Before we start - let’s be clear. This is not the zombie apocalypse. “They’re people infected with a virus that interferes with communication between brain cells, shutting down inhibitions, causing extreme aggression, confusion, terrible hallucinations.” Thanks for that clarification Rams ☺️

Survivor Song takes you right into Natalie’s terror as she and her husband are attacked and she has to go on her journey to safety. And it’s a brutally exhausting journey.

Whilst there are the horror elements (dealt with ease by Temblay), there’s also real emotion here. Natalie’s messages (recorded on her phone) are just heartbreaking and randos Luis and Josh’s “interlude” had me crying. There’s not many zombie......errr people infected with a virus that interferes with communication between brain cells..... stories that have done THAT before. Natalie’s and Ramola’s friendship is the stuff of legend and it’s a story of great sacrifice and love. This is tense, fast paced and will keep you on your toes. Another winner from Tremblay.

"This is not a fairy tale. Certainly it is not one that has been sanitized, homogenized, or Disneyfied, bloodless in every possible sense of the word, beasts and human monsters defanged and claws clipped, the children safe and the children saved, the hard truths harvested from hard lives if not lost then obscured, and purposefully so.

This is not a fairy tale. This is a song."


Paul Tremblay is one of the leading contemporary writers of horror fiction. In Survivor Song he gives us his take on zombie stories. Except that this novel is not about zombies, but about an aggressive, rabies-like virus which is spreading in Massachusetts, turning humans and animals alike into aggressive beasts, before shutting their bodies down.

The novel starts with an adrenaline rush. Heavily-pregnant Natalie and her husband Paul are attacked by an infected neighbour. Paul dies in the scuffle. Natalie is bitten, but manages to narrowly escape her assailant. She calls her paediatrician-friend Dr Ramola “Rams” Sherman for help. The novel is a nail-biting “real time” account of the two women’s mission to get Natalie to hospital, in an attempt to save both mother and baby.

The narrative grips you in the very first pages, and never lets up. Rams, ever the scientist, keeps reminding Natalie (and others) that this is not “a zombie outbreak”. Yet Tremblay borrow many tropes from zombie fiction – the continuous sense of danger, the morphing of usually safe spaces into apocalyptic war-zones and, most poignantly of all, the pain of seeing loved ones turning into deadly monsters.

The continuous action does not leave much opportunity for profound character development, but in a few deft brushstrokes, we are given enough information about the two female protagonists to make us readers care for them. Tremblay does not shy away from visceral, in-your-face horror (there are a couple of gut-wrenching scenes). Yet, what struck me in Survivor Song is its sense of humanity, exemplified by the deep friendship between Natalie and Ramola, and the maternal love of Natalie towards her unborn child.

The novel comes across as a very timely one and it’s hard to believe that it was written prior to Covid-19’s global takeover. I am not suggesting that the rabies-like outbreak is anything like Covid-19. It is more horrific yet, ironically, less insidious. Unlike the novel coronavirus, its deadly effects are so obvious and immediately apparent that no one in their right mind would brush it off as “just a new sort of flu”. Despite the differences, there are some uncanny parallels between the world in Survivor Song and what the world has gone through and is still experiencing – the “lockdown”, the constant fear of infection, the sense of uncertainty about the future, the stupidity of some leaders who should know better, the unbridled egoism of certain individuals (a misguided “survival instinct”?), and, on a more positive note, the flowering of humanity and generosity in moments and places where one would least expect them.

Survivor Song is not a fairy tale. Indeed, the apocalyptic scenario it portrays may be closer to reality than we are willing to admit.

Believe me when I say that I don't like to do this in the slightest. I've been sitting here. In front of this blank page, willing positive things to pop in my mind to say about Paul Tremblay's Survivor Song. Unfortunately, they're not there.

I can tell you what the book is about, which is something that could've potentially been very positive. Tremblay's latest release is about a rabies virus that is spreading through the state of Massachusetts. This disease has a short incubation period and those who are infected lose their minds. It affect animals and humans alike. Needless to say, hospitals are overrun and people are advised to stay at home. We follow Dr. Ramola and her friend Natalie, who is eight months pregnant and who is looking for safety as her husband has been killed and she has been bitten.

We then follow these two characters on their quest from hospital to hospital to find someone to operate on Natalie to deliver her baby.

Sounds great, right? Especially now that we're living through the Corona pandemic. I don't like writing reviews for books that I give a book 1-star rating. When I give a book 2 stars, I can still show people what I didn't like, but what they might like about it. That's not the case here though. Ok, let's just start and see where it goes.

First of all, I didn't like Natalie and Ramola (or Nats and Rams as they annoyingly call each other). I thought they were crude, and completely out-of-touch with their surroundings. Natalie is the worst of both. Her chapters are short rants into her phone for her future baby, which are annoying complaints about the world and about herself.

Tremblay's writing doesn't do them any good either. There are points where he gives us a big back story about why Ramola knows Natalie is sarcastic. I mean, the sentences she speaks are clearly sarcastic almost all the time. It didn't take me ten years to figure out. The fact that it's highlighted further, makes me dislike the characters even more.

Secondly, the side characters all enter the stage swiftly and disappear just as rapidly. I didn't feel any attachment or anything really towards them. Why should I, when I don't even care about the main protagonists?

The language in this book was also too lengthy for some reason. The long descriptions and wordy paragraphs mess up the horror and overall pace of the story.

Thirdly, I didn't find the story itself to be special. A tale about zombies, or people infected with some kind of virus, is as old as time itself. Well, as old as George Romero has been around at least. The fact that it's caused by rabies doesn't add anything for me. I didn't find the animals particularly vicious either. There's nothing that distinguishes this novel from other horror novels in terms of storyline.

The fact that this is some kind of "road trip" novel, doesn't add anything either.

I'm still very thankful to Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy! I will still check out Paul Tremblay's writing in the future. Horror is one of my favourite genres, and he's still and incredibly strong writer.

Paul Tremblay is the only author that keeps me up at night. His books are creepy, compelling and take up residence in my brain. This one is no exception.
Publishing a book about a scary virus and quarantine during a global pandemic is a bit on the nose but since the UK doesn't have rabies thanks to vaccination programs this isn't as terrifying as it could be.
I almost cried over the two young lads in the forest, so moving and sad.
Really compelling storytelling at it's best. Bring on the next up all nighter!

The gist: If you’ve not read a Tremblay book yet then you need to remedy that immediately. Go and pick any of his back catalogue and dive straight in. I could totally stop the review there to be honest, firstly because you’ll be busy reading his books and won’t want interrupting, and secondly because you’ll undoubtedly agree that Tremblay is right up there with the best horror writers about.

Tremblay is one of my go-to authors, one of my insta-gets. His books are addictive, the type of writing you can drown in and that haunts you long after you’ve finished reading. The Cabin at the End of the World was nigh on traumatic, in a beautiful, brutal, searing kind of way.

And Survivor Song, taking a slice of panic, horror and heartbreak set during a rabies(-like) outbreak, is no exception.

Tremblay has a way of getting you to know the characters, to feel their emotional turmoil—feelings are never straightforward, characters are the shades between the good and the bad, their flaws make them real and raw. There’s an honesty behind the characters that isn’t about telling lies or half-truths, it’s about showing and sharing the rough edges that everyone is made of. And so even though you’re not in the book, somehow it almost feels like you are.

And I defy you to read Natalie’s voice-recordings to her unborn child and not get something in your eye.

The bulk of the book only spans a short period of time, in which there’s violence, gore, death and tears, but also friendship, heroes and a touch of comedy (let’s just say don’t call them zombies). It’s tempting to file Survivor Song in with other apocalyptic-style books, but this is really a slice of a moment. It’s a cutting from a time that is not about the end of the world, but about a huge change, an end or a beginning, for the central characters. It's about the experience of horror on an individual level. It’s a personal story, horror on a small scale that hits big.

I won’t say too much more because this is a book you should just go ahead and lose yourself in. Pencil in a day or two with it because you won’t want to put it down.

Then you might need a day or two more to recover.

Favourite line: “They are afraid of saying something that will make them more afraid.”

Read if: You want a slice of horror that cuts a chunk of time out of the world and places it in your mind as if it were part of your own memories.

Read with: Your front door locked, and your groceries safely stowed away.

Review will be posted to www.thedustlounge.com in the next week

In Survivor Song we meet Dr Ramola Sherman - a British doctor living in Massachusetts. In the last few weeks a pandemic has broken out; a very fast acting strain of rabies is sweeping through the nation. It takes as little as an hour for the infected to become violent, frothing at the mouth and seemingly insane. They will do anything to spread the infection by biting anything (or any one) they come into contact with.

When Ramola receives a frantic call from one of her friends, heavily pregnant Natalie, who informs Ramola that her husband has been killed by an infected and in trying to protect him Natalie has ended up being bitten herself. With a rapid countdown to full infection, can Ramola get Natalie to a hospital for treatment before its too late?

This is the first book I have read by Tremblay but I knew that he was a pretty renowned horror author, so I was desperate to read this! I'm not sure if reading about a pandemic whilst living in an actual pandemic is for everyone, but hells teeth this is a bloomin good book! This is almost like a zombie apocalypse, but not quite as there is no returning from the dead.

Tremblay really knows how to build characters that you immediately connect with and care about. As the virus affects both animals and humans there is no end the possiblity of running into something deadly and with the clock ticking until Natalie becomes fully infected, this leads to an incredibly fast paced and tense read. I couldn't put it down.

How far would you go to save your friend? The exploration of Ramola's and Natalie's bond is incredible. There are some dark moments, I even felt bad for the demise of some of the 'zombies' which is rather an incredible fait accompli. At over 300 pages, it flies by as a quick absorbing read.

I don't want to go too much into the ending. But safe to say this isn't my last Tremblay book. I adored it.

A 5 star read for me.

I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The last Tremblay novel I read was The Cabin At The End Of The World, I took it with me whilst I holidayed, in a remote cabin.
(Five star read by the way, an absolutely terrifying home invasion with gay rep, I rec to any horror fan.)
So of course here I am in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic reading all about a pandemic! As if PT's writing isn't atmospheric enough, this adds a whole new layer of immersion. The timing of his book release is wild.

True to form the novel opens with a dirty great BANG. We're given only moments to greet Natalie before disaster strikes in violent glory.
Now I like to think I'm a fast reader but I seriously whizzed through this book, at times I'm not sure I remembered to breathe.

The speed of infection rates, the face masks and the discussion over PPE shortages in the first chapters is uncomfortably similar to life in 2020. Whilst I'm not hiding in my home per se, I am quarantined- so it's easy to imagine the characters claustrophobia and fear of the outside world.

When pregnant Natalie is bitten by the infected the countdown begins. With her best friend and doctor 'Rams' by her side the two race against time across a city in turmoil to deliver both Natalie and her unborn baby safely.

I really enjoyed the way Tremblay worked character development into Survivor Song. Using a phone app Natalie records messages to her unborn child, filling them with anecdotes, advice and random facts about herself, her husband and Rams.
It was an endearing touch and builds a brilliant connection between the reader and characters, heightening the investment and resulting tension.
Watch out for the strategically placed, intentionally blank pages too, my heart skipped a beat!

Survivor Song is both terrifying and beautiful. Highly recommend.

I was so looking forward to Survivor Song and had high hopes for a riveting, unforgettable read but to be perfectly frank, I was underwhelmed. A very promising start with pregnant Natalie and husband Paul fighting off a rabid home invader was let down by the remainder of the book. I wanted — no, needed — something more than just a mad dash to get rabies infected Natalie to hospital before the virus passed to her unborn child. Yes, there were struggles and confrontations along the way but it all fell a bit flat for me.

Underlying themes of friendship, courage and survival are intrinsically woven into the story and I was swept along by a tide of emotion but ultimately felt it lacked a sense of tension or thrills.

Reading at a time when 'pandemic', 'quarantine' and 'lockdown' have become all too familiar and real due to COVID-19, I couldn't help but compare the book to the world's current situation. Not that I'm for one minute suggesting we're all rampaging rabid humanoids!!!

Overall I enjoyed the story and I'm appreciative of the opportunity to read it, but I clearly needed it to be something it wasn't.

I love love love loved Survivor Song. I have read and enjoyed two other Paul Tremblay books and this one is hands down my favourite.

Natalie is heavily pregnant when her husband is killed and she is bitten by a man infected with super rabies. She calls her friend Ramola, a Doctor, to help her. Thus begins the journey through a place infected not only by the virus, but also fear and confusion, hoping to find Help for Natalie and her unborn child.

The friendship and honesty between Natalie and Ramola is the best part of the book, it makes you need to be a part of their journey. It is a brilliantly written story, all I can really say is read it! Read it now!

There have been major murmurings about Paul Tremblay’s latest novel Survivor Song in the horror community for many months now and I am delighted to reveal that this little beauty is worth the hype. This is a rare beast, as on most occasions the final product rarely matches the advance praise and I was riveted for all 336 pages in a book which was so engrossing it felt significantly shorter. This cracker deserves to find an audience beyond the horror community and could easily hijack fans of main-stream thriller audiences and those who simply enjoy a good page-turner. Survivor Song, in a very unassuming manner, blends all these elements in what is bound is one of the stand-out novels of 2020. Hot on the heels of Todd Kesling’s Devil’s Creek, horror fans are spoilt for choice with the sheer quality of titles on the market.

The plot is deceptively simple and can be summed up in a brief paragraph. There is a very powerful and contagious strain of the rabies virus that can be transferred from animals, who get very aggressive, to humans. If not treated immediately it quickly leads to death. Survivor Song kicks off when very little is known about the virus and it specifically covers a town in New England and a brief period of twelve hours. It is an incredibly powerful snapshot of distress, confusion and this location quickly disintegrating before our eyes. Because it is so incredibly realistic, so very ‘now’, this only makes it even more riveting.

One of the great strengths of Survivor Song is the almost documentary feel it radiates, especially in the sequences connected to the hospital where much of the story is set. The reader is a fly on the wall, observing the horrific crash of the bureaucracy which keep hospitals ticking over collapse in a few hours with the spread of the virus. And when the harried and scared medical staff start discussing the lack of PPE you will immediately think of COVID-19!

I’m sure the latter part of 2020 will include a rash of virus ‘inspired’ thrillers and I hope Survivor Song is not lumped in with potential cash-ins, this book was written long before COVID-19 and is all the more scarier because it is so similar to world events. In the background we hear of various statements from an unnamed American President and his failure to act in time and the conspiracy theories which he endorsed. This is an uncanny reflection of the last few months we have all lived.

The plot is built around the powerful and long-standing friendship between paediatrician Ramola Sherman and Natalie who is over eight months pregnant. In the opening stages Natalie’s husband is killed and she is bitten in the attack, Ramola comes to the rescue and the story revolves around the battle to locate the vaccine whilst there is chaos everywhere and all support systems begin to collapse. As Natalie is a doctor, the reader is party to her medical fears and opinions, as the clock ticks and they must decide whether they can save the baby. But at what cost? Scarily, a symptom of the virus is the afflicted speaking disjointedly and eventually gibberish, so be careful what you hear!

This powerful and very human story was loaded with beautiful touches. Although the word ‘zombie’ is used on numerous occasions, this is not a zombie novel, far from it. If you are after a trashy and violent gore fest then this might not be the book for you. Like the best books of its type, for example Alden Bell’s Reapers are the Angels, ultimately it is a tale of people trying to survive and their relationships, not zombies. I loved the many reference’s to Natalie’s overnight bag for her birth, in actual fact I found these references heart-breaking, and the clear symbolism that that everything was far from normal, but that Natalie would still try to hold onto her bag as if it was her last connection with the old world.

Survivor Song is not a violent novel, nor does it need to be when very normal characters are violently ripped from their normal, everyday, lives. Society has lots of unwritten rules that 99% of the population subconsciously follow, one of these is cutting slack for pregnant women. There is a particularly powerful scene in the novel when this norm is thrown out the window and the two women find themselves abandoned and dumped. But do not fret, at least Natalie’s bag is returned to her and ceremoniously ejected from the bus also.

The story is told in the third person from both Natalie’s and Ramola’s point of view, with a few other interludes where the former talks to her unborn child in rambling but moving narratives. Although there are very few other characters, I really loved the teenage boys the two women met along the way. Put yourself into the shoes of a teenage boy if such apocalypse occurs: it is exciting, they want to experience it and believe they will survive if they follow the blueprint shown in The Walking Dead or countless zombie themed computer games. But these boys have heart and their story ends in a strangely moving manner. There are also riveting scenes with ‘zombie foxes’ and other contagious animals, with talk of these animals you might be forgiven for thinking you were reading a Hunter Shea romp! But these scenes are painfully realistic in showing how powerful the virus is.

Like the previous three novels by Paul Tremblay this latest is top heavy with a slightly different style of ambiguity which worked exceptionally well in both A Headful of Ghosts, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock but misfired in The Cabin at the End of the World. He cleverly refuses to give us a ‘big’ picture and we are not permitted a panoramic view of what is going on in England, Australia or the rest of the world. Nor do we need it, the frightening goings on in New England is more than enough.

Survivor Song is an outstanding blend of horror and thriller built around a virus which will have the hair on the back of your neck standing up. From start to finish it is painfully realistic with a level of downbeat inevitability which might bring a tear to the eye.

Unlike every other pandemic novel I've ever read, Survivor Song is not a end of the world tale. Instead it is about a few hours, less then one day, in the life of heavily pregnant Natalie, and her best friend Dr Ramola Sherman, in the middle of a pandemic outbreak of a super rabies. Infected are becoming zombies (as much as Rams keeps telling everyone they are not zombies), hospitals are being overrun, military forces are overwhelmed (and not effective), vigilantes are taking advantage and politicians are saying increasingly stupid things. Obviously the parallels to our COVID world are obvious but I have to presume Tremblay started this book pre-COVID, no author could write something this good in such a short span. The tight time frame ratchets up the tension, turning the plight of the two main characters into a 'just one more page' book that I devoured over two nights. I am not usually a horror reader, (King bores be), but this is the second Tremblay (Cabin at the End of the World) I have very much enjoyed. Another brilliant read from the author that scares even Stephen King.