The End of October

So, I read this during the COVID-19 pandemic. Right in the middle of it, as the infections in NC are still increasing. Let's start with the book - it's very well done. A pandemic hits the global community and spreads like wildfire. At the heart of the book is a CDC scientist who had worked on bioweapons in his previous career until an event made him realize his research was being used for offense and not defense, so he switched gears to work for the good guys. This book would have grabbed and held my attention even if we were not living through a version of it. This book would be great for book club discussions, as there is a lot to talk about. I would recommend it!
I do want to add my thoughts on reading this book in the current state of the world. We have an author who did research, and found out what might happen with a novel virus that is unleashed in the world, whether intentionally or not. It was shocking that so many things in the storyline have been eerily similar if not exactly what has played out in 2020. If an author was able to figure out what would happen, I am so frustrated and angry that the US government didn't do more in advance of this thing and responding to it. Because if an author had access to all this information, the government does too. Someone somewhere told the people in charge what was coming and what was possible and they didn't react immediately. They still aren't. It's shameful.