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Jul 20, 2021JCLChrisK rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
What if an infectious disease spread through the world and everyone had to isolate themselves at home to avoid catching the virus? In this science fiction story, a flu pandemic was so bad that the survivors sealed themselves into giant complexes designed around a drone delivery system so they never have to leave their apartments. Ever. A generation or two later, twelve-year-old Cleo is studying to take her medical school entrance exam when someone else's medication is wrongly delivered to the home she shares with her parents. An accident like this has never happened; can never happen, her parents tell her. But she can't stop worrying about the sick person who might die without the medicine, so she makes the choice to leave through the delivery shoot to see if she can fix the error herself. That choice leads to more discoveries and adventure than she could have imagined. For all that it's composed of formulaic bits that have been used extensively before, this is surprisingly good. Entirely engaging and not too dark or cynical. Well-written and fully enjoyable.