Parasite (Parasitology, 1) Paperback – October 7, 2014

Yes, please. May I have some more?This was so creepy and excellent and believable. I didn't think I was a horror girlie, but I guess sci-fi horror is right down my alley.Mira Grant has a strong grasp of the genre and an excellent writing style that just lends itself to an elevated Jurassic Park experience.I am definitely continuing the series, and I think I might have a new auto-buy author...Until Next Time,MC

Parasite is the future. As humanity tries to scrub and sterilize every surface they and their children might encounter, they reduce their bodies’ tolerance for allergens. SymboGen, pharmaceutical pioneers, design a solution for the world heath crisis. They've genetically altered a tapeworm to combat allergies, diseases, and even act as birth control. All you've got to do is swallow one little pill, every couple of years. What could go wrong?Main character, Sally Mitchell becomes the poster child for SymboGen, after almost dying in a car accident and being saved by her patented Intestinal Bodyguard. One problem: When she wakes up from her coma she has know idea who she is, who her family is, or what they're saying to her because she's also forgotten English. Six years later, Sally Mitchell is still an amnesiac living under the thumb of Big-Pharma and it isn't easy. They treat her like a lab rat and expect her to behave, while her family treats her like a child because the old Sally is gone and this one has only been alive for six years. All this pales in comparison to a mysterious pandemic afflicting people who aren't supposed to get sick anymore.The tone of Sally Mitchell's voice is different from anything I've read in awhile. She speaks and thinks "young" in some ways because all she has is six years. However, she isn't stupid, she's learning fast, and her past traumas and current predicaments make her emotionally older than most. Her boyfriend Nathan appears to be the only one in Sally's life who sees her, trusts her, and is honest with her. This last thing is important, because as the plot-line increases in intensity it becomes abundantly clear, that everyone is lying to Sally about something. And the more they lie, the more determined she is to find out the truth. And I don't blame her one bit, because there are points where the lies and the manipulations flow so heavy, I actually got angry on her behalf. Who the hell are these people to say they have her interests at heart, when they haven't actually asked her what her best interests are? And who is Mira Grant, to make me look like a crazy person, yelling away at fictional characters? Then I took a deep breath to calm myself and read on, desperate to see how Sally handles each new deceit.As a fan of Mira Grant's, I had high expectations for this book going in: I wasn't disappointed! She should get an award for coming up with creative ways for mad scientists to screw humanity. I found Sally Mitchell to be a compelling, oddly relatable, and occasionally frightening character. Her family is infuriating, the science sickening, and the conspiracy she finds herself unraveling is exactly why curiosity killed the cat. I couldn't put this book down. There were points that were creepy and gross, points where I cringed and felt as if I needed to shower with a sandpaper loufa. There were points that were frightening and heartbreaking. And at the end, I've got two big questions: What will she do now? And did her dad know?I am horrified that I have to wait for a sequel... I want it now!

The chapters are mixed with news releases, autobiographical material, journal entries, and even quotes from a children's book which are connected to what is going on. At times this is very annoying and at other times it was quite useful to understanding what is gong on. The book is set in a future not to remote from ours 2027 and everyone is having a parasite put inside them. This parasite takes care of all your health problems: diabetic no more insulin shots for you, your parasite will regulate your body; birth control no need to worry your parasite will keep you from getting pregnant; in fact, no need to take any kind of medicine ever again because your parasite will keep you healthy. Sound too good to be true? Well it turns out it is. People start getting sick with something named the sleeping sickness, where, they first begin to shamble about, then fall into a coma and then later become very aggressive and start trying to kill other people. In other words, they become very zombie like.The protagonist of this novel is Sally Mitchell, a young woman who had a terrible car accident and was essentially brain dead until a parasite was injected into her and she regained consciousness. The problem is she is nothing like the young woman she had been before the accident. In fact, she has no memory of her former life. She can't even speak a single language so she has to relearn English. When we meet her she has been out of her coma for 6 years and is dating a doctor (no not one of hers) and is resentful she has to go to a psychiatrist, as well as get checked out by the corporation who injected her with the parasite every six months. Her parents have legal guardianship over her although technically she is a grown woman, she only has 6 years of life experience.The other characters in the book are just as good, if not better, than Sally. They are a diverse group, for example, Sally's father is a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a doctor who works at a research lab. Her boyfriend, Nathan, is the foremost expert in parasitology which is terribly helpful when Sally starts trying to figure out what is causing everyone to go all zombie. Her sister, Joyce, who she evidently didn't get along with before her accident becomes her best friend. Then there are the people she works at the animal shelter with, Will and Tasha. Not to mention a couple of adorable dogs mixed in with the rest and you have a very lovable group.Overall this was an enormously enjoyable read, considerably well-written and highly recommended.