18 reviews for:

The Infection

Craig DiLouie

3.27 AVERAGE


As a big Dilouie fan, I unfortunately had a hard time getting through this one. Didn't really root for any of the characters and just didn't really GET what was happening. Will probably not continue with this series. 
adventurous tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

There's something that is really enjoyable here with the writing style. It's not, as with it seems many other novels I've picked up lately, first person and that helps. Without any disorienting jumping you're able to see how all the characters are reacting to something at any given point and understand them more for it. Each character is a self-admitted stereotype which gives a bit of a characterization shortcut in the begining, but by the end each is fleshed out and made his own person. I also liked the Screaming giving the world a vague sense of forewarning and putting people on edge, instead of the typical virus x evolves and spreads to people scenario.
dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Okey....... It's good but this book have made me realise one of my biggest pet peeves. American white men trying to write women or talking about other countries. This book is like a walking stereotype. I don't even know where to begin. 

Firstly this book feels like Christian American propaganda. So much Jesus talk and God. The military men are written like these badasses with just 1 thought which is ‘’Duty” oh and also how much they love America. The flashback to Afgan war and how soldiers portrait themselves as these saviours was pure cringe.

The second pet peeve is how bad men can't write women. There are always 2 types of women. 1) this ‘’strong” woman who is actually just scared weakling and the second big strong man cuddles her she immediately melts and realises how much she needs a man (actual scene in a book). Or 2) this emotionless badass warrior that also can't communicate her emotions. Also don't get me started on the whole Tod and Erin dynamic. I swear that girl is written to take away the whole virginity thing away from Tod and scam him. You know the whole reason women exists... To be sex objects or to seduce and bail. Why can't we just have normal women written by men for once?

Talking about stereotypes…. Tod is the 3rd walking stereotype after America loving soldier and sensitive girl / she hulk / sex object. Tod is a loser nerd kid who gets bullied in school and now that apocalypse has started is suddenly transformed into a battle soldier, taking on mutants, high on dumb luck. Every nerds wet dream. Also let's not forget how he even talks like no teen talks. Listening to him talk, describe what he thinks how teenagers talk and say cringe things like “ninja” when sneaking makes me want to bang my head into the wall. Also of course he is into Warhammer and WoW. OF COURSE. 

I swear it feels like author is either self inserting himself or has not passed age 16 mentally.
Will be reading book 2 to see how much more I can cringe.

Pretty good read! I was skeptical at first, and as I read through it, I really felt as if I was reading a novel based on the events in the Left4Dead game series (events take place at a hospital, farm house, and a bridge. There's also a sergeant (Bill, anyone?), and "special infected" including little things that hop around (ie. Jockeys?)) . Though I still feel that way, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I started to care for the characters, and how thrilling the battles became. Each flashback was a treat, detailing the who's and what's of each character, and what they went through at the onset of the Infection.

As to the whole "alien invasion" thing, this was a let down. It was as if Dilouie wanted to go into more detail about how and where this Infection came from, but ran out of time and/or pages to do so. I think I would've been happier with no hints rather than a hint with no pay off. That said, the book ends open for a sequel, which I definitely will pick up if it comes out!

Thumbs up.