Disaster Status by Candace Calvert

Reviewed by Melissa Lockcuff

"...all the drama of a medical facility/tv show, within the pages of a book."

Being a former nurse, I’m always interested in medical shows, books, stories, etc. Disaster Status, by Candace Calvert, is all the drama of a medical facility/tv show, within the pages of a book. As you read this story, you can definitely tell that it’s written by a medical professional because of technical jargon and descriptions, which truly add to the reality of the whole story. Candace Calvert is actually a former ER nurse who turned author after an accident that left her with a broken neck.

The story begins with action and mystery from the very start when a plane crashes into a toxic dump, leaving a community in emergency status. When a group of people who have been affected by the toxicity of the crash begin to pour into the ER, things quickly escalate. It would seem that even ER personnel are not completely safe from the effects of this mysterious illness. Erin Quinn, charge nurse, quickly responds to the ER’s call for help and consequently, meets Scott McKenna, the fire chief. From the first time they meet, there’s definitely a chemistry between the two, but they can never get along, which adds to the chemistry even more.

Erin’s heart is in the right place in wanting to help her community, her colleagues, to gain the positive out of such a negative situation. However, it’s not easy when she’s got so many things going on in her own life that need dealt with. Of course, she’s not the only one who hasn’t dealt with the past, as other characters most definitely lend to the drama within this story. From Sarge to Dr. Leigh Stathos to little Cody, whose parents were killed in a car accident, it’s not hard to become invested in this story and not want to put it down.

I will say that there is quite a bit of medical/technical description throughout the story, which at times, can be a bit tedious. However, for me personally, the story definitely took precedence over any medical talk. The author knew how to weave the details in as to stay current with the storyline.

Melissa Lockcuff: Mel is a homeschooling mom who never tires of reading with her two adventurous little boys. After working as a nurse and a teacher, she realized where her personal priorities truly lay, and she made the decision to stay home with her boys. Mel has since found a true passion for writing. Right now, she writes articles and short pieces, and she is also learning how to write literature for children. She loves all things blogging, and her personal blog, Real Heart Prints, has topics like motherhood; homeschooling; recipes; devotionals; crafting; reviews on books, movies, and other products; giveaways; and all things home and garden; etc. She currently writes reviews with the TOS Crew, and she has also partnered with a friend and fellow writer to form MamaBuzz, where she enjoys writing reviews for children's products and ministering/writing to women through that venue. She has started work on her first book, which she hopes to finish within the next few months.