Contagion is a dual perspective story focused on Shay, a girl who knows new details concerning the whereabouts of a missing girl, and Callie, you guessed it, the missing girl who’s been captured by someone who resembles Papa from ‘Stranger Things’ to a scary degree. Both girls are existing in a world where a strange disease has gripped most of Scotland, one that’s incredibly contagious (surprise, surprise) and can cause supernatural powers in any survivors. The two girls are brought together by a boy, Callie’s brother and Shay’s love interest, who really just works as The Guy With A Motorcycle.

There’s a lot of potential in all of these things, but the combination of them all felt a little…predictable. The story didn’t take a second to get settled – you’re thrown right in with a countdown at the beginning of every chapter, so your expectations are high for something badass to happen. And it does, it really does, but I couldn’t tell you much of what happened in the second half. I think this definitely fell victim to a first book in the series reading more like a prologue. All the information could have been given in a threatening newspaper article at the start of the second book (which should be the first.)

The main thing that stops me from liking this book, though, is the insta-love. Oh, it was strong. Practically pungent. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book where a couple fall in love that quickly. I think they only knew each other for about two days before they were the most important people in each other’s lives. [And after the ending, it felt like the insta-love was just there to amp up emotional investment, reading for the sequel to follow the classic separate-the-lovers trope.] It didn’t work for me, because I didn’t know the characters well enough on their own, so I couldn’t get behind them as a couple.

Overall, I’m giving Contagion 2 stars. I’m really sad that it’s so low, because I did enjoy the pacing and Callie’s characters as Eleven transplanted into a YA story. But, if one half of the story wasn’t gripping me…I still have hope for the sequel and I can just tell it’s going to be more jam-packed with action and tension, but it was definitely a rocky start to a new series.