It might have been refreshing to hear COVID correctly discussed in the present tense and see the failure of the government to take the pandemic and those current risks seriously, but this book suffered a lot from not connecting any of this to mitigation or disability justice. It hurt to know that Kendzior recognizes COVID as a threat, but fails to do more than the absolute bare minimum to prevent the spread. In fact, she writes about traveling to businesses that were supposed to be closed at the beginning of the pandemic, deciding to travel home while her whole family was likely infectious instead of finding a place to isolate (and rest, which would not only have been good for those they likely came in contact with getting food and gas etc. but also for their own health), and continuing to travel without talking about upgrading masking, avoiding crowds or poorly ventilated indoor spaces, or anything beyond being outside and I suppose that included the now very outdated 6 feet guidance. On her social media, she is now advertising a book tour without requiring masks (something authors Dean Spade and Sim Kern have required at their events this year and last year.)
It hurts trying to wrap my head around how someone with so much sharp insight into politics and the harms of the rich and powerful have on minorities can still fail to see how the lack of action around COVID and her own individual actions can ruin lives and are also propelling fascism. When we fail to mask and demand masks at events we host, we make life harder for those disabled or still living in the reality of the impact COVID can have. This was especially difficult to stomach with her passages on losing her bodily autonomy as someone who could become pregnant, the connection to the loss of freedom in the disability community is right there, but it wasn't included.

If you enjoyed this book, if you connect to Kendzior’s warnings, then I urge you to resist eugenics. Inform yourself on the damage COVID can really do. And then don’t just acknowledge it - mask up to protect yourself and others and help provide masks for those who can’t afford them.