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kristie_beth's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ap2009's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
iceangel32's review against another edition
4.0
I was going to rate this book a three however the amount I talk about it I feel it should be a four. I has a great story line. It just took a while to read, but they could also be life getting in the way. I will pick up book 2 because I am invested now I want to know what happens to Sal next and what it means for Nathan. I do have to admit that Sal founding out what was going on was a little drawn out but it also for because she needed the time to figure it out and as she did at the end did she know and just not want to believe. There ate homes of that though out tune book too.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
1.0
In the spirit of complete honesty, I have to admit that although I read this novel for the “2014 I Just HAVE To Read More of That Author WWE Challenge” I have never actually finished one of Mira Grant’s novels before. I have started her debut novel Feed at least three times and have never gotten past page 104. But I am not one to hold one novel against an author. I felt that maybe because I am 40 years old and I only own a Nook HD+ (hey don’t judge me, I love my Nook), and I just bought my first “smart” phone last year, and it is such a cheap model I have christened it my “slightly stupid phone” and I don’t “Blog” or have a Twitter account, and the only news I get on-line is my entertainment news, that maybe I’m just getting old and it was all the technology and blogging references that were turning me off. So I decided to give her new novel Parasite book one in her new series “Parasitology” a try.
So I am going to have to do something I hate to do in my reviews, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING REVIEW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
With Parasite, Mira Grant was able to rip off both Frankenstein (which I have read) and The Body Snatchers (which I have not read, but have seen all 4 movie versions). She did not even do it in a good way. By the 5th chapter I realized that the parasites were taking over their human hosts, and that Sally or Sal as she preferred to be called was a parasite. And then there was the Doctor Shanti Cale. The only thing missing from her “mad scientist” lab was the conductors for the lightning bolts. She even had her maniacal assistant in “Tandy”. As the genetic engineer that designed the parasite, she spent much of the novel defending and explaining her actions which she knew were wrong at the time but did it anyway just because she could. In one of the few honest moments in the novel, she admitted to her son, who she abandoned by faking her own death, that if it had not been the parasites, something else would have pulled her away from him because her drive for scientific knowledge was just that great. As a character, Dr. Cale’s insanity when she was speaking was a glorious light of entertainment in what was otherwise a completely forgettable novel.
Well at least now I can honestly say that I have given Mira Grant a fair shake and I don’t like her writing. I’m sure this novel will go on to do well, if the reviews on Goodread.com are any example. As I stand in front of my bathroom mirror berating myself and giving my face the occasional smack I will tell myself for the 100th time “Being on the New York Times Best Sellers List DOES NOT make them a good author, just a popular one.” Now forgive me as I go to my bedroom and write that sentence 101 times, maybe it will finally sink in!
So I am going to have to do something I hate to do in my reviews, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING REVIEW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
With Parasite, Mira Grant was able to rip off both Frankenstein (which I have read) and The Body Snatchers (which I have not read, but have seen all 4 movie versions). She did not even do it in a good way. By the 5th chapter I realized that the parasites were taking over their human hosts, and that Sally or Sal as she preferred to be called was a parasite. And then there was the Doctor Shanti Cale. The only thing missing from her “mad scientist” lab was the conductors for the lightning bolts. She even had her maniacal assistant in “Tandy”. As the genetic engineer that designed the parasite, she spent much of the novel defending and explaining her actions which she knew were wrong at the time but did it anyway just because she could. In one of the few honest moments in the novel, she admitted to her son, who she abandoned by faking her own death, that if it had not been the parasites, something else would have pulled her away from him because her drive for scientific knowledge was just that great. As a character, Dr. Cale’s insanity when she was speaking was a glorious light of entertainment in what was otherwise a completely forgettable novel.
Well at least now I can honestly say that I have given Mira Grant a fair shake and I don’t like her writing. I’m sure this novel will go on to do well, if the reviews on Goodread.com are any example. As I stand in front of my bathroom mirror berating myself and giving my face the occasional smack I will tell myself for the 100th time “Being on the New York Times Best Sellers List DOES NOT make them a good author, just a popular one.” Now forgive me as I go to my bedroom and write that sentence 101 times, maybe it will finally sink in!
afrp's review against another edition
Nothing happened for 140 pages, and I kept ploughing on, but there are still two books after this, and I just didn't care enough about anything to keep going knowing I wouldn't have closure.
songwind's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, but not as good as I was expecting. Unlike most of McGuire's/Grant's other books, this one reads like the first installment of a longer story, rather than the first, complete in itself, book in a series.
The premise is interesting. Symbogen, a medical/genetics company, developed a custom parasite that lives in the body and bolsters its immune system without triggering allergies, autoimmune disorders, and other consequences of the sterilized modern lifestyle.
The main character is the ultimate expression of this when her parasite allows her to come back to consciousness after what should have been a fatal car accident and coma.
All isn't rosy, however. Sal suffers near-total amnesia from the brain damage, Symbogen pries into her private life, and her military epidemiologist father keeps a strict hold on her life. The only things she has that are really hers are her job taking care of animals in a no-kill shelter, and her boyfriend, a doctor and parasitologist.
When a strange illness starts affecting the people of the city, Sal's unique situation puts her right in the middle of everything.
The writing is good, and the characters are well developed. I enjoyed the story. As mentioned previously, this is the first book by her that didn't feel like it had a beginning and end of its own, which was a let down. The book ends with a cliffhanger and reveal, but the foreshadowing was very heavy-handed. I was certain of the fact that was revealed at the end by the end of the second chapter, meaning the book ended on an anticlimax.
I will be reading the follow up to see where the story goes, but as a standalone novel, this one ended up being a bit of a let down.
The premise is interesting. Symbogen, a medical/genetics company, developed a custom parasite that lives in the body and bolsters its immune system without triggering allergies, autoimmune disorders, and other consequences of the sterilized modern lifestyle.
The main character is the ultimate expression of this when her parasite allows her to come back to consciousness after what should have been a fatal car accident and coma.
All isn't rosy, however. Sal suffers near-total amnesia from the brain damage, Symbogen pries into her private life, and her military epidemiologist father keeps a strict hold on her life. The only things she has that are really hers are her job taking care of animals in a no-kill shelter, and her boyfriend, a doctor and parasitologist.
When a strange illness starts affecting the people of the city, Sal's unique situation puts her right in the middle of everything.
The writing is good, and the characters are well developed. I enjoyed the story. As mentioned previously, this is the first book by her that didn't feel like it had a beginning and end of its own, which was a let down. The book ends with a cliffhanger and reveal, but the foreshadowing was very heavy-handed. I was certain of the fact that was revealed at the end by the end of the second chapter, meaning the book ended on an anticlimax.
I will be reading the follow up to see where the story goes, but as a standalone novel, this one ended up being a bit of a let down.
sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
2.0
The (fairly) believable science was fun, but the main character managed to be a strange mixture of far to intelligent (for someone who has only six years of memory) and far to dense (every single plot twist was inherently predictable, but she missed them all). I found myself yelling in frustration as things continually went over her head while I was all like 'yeah we know, we know, get to the details and explain why already!!' . . . which in the end never even really happened anyway. Mysterious plot is mysterious I guess (and yet surprisingly familiar? there were times where I felt I'd read this book before). The secondary characters were a lot more fun, but I'm still not sure I'll be going back for more.
lyriclorelei's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The whole rogue science lab felt very familiar and I felt like the twist at the end had already happened earlier? But I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.