thickened, and Jay had to figure out who to trust. The end is heartbreaking, but hopeful, and you know that these friends have a forever bond that won’t be broken.
Enjoyable, quick read, highly recommended for those who enjoy creepy, yet entertaining YA with relatable characters!