Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Contagion (Contagion, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Contagion

(Contagion #1)

Erin Bowman (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 2,699 ratings · 698 reviews

Perfect for fans of Madeleine Roux, Jonathan Maberry, and horror films like 28 Days Later and Resident Evil, this pulse-pounding, hair-raising, utterly terrifying novel is the first in a duology from the critically acclaimed author of the Taken trilogy.

After receiving a distress call from a drill team on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is sent into deep space to perform ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published July 24th 2018 by HarperTeen

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Contagion, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Feminists Don't Wear Pink (And Other Lies) by Scarlett Curtis

Library list order

94 books — 2 voters

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Space Opera Shenanigans

65 books — 10 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.89 ·

Rating details

· 2,699 ratings · 698 reviews

More filters

Sort order

May 13, 2017 Elise (TheBookishActress) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-released-2018, that-gay-genre-fiction-content, genre-scifi-dystopias, books-read-2018, 3-star, that-lgbtq-rep-tho, that-rep-of-characters-of-color, marked-as-arcs, that-disability-representation

I am quite sure this will work perfectly for a certain kind of reader. Contagion is a very, very fast-paced sci-fi horror novel about a plague and several deaths. As such, this might be good for fans of fast-paced scifi like Heart of Iron, or maybe more suspenseful scifi like The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. But it didn’t give me the same punch I wanted, and that cliffhanger ending on what is essentially a thriller just does not work for me.

I’m tired and behind on reviews, so here’s a quick ...more

flag 119 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2017 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi, owned-digital, horror

#1 Contagion ★★★★★
#2 Immunity ★★★★☆

I am a huge fan of sci-fi/horror mash-up stories, whether they’re in books, film, whatever, and after how much I enjoyed Erin Bowman’s Vengeance Road duology last year, I knew I had to check this out! It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2018, but I was also a little bit nervous because I wasn’t 100% sure whether Erin’s writing would translate as well to this setting.

It got in us and most are dead. Decklan flew for help. Don’t trust the kid.

Thankfu ...more

flag 104 likes · Like · see review

May 09, 2018 joanna ☽ the little brown fairy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, rtc, stabby-stab-stab, favorites, young-adult, dark-stuff, made-me-think

Firstly: I can’t wait for 2019. The sequel for this is going to be amazing. I can already feel it.

This was honestly such a fantastic, gripping story; it kept me up reading all night, even though I knew what the consequences would be in the morning. (They were not pretty consequences.) It’s one of those rare books that steals your breath and holds you so tightly that you’re afraid to tear your eyes away from the pages even for a second.

You can read my full review here on starburnt reads!

“IT GOT

...more

flag 92 likes · Like · see review

Dec 06, 2016 Erin Bowman marked it as books-i-wrote · (Review from the author)

Contagion will be my next book after Retribution Rails and it couldn't be more different. This tends to be a trend of mine; I write in one genre and then follow it up with something polar opposite. I'm currently in the middle of a major revision, but let me get a few frequently asked questions out of the way:

The current description is really vague. Who are these two teens?
Thea Sadik, an ambitious seventeen-year-old with a love for science, and Nova Singh, a high-school dropout with piloting expe ...more

flag 58 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2019 megs_bookrack rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own-to-read, ya-science-fiction-to-read

**4.5-stars**

OHHHH BABY!!!

What a great cliffhanger ending!

I am so damn glad I already own the sequel. I need to be picking that up ASAP.

Full review to come...stay tuned!!!

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2017 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi, read-in-2018

I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this when I started the novel, but this is the first of a duology. After I finished this and realize there would be a sequel, I was bummed. There is just something about a solid standalone YA sci-fi/horror novel that sounded like exactly what I needed, but clearly I was wrong about the standalone part. Anyway, now you know there’s a sequel, so no disappointment for you.

Set in the future, where humans have colonized on planets out in space and the discovery of a I’m not sure why I didn’t realize this when I started the novel, but this is the first of a duology. After I finished this and realize there would be a sequel, I was bummed. There is just something about a solid standalone YA sci-fi/horror novel that sounded like exactly what I needed, but clearly I was wrong about the standalone part. Anyway, now you know there’s a sequel, so no disappointment for you.

Set in the future, where humans have colonized on planets out in space and the discovery of a sustainable energy source, corrarium, results in tensions among the planets. Hevetz Industries is the largest supplier of corrarium and is constantly in search of new locations where corrarium could be present leading to the events of this book..

A crew of individuals including a scientist with a mysterious past (Lisbeth) and her intern (Thea), an unqualified captain due to nepotism (Dylan), a temp pilot (Nova), mechanic (Sullivan), and a couple tech guys (Toby & Cleaver) all stationed at a research facility are being sent on a rescue mission to a planet deemed uninhabitable after Hevetz received an SOS and decided this group was the closest to answer the distress call.

No one is excited about this mission. Except for maybe Dylan who is concerned about her father who is among the team that sent out the SOS. Hearing where they are headed only freaks everyone out more. How is it even possible that they are drilling for corrarium there? The last time anyone was on Achyls, everyone died except for the child of two scientists. No one ever figured out what happened. Oh, and that child is now the scientist with the mysterious past. What happened back then? And why is Lisbeth so scared to return?

This one definitely has creepy vibes throughout. I was on the edge of my seat with suspense trying to figure out what was happening. In ways, I got 172 Hours on the Moon vibes. Although, that one spooked me way more. There are some things that still need explaining, but being that there is a sequel, I can’t speak on how much it all makes sense quite yet.

I will say that Erin Bowman has proved she has genre range. The last book I read from her was Vengeance Road which is very, very different from this. ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2018 ✨Brithanie Faith✨ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

"Follow the bloody footprints, they said. What could go wrong, they said." Quite a lot apparently. 😂

4.25/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25

description

Favorite Quotes:

"Numbers and data made sense, but people were impossible."

"Impossible is just an excuse not to try," Nova said. "You break it down into little steps, and then it becomes a bunch of things you can tackle. Possible things."

Pros:

❇Normally when I see "recommended for fans of-" blurbed, or mentioned while describing a new release I find that to be a huge turnoff, be ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

May 27, 2017 Jodi Meadows rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

CONTAGION perfectly toes the line between science fiction thriller and horror. I couldn't stop reading.

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Nov 21, 2018 Kat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-2, favorites

This is SUPER well-written, a sci-fi zombie story set in space where a rescue crew is sent to investigate a drill site that has sent a distress call. This site is located two MONTHS away by hyper-space, and they’re the closest crew, so you get a real sense of the isolation. It’s set on a barren, violent-weather-tortured rock and as soon as the crew gets there they can tell something is Not. Right.

The pacing is amazing, both the sense of suspense and “what the heck is going on here?” as the crew ...more

flag 32 likes · Like · see review

Jul 09, 2018 Stacee rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: skimmidy-skim-skim-skim, read-in-2018, edelweiss

I was insane with excitement when I read this synopsis as it has everything I love: mass infection and possible zombies. Sadly I was disappointed.

My main complaint about this book is the multiple POVs. There are several — more than what is necessary, in my opinion — and because of that, I didn’t get to know any of the characters. Everyone felt shallow. The minor details we did get wasn’t enough to make me root for anyone.

Plot wise it was okay. The first 40% or so of the story is dry and boring ...more

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Jul 17, 2019 Yodamom rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, cliffhanger-craptastic-ending

Funtastic space horror, fun times, so many die, the bodies piled high. Intense action, mystery, and more dead bodies. Don't love any of them, they may be dead on the next page. You have been warned.
Seriously, this was a good read for me. I loved reading it, I even read it slow in bits because I needed to step back and reflect (relax) on what I just read. I ordered book 2 before I even finished this one.

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2018 Adah Udechukwu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved every moment of Contagion. I'm sure book 2 will be as great as book 1

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2018 Empress Reece (Hooked on Books) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-releases, first-in-series, horror, sci-fi, outer-space, ya, own-it, zzexp-2018-read, zombies, survival

3.5 stars...

I loved Bowan's other series so I was expecting to really like this one too. I tried several times though to listen to the audiobook and couldn't get into the narrator so I ended up just reading it. It was fairly entertaining once I finally got into it which actually happened when Coen came into the picture. He was definitely my favorite character of the bunch.

Even though this book didn't produce any overwhelming emotions or anything from me, I'm dying to read the next book just to ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2018 Hollis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, arc, scifi, 2018-reads, ebook, lgbtqia, finished-in-june-2018, horror, not-a-bunch-of-twenty-somethings, thriller

I was so so excited to dive into CONTAGION because I enjoyed Bowman's Vengeance Road series, so I was familiar with her writing, and I am so here for more good YA sci-fi. Throw in some horror and creep factor of a virus that has taken over a space station and the rescue crew hired to investigate? I'm trash for it.

But it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Why? Because half the characters are either dumb or unlikeable. I was more or less fine with the plot, it was at turns thrilling and eeri ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2018 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, review-copy, science-fiction, audiobook, horror, young-adult, edelweiss

3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/08/04/...

Contagion by Erin Bowman stars the ragtag crew of the Odyssey, a mining ship that responds to an SOS at a seemingly deserted base on a remote planet. Led by their determined by green captain Dylan Lowe, the team immediately begins searching for survivors but instead find a pile of dead bodies. The ship’s doctor, microbiologist Dr. Lisbeth Tarlow appears baffled at the cause of all the death and carnage, but her seventeen-y 3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/08/04/...

Contagion by Erin Bowman stars the ragtag crew of the Odyssey, a mining ship that responds to an SOS at a seemingly deserted base on a remote planet. Led by their determined by green captain Dylan Lowe, the team immediately begins searching for survivors but instead find a pile of dead bodies. The ship’s doctor, microbiologist Dr. Lisbeth Tarlow appears baffled at the cause of all the death and carnage, but her seventeen-year-old intern Thea Sadik suspects her mentor may know more than she lets on.

Meanwhile, the Odyssey’s pilot Nova Singh struggles with her developing feelings for Dylan, even as the headstrong captain makes increasingly impulsive decisions that endanger her people. On the planet, the crew also finds a disturbing message along with a chilling video made by one of the personnel before he died. Not long afterwards, the group is separated and Thea’s life is saved by a mysterious young man who claims to be the only survivor. But who is he and where did he come from? How did he stay alive when no one else was spared by whatever killed them? Finding the answers becomes imperative as one of the Odyssey’s crew suddenly becomes infected with an unknown contagion, putting all of their lives at risk unless the outbreak can be contained.

As someone who has seen my fair share of sci-fi/horror movies, books, games, comics etc. featuring some variation of the space zombie, I have to say Contagion was pretty mediocre and only mildly entertaining. To be fair, it’s tough to write a book like this, precisely because it’s been done before…so many times before. Some authors attempt to spin the story a different way, or offer something unique as a hook. Personally, I love that. It’s what keeps me coming back to this genre. The problem here though, was I just didn’t see anything too special. Bowman’s a great writer, and certainly I would put her prose at a level above the typical YA novel, but truth be told, her atmosphere and suspense building could have been better, and any fan of horror will tell you, those two things are kind of a biggie.

That said, it’s clear the author wanted the strength of her novel to be in her characters. She’s populated Contagion with a diverse cast, who were for the most part interesting to read about. Where the story stumbles, however, is the narrative mode. Told in third-person omniscient, we are bounced between POVs to cover no less than half a dozen of the crew members when really there’s only a handful of characters readers are made to care about. The rest felt like distraction and served to weaken the character development as a whole. I want to say I liked the characters, but the reality is I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them too well, and no one really stood out as all that unique or special. Kind of like this book (even though it makes me feel crummy to say it).

The action is what drove much of the entertainment. Even then, the suspense was a bit muted because I wasn’t invested enough in the characters to feel the full emotional impact even when terrible stuff happened to them, but at least the story wasn’t boring. The world was also intriguing, though I have the feeling we’ve only scratched the surface. The hints of political intrigue and corporate conspiracies given here don’t play much into the plot, though I wish they had. The ending also closes on a rather blunt “to be continued”, so I assume much of the set-up here will be elaborated upon in the sequel.

Ultimately, I found Contagion to be a very middle-of-the-road read—entertaining enough, but nothing special to write home about. Still, despite my mixed feelings, I have not dismissed the possibility of continuing with the series, though I’ll probably wait to read a few reviews of the next book before making my decision.

Audiobook Comments: I think Amy McFadden did a great job narrating, but some books just beg for multiple narrators. Given the number of characters in Contagion and their different personalities and voices, the addition of more narrators here probably would have benefited the flow of the story and increased my interest, but overall I still enjoyed the listen. ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2018 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Contagion by Erin Bowman is an audible book I picked up from the library. I fell in love with this intriguing take right away. I like a good mystery mixed with my science fiction, throw in a deadly unknown killing factor, people who may not be what or who they say they are, crooked business or governments, and lots of suspense and that is my mind of book! This is all that and more!
The narration complements the book perfectly too! Really made the book that much better! Tremendous job one voices, ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2018 Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, young-adult, horror

From the very moment I laid eyes on the premise of this story, I knew it was going to be a good read! A mixture of horror and spacey sci-fi was just what I was looking for, and in return, I got a whole lot more than I initially anticipated.

Contagion starts with a bang and keeps going with a quick and unrelenting pace right up until the finale! It is non-stop action from the get go, and even the slower moments are just a way to pause before building up the thrill and suspense again.

Very easy to ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Aug 23, 2018 Ashley (pawingthroughpages) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I will say the beginning was a little confusing and it was too many characters to keep tabs of. Progressively this did get easier to track what was going on and kept me engaged. I will continue with the concluding book next year!

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2019 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-read

3.5 stars

I found this pretty enjoyable overall. It's fast paced with a lot of action. I agree with the critique that the story feels somewhat derivative, but that didn't keep me from being reasonably engaged.

What I didn't like was how over-the-top the Captain was, and this is what brought the rating down for me. The whole situation was dangerous and tense, so there wasn't much need to have the character in charge also be irresponsible and foolish with the lives of her subordinates to make things ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2019 Gigi H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5 stars (rounded up)

This was like Guardians Of The Galaxy meets The Walking Dead. Except everyone on the ship is human.

I'm a newbie to reading Sci-Fi and after the last 2 tragic DNF's (The Luminous Dead & Aurora Rising), I was starting to lose faith in the genre. But this..It kept me up all hours of the night reading!

I really enjoyed the alternating timelines and POV's. The last 30% of the book was an intense ride. I had the same adrenaline rush as when I watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

T ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2019 Hillary marked it as dnf-zone · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

DNF 11% | 09/03/19

This is my third dnf of the month and I don’t know if I should worry about a reading slump coming or if it’s just bad luck in picking books to read.

This was just not for me. The first bit (prologue?) grabbed my attention, but 2 pages into the real first chapter I realized already that I didn’t like the writing style. But I kept going. Some pages after that I noticed the confusing and sudden switching of points of view, of which I learned there are a freaking lot. Though, the ki ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2018 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: action, sci-fi, horror

As I was reading Contagion I kept thinking that this would make a much more interesting movie than it does a book. It feels very much like a horror movie you would see on the big screen. It has space ships, a distant inhospitable planet, zombies, and dumb characters with no damn sense. Reading this story rather than watching it made it harder to follow. I’m not really making sense here. The point I’m trying to make is that this is an incredibly visual story so telling it without visuals doesn’t As I was reading Contagion I kept thinking that this would make a much more interesting movie than it does a book. It feels very much like a horror movie you would see on the big screen. It has space ships, a distant inhospitable planet, zombies, and dumb characters with no damn sense. Reading this story rather than watching it made it harder to follow. I’m not really making sense here. The point I’m trying to make is that this is an incredibly visual story so telling it without visuals doesn’t help the story become any better.

Speaking of dumb characters… It was a bit astounding how willfully dumb these people could be. For example, if you see a mountain of dead bodies your first thought should be to get away from it not “let’s go poke it and see what happens.” Seeing them continually ignore facts and blatant red flags left me feeling like there general vibe was this:

I don’t feel like I ever really got to know the characters. There was effort made in the character development but I think the issue was that there were too many characters and too many perspectives used to tell the story. I think if maybe we whittled that narrator count down to one with highlights from the second, it could have been more dynamic. I understand the need for multiple perspectives because often times the characters are separated and multiple events are happening simultaneously. However, that approach may work better for a cinematic setting more so that a literary one.

Also, it’s strange that it’s being marketed as a YA novel. It can be read by teens and I’m sure they would enjoy it. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for younger teens since overall the story is fairly terrifying and much of content is graphically violent and gory. Further, almost all of the characters in Contagion are adults and only two of them are 17. It felt a bit more like an adult book that got a bit diluted so it could spread its appeal to a wider age range for its audience. I think it could have gone that extra step and made it an “adult” novel and it would have been excellent. ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2019 Lindsay rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

An exceptionally derivative science fiction horror story.

On the distant planet of Achlys the Black Quarry mining crew has sent an SOS which is received by its parent company. Odyssey, a small ship and crew, is sent to investigate with larger backup not far behind. When the ship gets to Achlys, it becomes apparent that there's been a disaster at the Black Quarry site, on the huge research ship Celestial Envoy and the rest of the planet. The team do find a survivor, but only shortly after finding ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2019 laurel [suspected bibliophile] rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-read, poc-mc, lgbtq, ya-books, sci-fi, horror, zombies

When a distress call comes out from a lone planet in the far reaches of space, only one drilling team can respond in time—but soon the occupants realize that their captain has an ulterior motive for responding so fast. And one of their crew holds a deadly secret about the planet Alchys.

This was creepy as hell and a thrill a minute and I really enjoyed it!

I think the biggest enjoyment was that there was no romance bogging down the plot (there's a hint of potential, but thankfully the heavy use of ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2019 Veronique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: stars-4-0, 2019

3.75*

This YA-scifi-horror novel turned out to be a fun and very easy read. From the beginning, you cannot help yourself making parallels with Aliens (second film): a disparate crew is re-directed to investigate an SOS message from a mining crew on a fringe planet. Naturally, when they get there, they find the quarry site abandoned, that is until they stumble on the first dead body...

The characters also echoed stereotypes we’ve seen in many films. And yet, I couldn’t help being entertained watchi ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2019 Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own-kindle, 2019-read, e-books, 2018-release

Really enjoyed this one! I’ve been craving sci-fi’s and this so hit the spot!

I hope to get a copy of immunity soon because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Sep 06, 2018 Ashlee » Library In The Country rated it it was amazing

This book was so cool and is the sci-if thriller I hoped it would be!

If you loved the Illuminae files (particularly Gemina), Alien, Life and Even Horizon I highly recommend this!

RTC!

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jul 10, 2018 Heather (The Sassy Book Geek) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

Review Originally Posted On The Sassy Book Geek

****Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review****

Prepare for a 100% gushing review because this book was perfection! I was blown away by how amazing and addictive this story was, I literally could not put it down! I cannot wait for the sequel now and if you’re a fan of sci-fi horror I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Also just a quick sort of side note here: this is very differen ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2018 Nara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, reviewed, owned-ebook, for-review, edelweiss, sci-fi

Contagion fits in that nice little YA scifi horror niche that I'm sure there are many fans of. I actually really love this type of story where the protagonists need to find the mystery of some sort of disease or a weird alien species and stop it before everyone in the crew dies.

I thought Bowman did an excellent job of pacing out the story so that you are kept on the edge of your seat throughout the entire novel. It does start of quite slowly, building up to that point where you know something ho ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2019 Alaina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, mystery, horror, september-2019, 2019-ng-group-challenge, audiobook, fantasy, young-adult, fiction

I NEED TO READ BOOK TWO ASAP!

Contagion was so freaking good! I've been wanting to read this for a while so when I got the chance to get the audio - I didn't hesitate one freaking bit! It was so good guys! I can't believe I waited so long to dive into it.

I will admit thought that beginning was a little rough patch for me. With all the info dumping and ya know.. being bored out of mind - I almost pressed paused and dove into another book. YET, I didn't because I was lazy and had no idea what I wan ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Contagion Series Read - Starting with Contagion #1 - October 1st, 2019	10	9	Oct 03, 2019 05:25PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Contagion by Erin Bowman - Restarting August 28th 2018	15	45	Aug 31, 2018 11:38PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Science Fiction

287 users

Young Adult

240 users

Horror

224 users

See top shelves…

About Erin Bowman

Erin Bowman

1,701 followers

Erin Bowman is the critically acclaimed author of numerous books for teens, including the Taken Trilogy, Vengeance Road, Retribution Rails, and the Edgar Award-nominated Contagion duology. A web designer turned author, Erin has always been invested in telling stories—both visually and with words. When not writing, she can often be found hiking, commenting on good typography, and obsessing over all ...more