Hey Bookworms!
How did you spend your downtime in high school? You know, when you’d finished your final exam early but wouldn’t be released to the next for another 40 minutes? I mostly wrote angry poetry about how stupid high school was. My friend Bri was more creative. Bri wrote stories about a tapeworm. She named him Mr. Boovie. I wish I could find the notebook now, because I’m absolutely sure I saved it; it was chock full of illustrated Mr. Boovie tales. It’s glorious. Why did I just share that tidbit about my life? I just finished reading Parasite by Mira Grant and it’s all about TAPEWORMS!
Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m on the payroll of exactly zero evil mad scientists, so you needn’t worry about my honesty.
It’s the not-so-distant future and the world of medicine has changed. The ultimate bio-tech, Symbo-Gen, has created a tapeworm that can be “safely” implanted into humans. These tapeworm implants serve as a one stop medical shop. They can regulate insulin, counteract allergies, and eliminate the need for vaccinations. People don’t need to take pills anymore, their friendly neighborhood intestinal worms take care of everything for them.
Sally Mitchell is the first and only human on record to have been brought back to life by her Symbo-Gen implant. Not that she has any memory of her old life. The car crash that brought her to the brink also did enough damage to her brain to render her completely amnesic. Apparently it’s no big loss, as Sally the first totally sucked, but still. “Sal” as she now prefers to be known, has cobbled together a life in the six years she can recall being alive. Sure, she’s half lab rat for Symbo-Gen, but she landed herself a handsome doctor boyfriend, so it’s not all bad. Until, of course, people start coming down with a mysterious sleep walking ailment that turns them into incoherent single minded murderers…
I was introduced to Mira Grant earlier this year through her kick-butt zombie novels Feed, Deadline, and Blackout. Parasite has a lot of similarities to the Feed trilogy. The sleepwalkers are pretty darn zombie-like. There are mad scientists and underground labs. Large, powerful medical complexes are shady and evil… Fortunately, I wasn’t tired of any of these elements. My enjoyment of Parasite was in no way dampened by its similarities to Grant’s earlier books. I LOVE Mira Grant’s voice. She’s got a wicked sense of humor that she manages to inject into tense situations. The levity keeps her outrageous plots from plummeting into campy sci-fi territory and keeps me greedily turning pages. Parasite is the first in a trilogy- guess who will be reading the rest? This girl!
Alright, Bookworms. If a Bookworm and a Tapeworm got into a fight, who would win? I’m desperately curious to hear your answers.
Didi
This book is on my TBR. the thing that first attracted me was the cover. I just had to look it up on Goodreads to see what it was all about. The storyline seemed interesting but I haven’t seen anybody reviewing it until you my dear. Thanks! I think I’ll keep it on my TBR after all. The bookworm would win of course. 😉
Words For Worms
Oh it’s so good, Didi! Really. Mira Grant is so fabulous, I think you’ll love it!
Joules (from Pocketful of Joules)
Hmm… it sounds interesting BUT you know how I feel about zombies. Will I hate it?
Words For Worms
They’re not traditional zombies- they’re just sick. I mean, they’re a little zombie-esque, but no gore… More like pod people than zombies. In the best way.
Jeannine G.
I have Feed, so I’ll have to get with it and read the whole trilogy! Your friend should have kept her stories going! You never know which ideas will stick!
Oh and bookworms would win. Seriously, once we get done with our TBRs, we’ll be ready to take over the world 😉
Monika
This would not be my typical choice of book, but gosh this sounds entertaining! I may have to make an exception!
Words For Worms
It’s definitely outside the box, but a lot of fun!
Samantha
Oh man, this sounds interesting. The idea of having a tapeworm live inside you to regulate everything sounds nightmarish in the first place, and with the people in the book not noticing…sounds pretty cool. 🙂
Bookworm would win, as long as the tapeworm was outside a host. Just stomp on it 😛
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
Ugh! I don’t know if I could do it. We had a running tapeworm joke in grad school that was not nearly as gross as this book sounds to me. lol
Words For Worms
For a short period of time, I thought I might be able to get thin if I’d only contract a tapeworm… Then I learned there’s no guarantee of weight loss and, well, there’s a worm in your guts. So gross.
alisa selene
I keep hearing this author is worth reading, need to check this one out!
Words For Worms
Be sure to let me know how you like it!
Megan M.
I want to say a bookworm would win, because, you know, books. Knowledge. Knowledge is the ultimate weapon. Now I’m imagining a throwdown of epic proportions…
I’m not sure I could read this, either. The very idea of tapeworms or worms of any kind really skeeves me out.
Words For Worms
Hahaha! I imagine this throwdown includes swords!
April @ The Steadfast Reader
This looks right up my alley, I’ll definitely have to check it out.
Words For Worms
I think you’ll like it!
Jenny @ Reading the End
Hahaha, I want to read Mira Grant (probably this one because zombie novels bore me), but this talk of tapeworms is making me go “ewwwwwwww”. I’m shuddering very much at the idea.
Words For Worms
Yeah, there’s a grossness factor for sure, but it’s not overwhelming. At least it wasn’t for me, and I’m the kind of gal who thinks too hard about donating blood and starts to feel woozy.
Psychobabble
mmm…tapeworms. Is this your way of saying Happy Thanksgiving?
Melinda
Erm… I don’t think this one is for me 🙁
Regarding your question – bookworm will win!
Silvia
Uhh, I don’t know. The book sounds interesting, and I’d probably read it if the stuff was caused by, say, some pill or something, but tapeworms? I just don’t have that friendly relationship with them you seem to have from your friend’s stories (which I’d love to see). Maybe… do the tapeworms get talked about a lot?
Charleen
I really love Mira Grant’s voice as well… which is weird to think about, because it’s not a very distinctive voice… I mean, if you gave me some unmarked pages, I wouldn’t be able to say, “Oh, that’s totally Mira Grant,” as opposed to any other contemporary author… but it just works for me. The humor, I think, is a big part of it… it’s kind of a snarky humor that isn’t overwhelming. Sometimes when I read novels that are meant to be funny, I just feel like they’re trying to hard and it doesn’t work for me. Mira Grant totally does.
I really have to get on reading some of her urban fantasy stuff as Seanan McGuire. I’m not really big into UF, but for her, I’ll give it another shot.
Ashley F
Clearly the Bookworm would win because his brain is filled with all the knowledge from all the books he’s consumed. He’d be unstoppable!!
Rebecca @ Love at First Book
WHAT??????? COOL!
BTW bookworm wins. Because it’s smart. Duh! No contest.
Sarah Says Read
So I just skimmed this because I’m planning to read it in December, but YAY I’m glad you liked it! I was worried it wouldn’t be nearly as good as the Newsflesh books.
Words For Worms
It’s hard to say if I liked it QUITE as much as the others, but it definitely wasn’t a massive disappointment. I think you’ll be pleased.
Allison @ The Book Wheel
Tapeworms?! Maybe Bri is Mira because I can’t image that it’s too popular of a topic.
Words For Worms
Crazy, right?!