comment on structure

The structure of the novel is highly organized, with a Preface that serves to introduce the concepts of the book, and an Introduction, where Garrett lays out her plan for the novel. Each chapter is then numbered and named according to the particular issue being addressed within that chapter. This helps to really be able to focus on a specific epidemic at each phase of the book. There are seventeen chapters in total, covering topics from diseases to transitioning health issues to revolutions to thirdworldization. There is also an Afterword, discussing some of the characters mentioned at the beginning of the book.