Are you ready for the journey to the edge?
A deadly flu epidemic sweeps through Moscow, killing hundreds of thousands. Anya and her husband Sergey decide they have no choice but to flee to a lake in the far north of Russia.
Joining them on their journey are her son and father-in-law; Sergey’s ex-wife and son; and their garish neighbours. But then some friends of Sergey show up to complete Anya’s list of people she’d least like to be left with at the end of the civilised world.
As the wave of infection expands from the capital, their food and fuel start to run low. Menaced both by the harsh Russian winter and by the desperate people they encounter, they must put their hatreds behind them if they’re to have a chance of reaching safety…
Inspired by a real-life flu epidemic in Moscow, To the Lake was a number one bestseller in Russia, and has now appeared in a dozen languages and been adapted into a Netflix TV series.
Yana Vagner lives in Moscow with her husband, teenage son and three dogs. Before becoming a writer, she worked as an interpreter, radio presenter and logistics manager. To the Lake was a number one bestseller in Russia, and has now appeared in a dozen languages.
I chose this book as the description looked really interesting and knowing it was being made into a Netflix series, I wanted to read the book first. I have never read a Russian translation before either so that was also a big incentive.
My initial thoughts were a little mixed. Anya doesn’t appear to be such a likeable character though I admire Sergey’s integrity and desire to save his other family. Boris, Sergey’s father appears quite likeable and although they seem sceptical, he seems to care a great deal for his family. His planning abilities are also clear to see which I quite enjoyed.
This was expertly written and a highly topical plot, full of details on how the characters coped in a very stressful and often dangerous situation. Trying to escape from Moscow and avoid the inevitable death that comes with catching the epidemic influenza. A group of people, not necessarily friends, thrown together for a long period of time is especially hard. Told mainly from Anya’s perspective, the situations they found themselves in felt authentic and I found myself holding my breath at times fearing for them.
The characters were quite well developed but none of them felt particularly likeable, though I wondered if that was intentional. It definitely added to the plot. The hatred between some of the characters was especially well portrayed. There is a mixed age range. While I initially liked Sergey and his father Boris my opinions changed a little throughout the book. Boris turns out to not be the loving father I first thought and Sergey, although clearly the leader didn’t feel as well developed as he could have been. Though he was determined to reach their end destination it felt like he could have had a better role and been a bigger part of the story. Anya doesn’t appear to like anyone in their group aside from Sergey and her son, of whom she is overly protective.
The ending was slightly abrupt. While the story has come to its natural conclusion it felt like I was a bit short. I was left wanting to know just the next few days or. Maybe an epilogue of what happened next or how long they stayed. Were they found, did they ever return home, etc. It just didn’t feel quite finished for me.
This was a really interesting read with lots of trials and tribulations. There was a section in the middle where it felt a little repetitive and overly drawn out. The scenery was well described, and the tedious journey came across, as did the feelings of the character. The story depicts an oppressive Russian government that have some very odd ways of dealing with the epidemic. The journey through Russia is well described and interesting.
After I finished the book, I watched the Netflix series. I didn’t think it was as good as the book and something have been changed for a more dramatic effect which was a little disappointing though not at all surprising. It was an enjoyable show though and worth a watch.
Many thanks to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley for a free Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for a honest review.
| Title | To The Lake |
| Author | Yana Vagner |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 390 Pages |
| Genre | Trillers |
| Publisher | Swift Press |
| Release Date | 4th November 2021 |
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