“The Down Days,” the debut novel by South African writer, Ilze Hugo, was an excellent read. It came out in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic and it was about a localized outbreak of a virus with laughter as the main symptom with the onset of a fever.

I thought this post-apocalyptic, sci-fi thriller was very original for source material that is a well-worn trope. I loved the unfamiliar idioms and colloquial nuance she uses throughout.

This was a surprising and interesting read that stands out among the glut of post-apocalyptic novels about the end of the world from some deadly disease.

Get a copy of “The Down Days” by Ilze Hugo on Amazon here.