“Adverse Reactions” by Deborah J. Lightfoot

Adverse Reactions

Deborah J. Lightfoot
Seven Rivers Publishing (2026)
ISBN: 978-1737717393
Reviewed by Jennifer Bishop for Reader Views (06/2026)

What if the world as we knew it ended, and only a select few were able to survive due to mysterious psychokinetic powers? Would they be rewarded by those of us less fortunate or cast aside out of fear of the unknown? In Adverse Reactions, Deborah J. Lightfoot creates a world after the mysterious Contagion that left everything else desolate. Purity is the only surviving town. Any who are found harboring powers of the mind are deemed dangerous and immediately put to death, unless their family has the money to send them to the misnamed Peaceful Hills for “therapy.” When Devin is sent there at the age of sixteen, they destroy her mind and her desire to use these mysterious powers. However, she is rescued, and what they don’t realize is that they didn’t fully take away her desire to survive. Will the town be ready for the revenge heading their way?

The world Lightfoot created was a very desolate starting over of society. There was a flashback to the westerns of old, but set in a new post-Contagion world.  There is the main city of Purity, a few ranches on the outskirts, the therapy center mentioned above, and the Contagion River that provides fresh water. Then, up in the mountains, hidden away is a ranch for all of those with powers to hide out in so that they are not killed for what they were born with. There isn’t much complexity to the land itself. The focus is much more on the characters and their intent to survive and seek revenge.

The characters themselves are an interesting lot. We have Devin, our FMC, who starts out the story at sixteen, but then loses track of her age during her time in “therapy.” She goes through quite a bit of character growth and emotional turmoil throughout her journey. Sutter, who is the head of the ranch that houses all of the escapees. He is a hothead old school western gunslinger who slings his powers around instead of a gun. He is bent on revenge and retaliation for the way he was treated when younger. Jack, who was raised on the ranch and has never known another life, or who his actual parents are. He simply wants a better life for everyone with no hatred or ostracization. There are quite a few more characters, but these are the focus of the story.

In Averse Reactions, Deborah J. Lightfoot succeeded in creating a Western-style post-apocalyptic dystopian world. There is mild cursing, a lot of violence, but very little romance, maybe one or two kisses throughout the entire book. This is a standalone; however, there is room for her to write more books as spin-offs or a continuation of the story. If you love books with a mashup of genres, then this is one to check out!