Imagine every blonde going berserk, killing people in her path after contracting a disease dubbed “Blonde Rabies.” It sounds hilarious and a bit nuts.

That is the backdrop in Emily Schultz’s The Blondes.

Schultz uses subtle humour to highlight the way society moves en masse, whether out of fear or desire to be accepted.

The day the main character, Hazel Hayes, finds out she is pregnant by one of her married professors, the blonde plague breaks out in New York City. Hazel witnesses a beautiful blonde woman attack a girl and push her onto the subway tracks. A few days later, a blonde flight attendant attacks travelers at JFK airport. By then, there have been similar incidents around the world. Every attack is carried out by a woman who is either naturally blonde, bleached blonde, or simply has blonde highlights.

It doesn’t take long for hysteria to kick in. People will no longer help a woman who trips on the street or whose car has broken down. When a woman gets a headache or feels a bit off, everyone assumes she has caught the plague.

Women start shaving their heads or dying their hair dark, in case a lack of melanin is causing the disease.

It also doesn’t take long for cosmetic companies to find ways to capitalize on the panic. They sell products that darken your skin so you no longer look like a natural blonde. They sell products called “Blonde-Away” and “Blonde-Off.”

With people being killed around the world, it’s still all about looks and fitting in.

The Blondes is a unique book. It’s part witty and part strange. It’s something out of the ordinary to get you through an evening or a weekend.

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