Parasite (Parasitology #1)

Author: Mira Grant
Goodreads Rating: 4.10
Pages: 512
Format: ARC from BEA

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.

 This was a great book and a great start to a so far... well great... series :) If you are a fan of Stephanie Myer's The Host, the zombie apocalypse and also have an interest in science, then this is the perfect book for you!

First, I LOVE the main heroine, Sal. I always appreciate a wonderfully sarcastic and witty female and Sal is down right hilarious! She has a very interesting story, which I won't spoil for you. To say a little about it, she lives a very "boy in the plastic bubble" type of life, where she constantly has scientists and doctors ruling her life. She has a very unique back story, works in an animal shelter and like I said, is very pleasant attitude toward everything :) Sal is by far my favorite, but keep an eye out for Tansy ;) She's a spit ball of fire and is a very close second favorite character. There are a lot of very interesting characters in this book but these two (followed by Nathan) are my favorites for their unique personalities :)

The plot is very unique as well in that it offers a new theory to the start of a zombie apocalypse: parasites. I've heard of chemicals, drugs, secret government plots, and the obvious viral disease theories to zombie apocalypses but never thought of parasites. This world, that takes place in 2027, has invented an intestinal parasite that cures all common ailments. For a geeky sci-fi nerd, this already sounded interesting. Add in people acting weird and going crazy, and fans of zombies will find this book right up their alley. So, in essence, it is the perfect blend of sci-fi in a zombie apocalypse.

This book gets only 4/5 stars from me, since some of the "shockers" in the book I was able to see coming from a mile away. But the characters, who you really grew to love within just the first book, and the unique plot really made this book something to devour. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who love zombies and those who like The Host by Stephanie Myer (as mentioned before). The book will keep you wanting to turn the page to see what's next. 

The Courts Decision: