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Title:
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Herd, The |
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Authors:
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Edwards, Emily |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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335 |
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Year:
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2022 |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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To vax, or not to vax ... that is the question. It might be a very personal question, but it is one whose answer can have unforeseen consequences for children, as Elizabeth and Bryony discover. From close friends and neighbours in an English village, to adversaries in the court room in a flash, it is a question and moral position that must be defended.
Thought-provoking and compassionate, this is a timely story that grapples with the issue of childhood vaccination, in a page-turning, relatable style. [Larger font]
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Categories:
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Fiction, Community, Medical/Health, Morals/Ethics, Relationships, Social commentary/perspectives, England, UK, Light read, Larger font, Staff pick, 2024 Titles |
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By: ROTO 006
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2025-05-27 10:01:59 |
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Although we had no anti-vaxxers in our group, there was still a very lively discussion about this subject with sympathy for both women. Lovely little twist at the end. |
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By: CHCH 523
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2025-05-26 21:54:24 |
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Thought provoking and topical. Good portrayal of different sides of the vaccination issue. Interesting the way the community can turn based on misinformation. |
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By: ROTO 010
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2025-05-23 08:49:04 |
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Our group agrees with the author's end statement about vaccinations, and we enjoyed acknowledging the opposite view as portrayed in the story. It was a tedious read however for some of us, too much detail about busy family life when we had our own to deal with in real life! |
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By: CHCH 557
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2025-05-14 22:50:05 |
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Mixed reviews on this book. Most people found it readable, but not compelling. It did spark interesting conversations about vaccination. |
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By: NELS 065
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2025-05-12 10:41:01 |
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An easy read but full of complex issues. Ratings ranged from 3-4 - some thinking the story was weak, but the ethical dilemmas were on point! |
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By: NAP 011
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2025-03-29 16:29:41 |
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Everyone enjoyed this book and it was a timely read given NZ and many other countries' current lower than ideal static vaccination rates, growing anti-vacc rhetoric & pushing misinformation via social media and the damage done post COVID vaccination mandate. Good use of various perspectives throughout the novel. We enjoyed a lively discussion and all learnt something new. |
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By: TAUM 003
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2024-12-04 14:40:36 |
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Excellent book - presented all points of view while still clearly indicating where the author's position was. Generated a great deal of discussion. |
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By: QUEEN 017
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2024-10-09 13:13:30 |
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We enjoyed the extensive arguments for and against vaccination and how someone's experiences contribute to the beliefs they hold. A clever book which starts rather mundanely yet finishes in a dramatic way. Loved the guide dog which gave some positivity to a highly emotional situation. Thought provoking about society, love, and the judgements we make! |
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By: TAUR 028
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2024-07-10 10:19:19 |
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Very interesting and timely on how individual choices can affect family, friends, and the wider community. It gave us a very lively discussion. |
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By: CHCH 481
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2024-07-01 10:35:34 |
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Created a lot of discussion. An engaging take on different perspectives of an important issue. |
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By: WELL 024
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2024-06-25 10:28:30 |
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Nobody liked either of the main characters! Issues discussed included parental decision making, pharmaceutical company transparency, need for improved health education, and the role of the media. Several people commented that the structure of the story was a bit loose. |
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By: CHCH 240
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2024-06-21 14:32:08 |
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Well-liked by our group. Very topical with good character portrayals. Evoked good discussion and showed varied beliefs and two views on such a controversial topic. |
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By: CHCH 099
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2024-06-10 09:43:08 |
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Everyone enjoyed the book. We all had sympathy for both sides. A good discussion was held. Some of us felt more tolerant of 'anti-vacc' people after reading the book. Well worth the read, and very topical at this point. |
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By: WELL 047
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2024-05-09 09:37:13 |
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Great theme but lost the plot a bit. |
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By: ASHB 012
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2024-05-02 12:29:10 |
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This book sparked a good discussion about vaccination, beliefs, rabbit holes and more! |
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By: CHCH 575
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2024-04-10 13:56:17 |
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This book gave us lots of discussion on a very relevant and current topic. An easy read on a complex topic inspiring further investigation by some. Main characters not easy to relate to. An enjoyable start to our Book Club journey! |
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By: MATAM 002
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2023-10-30 10:29:26 |
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Quite a controversial book among our group, and a lively discussion. Well worth it, to hear varying opinions. Interesting feedback from both sides of the vaccination debate. |
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By: TEPUK 006
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2023-09-14 14:03:47 |
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A topical book exploring vaccination. Although we found some of the characters and plot implausible, it was well-written and kept the reader interested. Sides not taken! Generated interesting discussion. Easy to read and hard to put down. Great unexpected twist at the end. |
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By: HAMIL 029
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2023-08-08 10:10:30 |
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This book was enjoyed by almost all the group. The issues it raises are relevant to today and the characters and narrative technique are engaging. Recommended by most of the group. |
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By: CHCH 125
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2023-08-07 14:15:09 |
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This book generated lots of discussion re people's fear of vaccination. |
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By: ASHB 017
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2023-07-26 11:28:42 |
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We loved this book. The twist in the story was amazing. We also enjoyed the points of view from random characters in the book. Thought provoking. |
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By: ASHB 029
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2023-06-07 12:11:50 |
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A very popular read. Lots of great discussion with some varying opinions - everyone should read this! |
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By: HIKUR 001
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2023-05-17 13:13:38 |
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Well balanced book. Portrayed the husbands sympathetically. Very topical subject and well handled. We all found we had empathy for all the characters regardless of our views. |
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By: FERN 001
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2023-05-04 12:37:36 |
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Great book for discussion, but difficult book to 'get into'. Many characters with difficult names to remember. Wide range of views. Very topical. |
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By: TAKA 005
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2023-04-17 11:37:15 |
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Topical, interesting and an easy read. |
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By: WAIHEK 002
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2023-02-08 14:25:38 |
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A light read - good discussion about the story. |
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