fuonlyknew

I’ll admit it. The cover art caught my attention first.

Then I read the blurb and had to read Isolation. I love reading about a scenario that could happen, that may be happening as we speak.

Check out Isolation, enjoy my review, and don’t forget to enter the giveaways. Yep, there’s two!

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Publisher: Mill City Press (April 15, 2014)
Category: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Political Thriller, Medical Thriller
ISBN: 13: 978-1-62652-760-7
Tour Dates: June 15-July 30, 2014
Available in: Print and ebook, 383 Pages

MY REVIEW

Imagine not being able to touch yourself or others for fear of punishment. Imagine a world where so many have died from bacterial infection that it’s now a law, strongly enforced, of no touching of any kind.

We already see signs of this in some countries. People going out in public wearing face masks and gloves. Sanitizer stations in business entryways.

The author approaches this clinically and emotionally.

I couldn’t imagine not being able to kiss my babies face, hug a friend, or even wipe the tears from my own face.

For those born before the outbreaks, old habits die hard. It’s a slip of the mind to reach up and scratch your nose if it itches, and if you are spotted, you’re reported and punished.

Enforcers and Sterilizers are recruited and put in place supposedly for your own protection. This is where big brother thinks they know what’s best for everyone. And putting fear into the equation makes most people go along with their mandate.

But there are some who feel differently. Who secretly break the rules. Who dare to want more.

I don’t read reviews for a book until after mine has been published, but I’m betting a lot of people have said the same thing. This could happen and it might not be too far off. How often do you turn on the news and hear about this or that food product being pulled from the shelves because it’s contaminated? How people have sickened from it and even died?

The author approached this scenario with a dystopian and science fiction genre. At least that’s how it felt to me.

While I didn’t have a favorite character, there was one I wish had chosen a different employment, and three I wish could have prevailed together.

The ending is deeply moving. Profound.

I enjoyed this glimpse into a possible future and highly recommend it.

4 STARS

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Isolation depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis.

Touch is outlawed. Mothers like Maggie bind their infants’ hands, terrified they might slip fingers into mouths. Gary, a Sterilizer, uses robots to scour the infected, avoiding all contact with human flesh. Trevor, the Chief Enforcer, watches, eager to report any and all infractions.

One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.

Read or Listen to An Excerpt

Praise for Isolation:

“I was fortunate enough to read a preview copy of Isolation and I have to say it is a timely and thought provoking, if not haunting, look into the future. I can’t imagine simple day-to-day tasks like getting food at the market being either impossible or dangerous. Written from a variety of perspectives and far-reaching communities, it kept the reader wondering, “Could this really happen to me? Could this be part of my world?” This book made me look into the foods I eat, the lifestyle I live and the value of my friends and family. To what extent would I go to keep those I love safe? Looking for answers kept me turning the pages.”– Michelle Keeton

“Denise Stephenson’s novel Isolation is situated in a not-too-distant future, one we can all imagine, in which bacterial diseases decimate human populations world-wide. Though other novelists and filmmakers have relied on viruses to frighten us with tales of pandemic diseases, Stephenson makes bacteria seem much, much more dangerous—in part, because the vast majority of bacteria we come in contact with are necessary for our survival. For one thing, we can’t digest food without the help of bacteria in our stomachs.

In Isolation, government agencies struggle with the question of how to isolate the dangerous bacteria from the life-saving sort. Eventually, hospitals are turned into Anti-Bacterial Centers, robots are used to cleanse individuals who are exposed, touching one’s face is banned, then touching others is banned, and finally everyone is quarantined inside their own homes in a final, desperate attempt to stop the spread of the lethal bacteria. It’s a frightening vision, but each step, each decision, makes perfect sense in light of the threat of contagion.

It’s a gripping tale, at once outrageous and yet plausible. Through news articles, a scientific report and a press release inserted throughout the novel, Stephenson reveals how woefully unprepared American society is for this sort of calamity.

In spite of the doomsday vision the book presents, it remains hopeful and optimistic by focusing on the lives of individuals. In the direst of circumstances, their humanity, their compassion, and their hope shines through.”– Bob Mayberry

“Isolation” paints a bleak picture. In order to keep humankind safe, the government imposes increasingly stricter bans on touching. From Do-not-touch one’s own nose and eyes to, in the end, the Total-Touch-Ban. People live in ever more isolation; at times, confined to their homes like prisoners.

While the prospect of living in, or even reading, about such a world may not sound appealing to everyone, Stephenson’s lovingly created characters, who accompany the reader from the present to a future two to three generations away, confirm that our species can adapt and survive.

Stephenson’s care to give each of her main characters a distinctive voice makes, in turn, the reader care about them; and that is what makes “Isolation” a pleasure to read.”– Irene Gerold

“Isolation gripped me. It’s a mesmerizing dystopia about the quiet and deadly menaces in our lives. These dangers may be hidden in the jargon of the latest government health report, lurking under the frilly curl of a romaine lettuce leaf, or triggered by a minor cut to a finger while using an ordinary kitchen knife. The characters in Isolation are people I know. It was easy to imagine myself as a sister, friend, or neighbor to any of them – or most of them.

I was in the story wondering, “What would I crave? What would I do for my family and my friends? Isolated, what could I do to fight back?” These questions linger.

The story is well paced, well written, and scary. Stephenson’s research is excellent. It provides a persuasive foundation for explaining why the home-bound isolation of the population becomes the awful solution for stopping the spread of disease. The story compelled me to mull my complacency about the safety of our food, drugs, and government promises to always protect our freedom.“- Karen Baum

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About Denise R. Stephenson:

DENISE R. STEPHENSON resides in Oceanside, CA, but she has lived in all the isolated locales of this novel at one time or another. Her publishing history is primarily academic, though as a member of Attention Deficit Drama, she has written and produced monologs and short plays. This is her first novel.

Website: http://denisestephenson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseStephensonIsolation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookArts_Denise

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Buy Isolation:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository

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I have two giveaways today!

You can enter both!

The first one is for an eBook copy of Isolation (Open Internationally)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Would you break the rules of no touching if you were in the privacy of your own home, if no one could see you?”

Now for the second giveaway!

 5 Print copies of Isolation

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Follow the Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 16 Excerpt & Giveaway
Library Educated June 17 Review
Creating Serenity June 18 Review
Room With Books June 18 Interview & Giveaway
Reviews From The Heart June 19 Review & Giveaway
Paranormal Romance & Authors June 24 Review
Always a Book Lover June 25 Guest Post
Lightning Chronicles June 27 Review
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author July 1 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt July 2 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt July 3 Interview & Giveaway
Books & Quilts July 9 Review
Mary’s Cup of Tea July 10 Review & Giveaway
Manic Mama of 2 July 10 Review
TreeHouseJuly 12 Giveaway
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Review
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Interview
Nerdophiles July 15 Review
Nerdophiles July 16 Interview & Giveaway
She Treads Softly July 17 Review
Kritters Ramblings July 18 Review
fuonlyknew July 21 Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway
Open Book Society July 23 Review & Giveaway
Cassandra M’s Place July 24 Review & Giveaway
Giveaways and Glitter July 25 Review
Two Children & a Migraine July 28 Review, Guest Post & Giveaway
JeanzBookReadNReview July 30 Interview & Giveaway
Heart of a Philanthropist July 31 Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!