Parasite - Book Review (repost)

 

Parasite (Parasitology #1)
by Mira Grant

What is it about:
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

What did I think of it:
I wasn't a fan of Feed, the first book in the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant, but I love everything I've read from her under her Seanan McGuire penname. So I decided to give Parasite and try.

And it is so cool!

Sal is the first person to be saved from death by the SymboGen parasite and is still under observation six years later to see how she copes after her near death experience. She and her boyfriend Nathan get caught up in strange events involving the parasitic implants and they go hunting for the truth.

I loved Sal. She has amnesia since her accident and is trying to rebuild her life. Her parents however are afraid to let her go especially as she's not the same anymore. I loved reading how Sal tries to find her own way in life and how she copes when she and Nathan try to get to the bottom of the strange illness that seems to target people with a parasitic implant. I also really liked Nathan. He stands by Sal's side when she needs him and trusts her judgement where her parents do not.

Slowly things get worse and time seems to be running out. I was totally hooked and couldn't stop reading. I had to know what Sal and Nathan would uncover. Who was to be trusted, what was going on exactly, and would Sal and Nathan manage to uncover the truth in time. Some things in this book were quite obvious in my opinion, but I didn't mind one bit. Even knowing some things they might uncover I was totally rooting for them.

The worldbuilding is very realistic. I could easily belief a parasite like that could be engineered. I was at times seriously icked out by the descriptions and events. All in all a really cool read. You bet I'll get hold of the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool and disturbing read.