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The Spread
Aboard the Talbot Yacht, twenty party goers suddenly fall unconscious at the same time. Placed into quarantine, it is soon believed their incident was caused by a gas leak and they are released.
It is much more.
Epidemiologist Mark Reign knows it was more than a carbon monoxide incident, but he can’t prove it. Other than his gut instinct he has nothing to prove it and releases the people from quarantine.
Mark soon finds out that the Talbot is not the only incident. Similar events over the course of a few days happen globally. Those rendered unconscious are now the first wave delivery system of something old and something believed to be long since buried for over a hundred years.
The spread is underway, sweeping across the globe pushing mankind to the brink of extinction and Mark, along with others in his field are at a loss at how to stop it.
It is much more.
Epidemiologist Mark Reign knows it was more than a carbon monoxide incident, but he can’t prove it. Other than his gut instinct he has nothing to prove it and releases the people from quarantine.
Mark soon finds out that the Talbot is not the only incident. Similar events over the course of a few days happen globally. Those rendered unconscious are now the first wave delivery system of something old and something believed to be long since buried for over a hundred years.
The spread is underway, sweeping across the globe pushing mankind to the brink of extinction and Mark, along with others in his field are at a loss at how to stop it.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2022
445 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 24, 2023
Usually I really enjoy Ms. Druga’s books and can overlook the no editing, but this one was over the top and just an insult to anyone who paid money and invested the time to read it. It’s like she spent a few hours throwing the book together and published the first draft without even checking it at all! The “sickness” was a little too complicated to believe and the details were repeated over and over again. I didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters and couldn’t wait for the book to end. Please, Ms. Druga...you have so many great ideas and books, please spend a little more time on continuity and editing and simple punctuation like question marks. Your readers shouldn’t have to struggle through your book, rereading sentences to figure out what you meant to say, because you left out words, used the wrong words or wrong character’s name, used the wrong grammar, or didn’t use the right punctuation. For example...forty clock hour instead of forty eighth hour? Devasting instead devastating? Please, please reread before publishing or have others do some editing so your readers will want to purchase another book from you and won’t feel like they wasted their money. We all want to read your books and see what story you come up with next!
December 8, 2022
Well done.
Every time I read a Jacqueline Druga book, I walk away with an original story that is different and unique. I don't know where Ms. Drugs gets these ideas and believe me, some are strange and obscure.....but always something no one has written before. No cookie cutter storyline. Yep. Always a tad strange and definitely unique. Truly a master storyteller.
Every time I read a Jacqueline Druga book, I walk away with an original story that is different and unique. I don't know where Ms. Drugs gets these ideas and believe me, some are strange and obscure.....but always something no one has written before. No cookie cutter storyline. Yep. Always a tad strange and definitely unique. Truly a master storyteller.
December 28, 2023
Too many editing errors and a plot all over the place. Giving up on this one.
March 13, 2023
The Spread
Post-apocalyptic
Jacqueline Druga
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I read the synopsis for this book, I was immediately intrigued because I haven't read anything quite like this before.
The beginning was quite slow due to the world building and setting up the characters. At around 35%, it started to get more interesting as things began to unravel and situations got worse.
There are POVs from quite a few different characters, at different locations and the writer does a really good job of keeping them clear so that they don't get mixed up or confusing. I liked how some of the POVs actually intertwined as the book progressed and I got to know the relationships between some of the characters.
The pacing was very good. I was kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next as the parasites progressed. I couldn't put this book down and actually stayed up until the early hours of the morning just to finish it.
I did notice that throughout this book there were so many typos or errors and sometimes the wrong words were used. This made it a little tricky to read sometimes as I had to guess what the author actually meant and it would pull me out of the story.
I think this book would definitely benefit from another round of editing or two. It would be a lot easier to read, the writing would flow a lot more smoothly and it would just make reading this book even more enjoyable.
The ending was good and I would actually like a sequel.
I'll definitely be checking out the other books by this author.
Post-apocalyptic
Jacqueline Druga
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I read the synopsis for this book, I was immediately intrigued because I haven't read anything quite like this before.
The beginning was quite slow due to the world building and setting up the characters. At around 35%, it started to get more interesting as things began to unravel and situations got worse.
There are POVs from quite a few different characters, at different locations and the writer does a really good job of keeping them clear so that they don't get mixed up or confusing. I liked how some of the POVs actually intertwined as the book progressed and I got to know the relationships between some of the characters.
The pacing was very good. I was kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next as the parasites progressed. I couldn't put this book down and actually stayed up until the early hours of the morning just to finish it.
I did notice that throughout this book there were so many typos or errors and sometimes the wrong words were used. This made it a little tricky to read sometimes as I had to guess what the author actually meant and it would pull me out of the story.
I think this book would definitely benefit from another round of editing or two. It would be a lot easier to read, the writing would flow a lot more smoothly and it would just make reading this book even more enjoyable.
The ending was good and I would actually like a sequel.
I'll definitely be checking out the other books by this author.
March 26, 2023
Let's just ignore the poor editing for the time being shall we?
This is another intriguing take on a pandemic that threatens to wipe out the world. Except that this time it's not a disease but a parasite breaking havoc on humanity. It doesn't take long for the action to begin as we follow several characters as they try to find the cause and a cure. Despite the virus having some definite shortcomings, human behavior exacerbates the situation.
The characters are okay. Mark, however, has a 99.9% success rate at identifying someone malady but is stumped by this infection. I am not sure why such a big deal is made of this guy given that he even misses some logical leaps that non-science types need to point out to him.
It amazes me how Druga comes up with these clever plot lines. The only thing that could make the books even better is the editing. Jacqueline, either fire your current editor or hire a decent one because it detracts from the great stories as one tries to parse the spelling and grammar errors.
This is another intriguing take on a pandemic that threatens to wipe out the world. Except that this time it's not a disease but a parasite breaking havoc on humanity. It doesn't take long for the action to begin as we follow several characters as they try to find the cause and a cure. Despite the virus having some definite shortcomings, human behavior exacerbates the situation.
The characters are okay. Mark, however, has a 99.9% success rate at identifying someone malady but is stumped by this infection. I am not sure why such a big deal is made of this guy given that he even misses some logical leaps that non-science types need to point out to him.
It amazes me how Druga comes up with these clever plot lines. The only thing that could make the books even better is the editing. Jacqueline, either fire your current editor or hire a decent one because it detracts from the great stories as one tries to parse the spelling and grammar errors.
September 28, 2023
Typos galore - author doesn't care - all of her books are like this
I downloaded this book without checking who the author was. After reading a few pages and seeing typos, I checked, and sure enough It was Jacqueline.. I had read a couple of her other books that had so many errors it was painful to read. I was not the only one who reviewed poorly because of it. There are commas missing in sentences, words missing, and very bad punctuation. If the author does not care enough about her work, I do not care enough to read any of her books. If you are the type that's not bothered by that, go right ahead. But if you are, it is too difficult. I didn't even read the book once I realized who the author was. I merely skimmed it to see how many errors I could find, kind of like a word search LOL But I am done with this author. She should care enough to make it an easy read. Finding a proof reader is not that hard.
I downloaded this book without checking who the author was. After reading a few pages and seeing typos, I checked, and sure enough It was Jacqueline.. I had read a couple of her other books that had so many errors it was painful to read. I was not the only one who reviewed poorly because of it. There are commas missing in sentences, words missing, and very bad punctuation. If the author does not care enough about her work, I do not care enough to read any of her books. If you are the type that's not bothered by that, go right ahead. But if you are, it is too difficult. I didn't even read the book once I realized who the author was. I merely skimmed it to see how many errors I could find, kind of like a word search LOL But I am done with this author. She should care enough to make it an easy read. Finding a proof reader is not that hard.
March 9, 2024
The importance of spellcheck and a good editor
The storyline is is so interesting but so poorly executed. First of all, the number of spelling errors and wrong words and sometimes grammatical oddities is incomprehensible. I know your have other wonderful works so I have to assume that this is an early novel in your author’s journey. Even if you have moved on, it’s necessary for you to come back and fix these basic errors. It makes the story almost illegible.
My other beef is not using the plot to explain why all of a sudden credentialed scientists would accept Jude’s, the plague hunter, explanation of how the virus works. There are some leaps of faith that are quite unbelievable in this story. But having said that I enjoyed it and read it all the way through in spite of all the difficulties.
I so enjoyed the “My Dead World” series so I’m aware of how good a writer you can be. Please come back someday and fix this one for others to read.
The storyline is is so interesting but so poorly executed. First of all, the number of spelling errors and wrong words and sometimes grammatical oddities is incomprehensible. I know your have other wonderful works so I have to assume that this is an early novel in your author’s journey. Even if you have moved on, it’s necessary for you to come back and fix these basic errors. It makes the story almost illegible.
My other beef is not using the plot to explain why all of a sudden credentialed scientists would accept Jude’s, the plague hunter, explanation of how the virus works. There are some leaps of faith that are quite unbelievable in this story. But having said that I enjoyed it and read it all the way through in spite of all the difficulties.
I so enjoyed the “My Dead World” series so I’m aware of how good a writer you can be. Please come back someday and fix this one for others to read.
February 19, 2023
This is another unique taken on a pandemic type of apocalypse. I found most of the characters appealing though in a couple of instances, they were just "red shirts" with a limited lifespan in the book-literally. This author excels at interesting and different stories, but sadly not at editing or error-free writing. There are typos, misused words, incorrect punctuation throughout. Martie, the chef, initially indicates that her two children were boys, but then suddenly one is a daughter named Rose; then they are boys again. Most of these errors should have been caught with a normal proofreading and I does bother me to have such a gifted storyteller have no interest in the technical execution of her craft. An yeah...I won't be eating rice noodles for a while.
February 13, 2023
great story
As always, the author provides us with a great story that really kept me interested, and made me read far past my bedtime. It was a very interesting promise, and executed very well.
However, the multitude of errors found throughout the book in both context, grammar and spelling made it hard to get through at some points. It’s really sad because she is a good author and if this were the first time I had read her, I wouldn’t make it a repeat mistake. But because I know that she is a good author, I will continue to read her works. For the love of Pete, please get a proofreader .
As always, the author provides us with a great story that really kept me interested, and made me read far past my bedtime. It was a very interesting promise, and executed very well.
However, the multitude of errors found throughout the book in both context, grammar and spelling made it hard to get through at some points. It’s really sad because she is a good author and if this were the first time I had read her, I wouldn’t make it a repeat mistake. But because I know that she is a good author, I will continue to read her works. For the love of Pete, please get a proofreader .
March 8, 2023
Get an editor!
I’ve read many of Ms. Druga’s books, but ultimately had to stop because of the multitudes of grammar errors, word usage mistakes (shutter instead of shudder), and overall lack of editing, but this one takes not only the cake, but the whole bakery with how bad it is. It was agonizing to read. It seemed that Ms. Druga used a “speech to word” software, and didn’t bother to read her work before sending it off. Her story lines are intriguing, but I won’t be reading any more of her books. If you value coherent sentences, correct word usage, and, at the very least, good editing, you will avoid her library of books as well.
I’ve read many of Ms. Druga’s books, but ultimately had to stop because of the multitudes of grammar errors, word usage mistakes (shutter instead of shudder), and overall lack of editing, but this one takes not only the cake, but the whole bakery with how bad it is. It was agonizing to read. It seemed that Ms. Druga used a “speech to word” software, and didn’t bother to read her work before sending it off. Her story lines are intriguing, but I won’t be reading any more of her books. If you value coherent sentences, correct word usage, and, at the very least, good editing, you will avoid her library of books as well.
June 28, 2023
Another good story ruined by atrocious editing
Sadly, I have to give up with this author. This is the third Druga book that I have read, and whilst each have been good stories, the terrible spelling, grammar, comprehension, punctuation and continuity have ruined my reading experience. Such a shame that this author doesn't have enough pride in her work to have it proof read before publication. Like most people, I can forgive a few mistakes but this book is riddled with errors with the result that I just couldn't relax into the story. With regret, this author is blacklisted for me now.
Sadly, I have to give up with this author. This is the third Druga book that I have read, and whilst each have been good stories, the terrible spelling, grammar, comprehension, punctuation and continuity have ruined my reading experience. Such a shame that this author doesn't have enough pride in her work to have it proof read before publication. Like most people, I can forgive a few mistakes but this book is riddled with errors with the result that I just couldn't relax into the story. With regret, this author is blacklisted for me now.
September 26, 2024
Ok book but an error on nearly every page
I enjoyed the story, but there was an error on almost every page, there was literally an error on every single page for about the last 40% of the book. Either a missing word, a typo, or a grammatical error. Those kinds of things really pull me out of the story because I have to think about what the correct word is supposed to be. You can't just write a book with spell check, real words will always get through, even if they aren't the correct real word. I know no one has an editor anymore, but that's why you have to get better at editing your own material, and I don't say it to be mean, I say it as a writer myself.
I enjoyed the story, but there was an error on almost every page, there was literally an error on every single page for about the last 40% of the book. Either a missing word, a typo, or a grammatical error. Those kinds of things really pull me out of the story because I have to think about what the correct word is supposed to be. You can't just write a book with spell check, real words will always get through, even if they aren't the correct real word. I know no one has an editor anymore, but that's why you have to get better at editing your own material, and I don't say it to be mean, I say it as a writer myself.
February 25, 2025
Great plot, needs editing
The plot is interesting and drives the story. The book needs significant editing. There’s a whole chapter that’s completely unnecessary and many places where I got stuck because a sentence didn’t make sense until I edited it myself. Druga usually does an excellent job edited. This is a rare example of how she fell short. The characters are so-so and relationships are barely developed at all. The characters aren’t well enough developed that I care one way or another if they die. I would have enjoyed the book more if the spread was edited significantly and the community building after tge end was a bigger part of the story.
The plot is interesting and drives the story. The book needs significant editing. There’s a whole chapter that’s completely unnecessary and many places where I got stuck because a sentence didn’t make sense until I edited it myself. Druga usually does an excellent job edited. This is a rare example of how she fell short. The characters are so-so and relationships are barely developed at all. The characters aren’t well enough developed that I care one way or another if they die. I would have enjoyed the book more if the spread was edited significantly and the community building after tge end was a bigger part of the story.
December 13, 2022
weird
This one thing aggravated me to no end. One of the characters, Martie, has 2 kids in the beginning, both boys, later in the book the younger one is a girl, named Rose, in fact. Later, they become boys again. WTF? This is a major inconsistency. As always, spelling and grammar are off a lot. The talk between characters , from Jude (the expert) to Cal and Glen, (the people who are informed of the parasite) is so far fetched. There is way too many types of “hosts”. Cal even needs it broken down. It’s just too much.
This one thing aggravated me to no end. One of the characters, Martie, has 2 kids in the beginning, both boys, later in the book the younger one is a girl, named Rose, in fact. Later, they become boys again. WTF? This is a major inconsistency. As always, spelling and grammar are off a lot. The talk between characters , from Jude (the expert) to Cal and Glen, (the people who are informed of the parasite) is so far fetched. There is way too many types of “hosts”. Cal even needs it broken down. It’s just too much.
February 26, 2023
Story is better than 3 stars, but.....
I usually love Druga's work but as fabulous as this story is the editing , or lack thereof kept pulling me out of it. There are countless...and I do mean countless errors all thru this book. If that kinda of stuff doesn't bother you then go ahead and get it. The storyline and characters are great. Unfortunately, it was a real struggle for me. I volunteer to proof read anything Druga writes if it will keep this from happening again....I truly love her work.
I usually love Druga's work but as fabulous as this story is the editing , or lack thereof kept pulling me out of it. There are countless...and I do mean countless errors all thru this book. If that kinda of stuff doesn't bother you then go ahead and get it. The storyline and characters are great. Unfortunately, it was a real struggle for me. I volunteer to proof read anything Druga writes if it will keep this from happening again....I truly love her work.
December 10, 2022
Scary, Scary Read
This had to be one of the scariest books I’ve read by Ms Druga. Horrifying vector and since so much of it happened close to home for me, it made my skin crawl. Reminded me of a scary book by another author but quickly became completely different. Now for my gripe: please, please either get a new editor or a good Beta team. The typos and just plain messed up sentences almost made me give up but the story hooked me hard. Ignore the typos and read it anyway.
This had to be one of the scariest books I’ve read by Ms Druga. Horrifying vector and since so much of it happened close to home for me, it made my skin crawl. Reminded me of a scary book by another author but quickly became completely different. Now for my gripe: please, please either get a new editor or a good Beta team. The typos and just plain messed up sentences almost made me give up but the story hooked me hard. Ignore the typos and read it anyway.
February 7, 2023
Very good story with good characters
It's a really good story the characters were great. I read it on my kindle. My only complaint is that it was really hard to follow because there were words missing on every page or words used incorrectly. I don't know who or what copied it to kindle but it was done very poorly. If it wasn't for that I would have given 5 stars. It really is a good story and very entertaining.
It's a really good story the characters were great. I read it on my kindle. My only complaint is that it was really hard to follow because there were words missing on every page or words used incorrectly. I don't know who or what copied it to kindle but it was done very poorly. If it wasn't for that I would have given 5 stars. It really is a good story and very entertaining.
March 14, 2023
Good story and engaging characters, but it is so poorly written. I would have given 4-5 stars if there weren't so many wording and grammar mistakes. For example one of the locations the story takes place is Needville, but it says it is in TX at one point and PA at other points. There are lots of instances of missing articles or incorrect words used (thorough instead of thought, now instead of not, etc.) This book could definitely benefit from a thorough edit.
March 18, 2023
The Spread Rocks!
It’s not often that I find myself engrossed in a end of world story. Often they are just the same story just different names and locations. Jacqueline Druga kept me up a couple of nights with “The Spread”. Well thought out end of world story involving a parasite rather than a virus or zombies that makes you wonder if this could really happen. Loved the story and the characters. Love the author’s imagination!
It’s not often that I find myself engrossed in a end of world story. Often they are just the same story just different names and locations. Jacqueline Druga kept me up a couple of nights with “The Spread”. Well thought out end of world story involving a parasite rather than a virus or zombies that makes you wonder if this could really happen. Loved the story and the characters. Love the author’s imagination!
April 2, 2023
Poor or No Editing
It's a shame to ruin a decent story with terrible editing. It does have an interesting zombie theory. But so many times I had to reread a sentence to guess which word was wrong. There are misspellings, missing words and punctuation, double negatives that made the sentence mean the opposite of what it was meant to, just so much wrong. I'll edit any similar work for $500.
It's a shame to ruin a decent story with terrible editing. It does have an interesting zombie theory. But so many times I had to reread a sentence to guess which word was wrong. There are misspellings, missing words and punctuation, double negatives that made the sentence mean the opposite of what it was meant to, just so much wrong. I'll edit any similar work for $500.
April 14, 2023
Decent, thrilling read
I must say this book kept me wondering what would happen next. There were spelling errors and some mis-wording (which is why I gave it 4 stars). Still, I was able to follow the story and what a story it was! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, slight humor, and fast pace of the storyline. It held my attention throughout and the ending was wrapped nicely as well. Would definitely recommend if you like thrilling medical type, apocalyptic stories.
I must say this book kept me wondering what would happen next. There were spelling errors and some mis-wording (which is why I gave it 4 stars). Still, I was able to follow the story and what a story it was! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, slight humor, and fast pace of the storyline. It held my attention throughout and the ending was wrapped nicely as well. Would definitely recommend if you like thrilling medical type, apocalyptic stories.
April 24, 2023
Awesome Storyline, Typos Galore
The book was intriguing and entertaining from page one. It was also apparent that this book did not have a good editor to help with proofreading. There were several typos that pulled me out of the story and took away from this author's work. Outside of the typos and grammatical errors, I absolutely enjoyed the writing 4 out of 5 stars due to the overabundance of errors.
The book was intriguing and entertaining from page one. It was also apparent that this book did not have a good editor to help with proofreading. There were several typos that pulled me out of the story and took away from this author's work. Outside of the typos and grammatical errors, I absolutely enjoyed the writing 4 out of 5 stars due to the overabundance of errors.
November 16, 2023
Grabs your attention and doesn't let go.
I don't usually leave reviews but I wanted to on this one. I loved this book. It grabs your attention from the very beginning, and you don't want to put it down. I would definitely suggest this book. I only have one complaint. This book seriously needed an editor. I had trouble reading sections sometimes because there were so many errors.
I don't usually leave reviews but I wanted to on this one. I loved this book. It grabs your attention from the very beginning, and you don't want to put it down. I would definitely suggest this book. I only have one complaint. This book seriously needed an editor. I had trouble reading sections sometimes because there were so many errors.
December 9, 2022
some good, a lot bad
A Druga novel is often poorly edited. This one is abysmal. It’s like she didn’t even reread her own work. Actually, the whole novel felt that way - like a first draft. I recommend pretty much any other Druga novel over this one. I do have to give it one compliment though. This is one of the few books where I liked every major character.
A Druga novel is often poorly edited. This one is abysmal. It’s like she didn’t even reread her own work. Actually, the whole novel felt that way - like a first draft. I recommend pretty much any other Druga novel over this one. I do have to give it one compliment though. This is one of the few books where I liked every major character.
December 10, 2022
Editing
I always enjoy Jacqueline Druga books. This one is a squirmy spread of death and destruction with a few brave heroes. Most of her books have some minor issues but this one really needs another read through with a good editor. A few (quite a few really) word and spelling corrections will add another star to my review. Still an enjoyable read.
I always enjoy Jacqueline Druga books. This one is a squirmy spread of death and destruction with a few brave heroes. Most of her books have some minor issues but this one really needs another read through with a good editor. A few (quite a few really) word and spelling corrections will add another star to my review. Still an enjoyable read.
January 24, 2023
Worst editing I have ever seen in a book. There were multiple errors on almost every page of this book. Despite the errors, I finished the book. The story was okay but the author spends too much time re-hashing what the parasites do the person. For some reason she explains it several times throughout the book.
April 9, 2023
Good Story
This was a good story that could have been a great book, but the errors and lack of proofing almost caused me to quit reading THE SPREAD. Three stars due to lack of editing... Could have been four and a half!
This is not Jacqueline Druga's first book! So, there is no excuse for the many, many, many errors. Did anyone proofread this book before it was released!?
This was a good story that could have been a great book, but the errors and lack of proofing almost caused me to quit reading THE SPREAD. Three stars due to lack of editing... Could have been four and a half!
This is not Jacqueline Druga's first book! So, there is no excuse for the many, many, many errors. Did anyone proofread this book before it was released!?
July 11, 2023
Interesting premise
The story was very intriguing. The characters believable , the reason I couldn't give this a better star rating was because of the proofreading errors. The errors were constant and confusing. Sentences needed to be reread so you could understand what was suppose to be written. I had a hard time concentrating on the story.
The story was very intriguing. The characters believable , the reason I couldn't give this a better star rating was because of the proofreading errors. The errors were constant and confusing. Sentences needed to be reread so you could understand what was suppose to be written. I had a hard time concentrating on the story.
January 16, 2024
Good read! A lot of typos tho!
Things would never be the same, life would be simpler. Cal also knew that even though, out there somewhere, the parasite was still thriving, still a threat, for the most part, it was over. His town and his family were safe. At least for the time being the fight against them was done.
Things would never be the same, life would be simpler. Cal also knew that even though, out there somewhere, the parasite was still thriving, still a threat, for the most part, it was over. His town and his family were safe. At least for the time being the fight against them was done.
December 16, 2024
Great story, terrible spelling and grammar
The storyline is actually really interesting but it is very hard to get through it as there are spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on nearly every page. This personally ruined the book for me. Such a shame as it has potential to be great.
The storyline is actually really interesting but it is very hard to get through it as there are spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on nearly every page. This personally ruined the book for me. Such a shame as it has potential to be great.
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