I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Phlebotomist by Chris Panatier Published by Angry Robot on September 8 2020
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Horror, Science fiction
Pages: 345
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A bold, bloody high stakes plot, relatable characters, and a diabolical twist make this a standout book of 2020.
I absolutely love when a book surprises me, and I’m happy to say The Phlebotomist is one of the best surprises I’ve had all year. This book is sure to make my Best of 2020 list, and it wasn’t even on my radar until just recently. This isn’t an easy review to write, though, because there is a plot twist that happens around page 100 that I simply can’t talk about, which is sad because it’s a huge part of the story (but you’re better off not knowing, trust me).
Set in a dystopian future where a nuclear blast has devastated the population, society is now divided up into sections based on blood type. A government agency called Patriot has instituted the Harvest, a mandatory blood draw, in order to help the people who were closest to the blast radius. Those relegated to the Gray Zone are dying of cancer and other diseases and need blood in order to survive, and most citizens are willing to donate their blood in order to help out. Patriot hands out government food rations to those who comply and even lets citizens give more than their required pint every forty-five days in order to earn more money. This system has resulted in inequality among the population, with some blood types (O and A in particular) being able to live better lives than the “lowbloods,” those with AB blood, simply because their blood is more valuable to Patriot.
Willa Wallace is a phlebotomist, or “reaper,” and works at a collection center, taking in pints of blood each day and scanning them for authenticity. Willa is one of the best and manages to make her daily quota, but she herself is AB positive and is only able to live in a better neighborhood due to her job. Willa is the sole provider for her grandson Isaiah, after her daughter Elizabeth died, and she will do anything to keep him safe. But one day, Willa witnesses a blood transport drone crash—the drones that transport the day’s collection to a blood storage facility—and she’s shocked to discover that it’s empty. Soon after, a security guard from Patriot pays her a visit and bribes her to keep quiet about the drone, but Willa suspects there’s more to the story than Patriot is telling her.
Armed with her new suspicions about Patriot, Willa sets out to discover the truth. Helping her are Everard, a gangster blood hacker, and Lock, an ex-Marine who uses old technology to hack into Patriot’s system. And then Willa uncovers a startling secret about Patriot that will change everything.
Panatier has envisioned a terrifying future that seems familiar in some ways—I mean, we’ve all read stories about autocratic societies who have stripped people of their freedoms—but instead of taking the expected path, the author throws us a curve ball and takes his story in a completely different direction. He also grounds it in hard science by adding in lots of facts about phlebotomy and the science of blood. Each chapter starts with a word relating to blood and other medical terms and its definition (“Hypovolemia – A state of decreased intravascular volume, including as a result of blood loss”), and these really added a nice touch of authenticity to the story. I loved that Willa used to be a “real” phlebotomist, and she actually knows a lot more about blood than most people (which comes in handy more than once).
You wouldn’t know it from the bright pink cover, but The Phlebotomist is a bloody, action-packed thriller that turned out to be much more violent than I was expecting—and that’s not a complaint! This is one of those books that you don’t want to put down, even for a moment. I was so caught up in Lock’s dangerous plan that I stayed up way too late reading. Once Panatier reveals his horrifying secrets, the story takes on even more urgency, but he also balances out the action with some quiet, reflective moments, like the fact that Willa avoids looking in mirrors because she sees her dead daughter’s reflection. Although the majority of the story is told from Willa’s perspective, we occasionally dip into other POVs. Everard’s character progression isn’t something I can talk about—damn you, spoilers!—but I will say there are a few chapters of his near the end of the story that were awful and heartbreaking. Each character, in fact, has some kind of emotional hook that grabbed me and even made me cry, in some cases.
And speaking of characters, The Phlebotomist has a wonderful cast of kick-ass heroines, and I fervently hope there are going to be more books in this series, simply because I didn’t want to say goodbye to them at the end of the book. Willa is a sixty-something grandmother and not your typical protagonist, but I instantly connected with her. She believes completely that Patriot is doing the right thing, and she’s proud of her contributions as a phlebotomist. When the story takes a turn and Patriot turns out to be hiding a big secret, Willa has a hard time coming to grips with that fact.
And then there’s Lock, another middle aged woman who is tougher than nails and has a room full of secret, obsolete technology that she uses against Patriot. Finally, we meet a fourteen-year-old named Kathy with her own secrets, who joins Willa and Lock in exposing Patriot’s schemes. Panatier brought all of these characters to vivid life and also proved that you don’t have to be young and pretty in order to save the world.
All this is set against a gritty, futuristic backdrop with lots of cool elements. All kinds of drones buzz through the skies in addition to the blood transport drones—food drones, ATM drones (imagine the bank coming to you!), and my favorite, umbrella drones. Taxi drones will fly you from place to place, that is if you can afford one. At one point in the story, Lock hacks and steals a Patriot drone named Llydia, and Llydia ends up being an extremely important element in the story.
Panatier’s hard hitting reflections on how governments exert control over their citizens make this not only a thrilling reading experience but a cautionary tale as well. The Phlebotomist is science fiction, but it’s also eerily close to our current reality. If you’re depressed and worried about the trash fire year that is 2020—COVID, climate change, and collapsing governments—then I suggest reading this book right away. Because things could be worse, believe it or not. Much, much worse.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Oh, it sounds good! I wouldn’t have guessed that it’s dystopian horror from the cover.
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…I Sold a Story, Woohoo!
The cover is very misleading. Not sure if that’s what the publisher was going for, but I’m so glad I read it:-)
I’d probably read it just for the protagonist in my personal age range, but this sounds great. Nice review, thanks.
That’s one reason I enjoyed it too, I rarely read about characters who are close to my age:-)
Oh this is totally being added to my TBR if it impressed you so — diabolical twist especially!
I do love a good twist:-)
On my to-read list!
Hope you enjoy it, Robin!
Oh wow, hadn’t even heard of this one before! Terrific review — you’ve convinced me that I need to read this!
I’m trying to spread the word, ha ha. It’s sooo good!
Fantastic review! Adding to the TBR! 🙂
Thanks Nadine!
Oh my! I saw this book showcased here and there lately, but never looked at a synopsis – and the cover is indeed very misleading about the genre… Now that I’ve read your review I know I HAVE TO read this one as soon as I can because you intrigued me to no end – and that’s a massive understatement 😉
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…HOW TO RULE AN EMPIRE AND GET AWAY WITH IT (The Siege #2), by K.J. Parker
The cover is more metaphorical, I guess. It really doesn’t tell you what’s between the pages, and maybe that’s the whole point:-)
This sounds like a wild read! I do love a story where everything is not as it seems… and the grandmother protagonist sounds like a refreshing point of view from the usual dystopia heroines. I think my sister would like this one – I’ll add it to our list of buddy read options!
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…The Harm of Silence, Rumours, and Assumptions [MG Review]
I think this would be a fun buddy read:-)
Oh wow this sounds amazing. I love the themes! Going to have to add this one to my TBR. Thanks for the review, Tammy!
I hope you get the chance to read it! I’d love to see what other bloggers think:-)
Now you got me all excited about that plot twist. I wanna knoooow! I haven’t read a dystopian book in a long while (2020 feels like a dystopian world year).
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Book Spotlight — The Legendary Shiver: A friends to lovers, fast paced YA Romance
It’s funny to want to read dystopian books in 2020, but I can’t help myself:-)
This is the first time I’m hearing of this book but it sounds like an incredible read, so I’m taking your 5 star review as a sign and have added it to my TBR. I like that there are so many older female characters playing important roles.
It was so fun when I discovered Willa was a grandma, lol. I love the switch up with the characters’ ages:-)
This sounds great, now I’m kinda kicking myself for not requesting it!
Yeah, who knew? I decided to accept it on a whim and I’m really glad I did:-)
I do love a good plot twist 😀 Might have to add this to my TBR list, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
Pages and Tea recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall 2020 TBR List
I hope more readers try it out, so much fun!
I was a bit turned off by the cover but the story sounds great. I love the choice of less common protagonists. And Hypovolemia ? Come one, who wouldn’t love that? 🙂
I agree, Todd. I didn’t mention the cover in my review, but now that I’ve read the story I’m a little torn. On one have it’s a super cool cover, but it doesn’t match the insides at all, IMO.
Lovely review! I haven’t heard of this one before, but it sounds great! I’ll definitely add it to my TBR
It’s not widely reviewed, so I do hope more readers try it out:-)
This sounds absolutely amazing Tammy and I loved reading your review! I hadn’t even heard of this before but I will happily add it to my list of must read books!! The protagonists sound wonderful too – I love it when they’re not the standard young things. I’m already excited to read this! 😀
Proxyfish @ Books by Proxy recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Autumn Reads
I was so surprised, I’m not sure what I expected. The cover is a little misleading for me, but wow the story!
Wow, this sounds absolutely fantastic, your review has completely sold me!
Jordan @ Forever Lost in Literature recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR–Or, Books I Might Possibly Read?
It was hard not to gush about this one:-)
I wouldn’t have expect that review from a book with that cover. It sounds such a great read and you obviously enjoyed it very much – I’m curious to see how I would have fared in this world with my B+ blood!
Heather recently posted…Book Review | The Haunted Shore by Neil Spring
I know, the cover is definitely throwing people off. It’s a gorgeous cover on its own, but it doesn’t really give you a good idea of the story.
Excellent review! I’m sure I would love this one.
Thanks Anne!
Dang! 5 stars! I’ve been seeing this gorgeous cover around but apparently I need to take a closer look at this one.
Bonnie @ For the Love of Words recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Autumn TBR + Watchlist
It almost slipped by me too. I’m so glad I took a chance on it:-)
Great review! This is going on my tbr right now! 🙂
Thanks Lauren!
Okay so initially I wasn’t excited about this one- I hate having my blood drawn so reading a whole book about blood wasmore than a little outside my comfort zone… but your review has me convinced I should give it a shot… wish me luck!
I know, the whole blood draw story line makes me a little squeamish too, but the story and characters were so good!
Woohoo – I’ll be picking this one up soon so will come back to read this then but such a high rating has made me very happy.
Lynn 😀
I’m glad someone I know is also reading this, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts, Lynn:-)
The pink cover is gorgeous but this books seems quite unexpected, and amazing!! The drones thing seems amazing and the characters seem like great one! I can’t wait to meet them!!!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!