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liv_smiithh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
honestly so so gripping, very harrowing after the covid pandemic but was a couple of descriptions short of 5 stars
irenekelly's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
key_si33's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
horthhill's review against another edition
2.0
"We All Fall Down" by Daniel Kalla is a mystery-thriller with a mysterious resurgence of the Black Death being the 'thing' that needs to be solved ... quickly. A special agent specializing in infectious diseases for the World Health Organization and an Italian doctor - the two share a romantic past - hunt down the source as it kills the people of Genoa, Italy. I read the novel during the COVID-19 lockdown. According to the novel, there is a vaccine for the Black Death as well as an effective anti-bacterial treatment. In other words, a Black Death epidemic doesn't seem so thrilling as the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh, well. In this case, the reality outside my door is more thrilling than the fiction inside my novel!
amn028's review against another edition
3.0
An easy mystery read. I thought it was going to fall into a "cookie-cutter" plot, but the author manages to steer clear of most. A strong female lead.
manicfemme's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
“… rats that are immune to plague but can still spread the goddamn Black Death.”
With authors like Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer being a pretty sure bet, the literary arena can be a pretty crowded venue for new authors looking to worm their way into the affections of lovers of the medical thriller genre. But, with no small amount of native pride, I can recommend Canadian author Dan Kalla as being worthy of a place of honour on your shelves.
Those who read medical thrillers regularly are only too aware that the field is chock-a-block full of weary derivative plot lines but in We All Fall Down, Kalla has crafted a barn-burner pandemic possibility tale that has a basis unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. Suffice it to say, without treading into spoiler territory, that Kalla’s frightening scenario revolves around the bubonic and the pneumonic plague. And we’re not talking here about any old garden variety plague. Kalla has built a fascinating novel around the possibility of a DNA reprise of the actual “Black Death” virus that wiped out half of medieval Europe in the 14th century. Kalla has also filled the pages with plenty of other issues that keep the plot moving, compelling, believable and poignant in today’s embattled world – misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, schizophrenia and mental illness, to name only a few.
It’s also worth observing that Kalla is a skilled writer who has a marked ability to convey the science behind his plot in an informative, interesting fashion. No condescension or dumbing down for the masses here. It’s also clear that Kalla’s skills as a thriller writer have come a long, long way since his debut with Pandemic. I’m certainly going to head out to my local bookstore to find one or two of the other novels that formed part of his path between then and now.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
With authors like Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer being a pretty sure bet, the literary arena can be a pretty crowded venue for new authors looking to worm their way into the affections of lovers of the medical thriller genre. But, with no small amount of native pride, I can recommend Canadian author Dan Kalla as being worthy of a place of honour on your shelves.
Those who read medical thrillers regularly are only too aware that the field is chock-a-block full of weary derivative plot lines but in We All Fall Down, Kalla has crafted a barn-burner pandemic possibility tale that has a basis unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. Suffice it to say, without treading into spoiler territory, that Kalla’s frightening scenario revolves around the bubonic and the pneumonic plague. And we’re not talking here about any old garden variety plague. Kalla has built a fascinating novel around the possibility of a DNA reprise of the actual “Black Death” virus that wiped out half of medieval Europe in the 14th century. Kalla has also filled the pages with plenty of other issues that keep the plot moving, compelling, believable and poignant in today’s embattled world – misogyny, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, schizophrenia and mental illness, to name only a few.
It’s also worth observing that Kalla is a skilled writer who has a marked ability to convey the science behind his plot in an informative, interesting fashion. No condescension or dumbing down for the masses here. It’s also clear that Kalla’s skills as a thriller writer have come a long, long way since his debut with Pandemic. I’m certainly going to head out to my local bookstore to find one or two of the other novels that formed part of his path between then and now.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
hockeyceres's review against another edition
3.0
Niente male, ma ammetto di non aver letto le parti dove si ammalano i bambini. Trama coinvolgente, personaggi credibili. Mi è piaciuto, anche se certi tratti non erano necessari.
Fa impressione vedere come in questo libro imperversava letteralmente la peste, ma gli abitanti erano molto più liberi di quanto lo siamo noi nel 2021 e oltre...
Fa impressione vedere come in questo libro imperversava letteralmente la peste, ma gli abitanti erano molto più liberi di quanto lo siamo noi nel 2021 e oltre...
mactammonty's review against another edition
3.0
The juxtaposition of the doctor's plague journal with a modern day plague was good. That was the best part of the entire novel.