The Blondes

The Blondes by Emily Schultz, 384 pages

Imagine what would happen if a certain (and somewhat arbitrary) segment of the worldwide population suddenly became susceptible to an uncontrollable disease. What would happen to society? How would we, as a race, respond? That's exactly what happens in Schultz's The Blondes, in which blonde women (whether naturally blonde or bottle blonde) of all ages suddenly begin contracting a rabies-like disease, causing them to become viciously violent to everyone they encounter. This book is told by redhead Hazel Hayes, who finds out she's pregnant on the first day of the outbreak, and explains the pandemic (and ensuing biocontainment measures) to her unborn child while attempting to avoid those with the disease.

I'm still not entirely sure what I thought of this book. I liked Schultz's wry observations and cynical look at post-9/11 security measures, though I would have liked a little wider view of the pandemic. But I can definitely see how it might appeal to fans of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, and the fantastic graphic novel series Y: The Last Man. If you liked any or all of those, give this one a whirl.