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jessica_mcdermitt's review against another edition
3.0
After one book, the constant scientific inaccuracies start to jangle. I’m not a biologist but I have an idea of how DNA works and it ain’t that. I also felt like I was constantly on the receiving end of near-infodump exposition, even 3/4 through the book. Including exposition that I’d already heard at the beginning of this book. I appreciate the attempt to play with the dividing lines among human/animal/person, but the constant repetition of the same (inaccurate) conclusions is a disappointing treatment of a topic with so much potential. Not sure if I can get back into the third book in this series.
btemplet's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jordynbbarnes's review against another edition
3.0
Trilogies are difficult to write... the hardest part being book 2. You're in the middle, in no man's land... you need to keep people you hooked in book one interested enough for book three. Luckily for me and this trilogy I managed to get very hooked in book one, because book 2, Symbiont, was more or less just 500 pages of filler. Reinforcement that the world had gone to shit, that sleepwalkers were dangerous, and that Sal was a tapeworm all along. All things that could have been handled in a few pages that turned into 500 pages worth of repeated information. It makes sense that this happened, it was only supposed to be two books but got stretched onto three. Oh well, still looking forward to book 3.
saursi's review against another edition
2.0
This is a plodding and repetitive repeat of the previous book. There comes a point where repeating the same inner monologue 10 times in the same book does less to drive home that it is an intense debate and more seems like trying to artificially increase the page count. A good editor eliminating roughly a third of the book would significantly increase the quality of the remaining material.
darkstar69's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
espressoreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, Gore, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia
simone84's review against another edition
Too focused on irritating characters, not enough on parasite plot. Main char was just constantly reacting and not acting on her own.
uncannyvalerie's review against another edition
4.0
With the changing environment, and change in knowledge and character for Sal, Symbiont is a intriguing follow up to Parasite. There are still mysteries, but a lot changing in knowing just what is driving the sleepwalkers and chimeras. Can't wait for book three.
See my full review here.
See my full review here.
amymarsdenauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Minor spoilers for book 1 below.
While I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, it was still a good read.
What I liked:
There was more action in this one, which I enjoyed.
I liked Sal growing into a person with more backbone. She still has a long way to go, but she's come a long way from the timid character she was in the first book.
Speaking of Sal, I'm glad there was a real, medical reason for why she kept fainting all the time. That and her crying in book one did irritate me. There's less of both in this book.
I also liked how we see her embrace who and what she is more as she learns about her abilities.
I like that there's 2 villains, potentially 3, instead of just one. Makes things more interesting.
What I didn't like:
Nathan. Maybe this is just me being a massive lesbian, but ugh, he really irritated me. I don't like reading m/f romances (I know I have one in my book along with a f/f one, but I wrote that before I'd fully figured myself out). Nathan and Sal are a couple, and I hate that Sal kind of regresses into a damsel in distress around him. I hate that he's smarter than her. I hate that she thinks about him a LOT. Also, they're different species, which weirded me out a little.
The glaring continuity error from the end of book 1 to the start of book 2. I can't believe no one spotted it. At the end of book one Nathan and Sal go to the bowling alley with their dogs. But at the start of book 2 they need to go back into the dangerous, infected-ridden San Francisco to get the dogs from their apartment. It's a massive plot point! How did no one spot the error?
There was a lot of repetition. The book could've been a lot shorter if things weren't repeatedly explained.
I'm going to read something extremely sapphic before starting book 3. The lack of queer is starting to get to me!
Rep: Sal is dyslexic, bi side character and trans side character (these are on one of the villainous sides)
While I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book, it was still a good read.
What I liked:
There was more action in this one, which I enjoyed.
I liked Sal growing into a person with more backbone. She still has a long way to go, but she's come a long way from the timid character she was in the first book.
Speaking of Sal, I'm glad there was a real, medical reason for why she kept fainting all the time. That and her crying in book one did irritate me. There's less of both in this book.
I also liked how we see her embrace who and what she is more as she learns about her abilities.
I like that there's 2 villains, potentially 3, instead of just one. Makes things more interesting.
What I didn't like:
Nathan. Maybe this is just me being a massive lesbian, but ugh, he really irritated me. I don't like reading m/f romances (I know I have one in my book along with a f/f one, but I wrote that before I'd fully figured myself out). Nathan and Sal are a couple, and I hate that Sal kind of regresses into a damsel in distress around him. I hate that he's smarter than her. I hate that she thinks about him a LOT. Also, they're different species, which weirded me out a little.
The glaring continuity error from the end of book 1 to the start of book 2. I can't believe no one spotted it. At the end of book one Nathan and Sal go to the bowling alley with their dogs. But at the start of book 2 they need to go back into the dangerous, infected-ridden San Francisco to get the dogs from their apartment. It's a massive plot point! How did no one spot the error?
There was a lot of repetition. The book could've been a lot shorter if things weren't repeatedly explained.
I'm going to read something extremely sapphic before starting book 3. The lack of queer is starting to get to me!
Rep: Sal is dyslexic, bi side character and trans side character (these are on one of the villainous sides)