Dystopian Early Review: Parasite by Mira Grant

Parasite by Mira Grant (Parasitology #1)


Egalley thanks to Orbit

Synopsis from Goodreads
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.

Release date: October 29th 2013.
 
Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

8/10

* * *
 Parasite is a very interesting book in its own right, but let's face it: it's not Newsflesh trilogy. I'm a huge fan of the latter, and I think it's one of the best post-apocalyptic dystopian works I've ever read, so the comparison to it doesn't do this novel any justice.



It's fascinating and really creepy, because Mira Grant took parasites, these invisible monsters we are vaguely aware of, and made them our enemies. I tell you, - that parasite that lives in cats and makes you exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia? I'll be having nightmares from that one.

So, in not so far away future humans live in symbiosis with certain parasites which once implanted take care of all our diseases and give us pretty good, healthy life. However, as we know, if something sounds perfect there must be a catch. What kind of a catch the reader finds out very early, and it's the specifics and the scale of it all is what this book is about.

Sal Mitchell, our heroine, came back to life few years ago after a huge road accident which should have left her dead. She never recovered her memories and had to start living and learning from scratch. She is a peculiar gal with a charming, unique and simplistic outlook on life, and she is technically the property of SymboGen, the company which  created the miracle parasites and which does huge amounts of tests on Sally.

As it typically happens in Mira Grant's book, Sal and her boyfriend, Nathan, who works as a parasitologist stumble onto a huge conspiracy while the world starts experiencing strange "sleeping sickness" and while they unravel the full scope of the conspiracy the plot development is split between scientific reports from the past and the events in the present.

I personally really liked Sal, but at the same time I found the novel slow and suffering from info dumps. By the time everything picked up we came to an abrupt ending which made me feel like the book was deliberately split into two parts which is the least favorite ending the reader can get.

So, it was good, but at the same time, it wasn't Mira Grant at her best. Read at your own peril.

* * *
Я обычно читаю Миру Грант с огромным удовольствием, однако в этот раз её новый роман Паразит пострадал от сравнения с её великолепной трилогией Newsflesh, которую я просто обожаю.

События в книге происходят в недалёком будущем, где фармацевтическая корпорация СимбоГен запатентовала паразитов, которые вживляются в человеческое тело и таким образом избавляют его от всех болезней и позволяют нам жить долгую и счастливую жизнь.

Звучит конечно хорошо, если бы не одна загвоздка, о которой читатель догадывается очень быстро, и которую книга всем своим сюжетом объясняет.

Главная героиня, Сал Митчелл, благодаря своему паразитическому имланту пережила страшную аварию несколько лет назад и проснулась с полнейшей амнезией. Ей пришлось заново переучиваться жить, и она до сих пор считается имуществом СимбоГена и каждые 6 месяцев проходит у них тщательное обследование.

В характерном для автора повороте событий, Сал с её бойфрендом Натаном, доктором паразитологии натыкается на огромный медицинский заговор, когда люди по всему миру начинают страдать от таинственной "спящей болезни". 

Я бы сказала, что первая половина книги продвигается очень медленно, и от постоянных объяснений и лекций второстепенных героев очень устаёшь. События набирают оборот во второй половине Паразита и обрываются на самом интересном, причём так, что читатель остаётся в недоумении, тупо глядя на пустую следующую страницу.

Мне лично такая мода на разделение книги на две части без эпилога очень не по душе, и в совокупности со средненьким развитием сюжета, книга до оценки повыше не дотянула. Я по опыту знаю, что Мира Грант способна на большее. 

В общем, вы предупреждены, смотрите и решайте сами.


Comments

  1. Oh no! Not the cat one *looks at kitten*

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  2. It was a real page turner for me but maybe because I was interested in the info dumpy bits so they didn't read like info dumps to me perhaps? I thought this was much closer to her Seanan McGuire writing, which I prefer to her Mira Grant style. I loved Feed but the second book not so much and I still haven't got round to the third.

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  3. I haven't started it yet but now I'm really curious. Good review Kara. :)

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  4. I've heard many great things about her books. I need to get to trying them though. :) Thank you!

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  5. Wow, this sounds so cool! I'm definitely marking this on my goodreads! Thanks for introducing it to me!
    Between My Pages

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