I certainly enjoyed it, but was a bit disappointed in the cliffhanger. I'm also hoping that Sal grows a bit more of a backbone. Maybe it's cultural differences, or maybe its the tapeworm, but I would have punched waaay more folks. ( )

The cover for this is even more stunning in person!

As always Mira Grant writes a cracking good story. Her thoroughness in all aspects of her writing -- from the science of what might make parasites chew their way to the brain, to reasons said parasite might then develop their own gender identity -- is incredible, especially considering that she juggles this knowledge as well as a wide variety of other information, given her other book series.

She remains the only author to ever make me feel sorry for a tapeworm. Not only feel sorry for, but actively go 'OW TANSY' out loud on public transport. ( )

Overall a good book, it was getting a little old save Sal theme, I think there could have been more development in the faction of the other Chimera. I also don't understand the title in relation to the content. Once Sal got back to the house where monster play. The story picked up again and felt more like something I was able to get in to. Very enjoyable in the end. ( )

This subject (sentient tapeworms!) is just creepy as all-get-out and there is a very distinct style similarity between this and the Newsflesh series, but these are so well written that it's (slightly) easier to get past the total ick. The focus on the ethical and interpersonal ramifications of sentient tapeworms (!) is what makes them even more creepalicious. I am definitely looking forward to the next book. So much so that I may re-read these closer to the publication date, even though it's only 5 months away. ( )

Honestly, I got sleepy. It's not a bad thing, really, because I was lulled into text that made me feel as if I were in a fairy tale. We have the big reveal of the first book being developed into a level up montage where Sal can sometime in the next book become the queen bee of the worms, and all is good. I like seeing not only character progression in making lots of grown up decisions, but also in spine tingling power ups.

For a kid who can't enjoy a good video game, she sure exhibits all the classic markers of being in a zombie apocalypse game. Thank goodness for Fish. He's the breakaway favorite for this book now that Tansy has devolved into a mcguffin.

Perhaps the third novel will also kill this darling, only to bring in one more super colorful character.

It was a pretty good novel in retrospect, but not entirely so during the read. I wanted more results and more push, but seeing Sal take control was definitely a great sign.

Final score? It is probably slower than I would have preferred, but character development made up for most of my complaints. ( )

There is going to be a third book. This book is just as good as the first one, so if you liked Parasite you will like it. ( )

Man, I really wanted to love this novel..... but it was just a bit boring for me. It dragged on and on in the middle, and the supposed quirks of the lead character Sal were beyond annoying after two whole books filled with them. (I swear to Baby Jesus, if I hear about the fricken drums in her head one more time, I’m gonna smack someone!).
Now I am a huge Mira Grant fan, and I really liked the first books in this series a whole lot. It’s not quite as good as the Newsflesh series, but hey the author wrote more novels. Yay! So in I dove.
But the plodding throughout this novel made my attention drift off multiple times, and I’d find myself wishing this novel would just be OVER so I could get on with something else. There is little to no tension, there is way too much repetition, many established facts were gone over ad nauseam, and I just found myself wanting more action. Oh, and Sherman has gotten totally weird and screwy. And the trap at the end was obvious.
Christine Lakin is the narrator yet again for this series of audiobooks, and she’s great for this series. I hope they use her in the third novel for continuity’s sake.

So anyway, I will probably go ahead and listen to the third novel in the series, and cross my fingers that it will be better than this one.

Again, don’t read this novel if you don’t like, or have issues with tapeworms, or the fact that people intentionally ingested them for medical purposes.

3 stars ( )

But why is the next one not out yet? ( )

The second book has Sal constantly on the run while she is the one person everyone wants so they can figure her out and what makes her so special. Sal on the other hand is also finding out things that make her different from other hosts that have had their symbiont take over. This story does introduce more people like Sal to her and the reader. The only problem I had with it is that it is a middle book to a trilogy so there isn’t any clear wins and a definite cliffhanger ending. ( )

Not as good as the Feed series. I got bored and skipped to the ending. I will skip to the ending of book 3 just to know how it ends and move on. ( )

This is one of the books I had to set aside because of the SP/RP nonsense last year. I am glad I finally got back to it and finished it. Grant continues to write rock solid SF with the added charm of being real page turner. I really enjoyed readying this book for the thrills, character development and plot. The strength of Symbiont really underscore how awful the work the SP/RP forced onto the Hugo ballot was. I picked up the third and final book in the series this weekend and am conflicted. I want to pick that book up right away but I have a list of books to read and potentially nominate for the Hugos. ( )

Oh my goodness!
While I had a small issue of Sal being so wimpy (I wanted her to embrace herself and be awesome tapeworm queen) I did enjoy this continuation of the story. I hate how crazy Sherman got and didn't like the Sally turn at the end but I'm sure things will be interesting in the next book ( )

This is the second volume of the Parasitology trilogy. The novel contains a brief description of all that happened in the first book, so it can be read without the first volume. However, I recommend reading them in chronological order.

So, zombie apocalypse is upon us. It is not caused by a virus or voodoo magic but by genetically modified tapeworm, which was created to be a symbiont that should solve a plethora of medical conditions, from diabetes to allergies. Now the symbiont in many hosts takes over, just like other parasites actually do in real world.

While this is a version of zombie apocalypse, there is not a lot of shooting or running in the book. Moreover, the main theme are feelings of the protagonist. I don’t want to sound misogynistic, but the book is clearly written by a woman, and I actually like it.

While not the greatest novel, it definitely worth reading if you enjoy a mix of SF and thriller with a bit of romance.

The second book in the Parasitology series likely suffers from second book syndrome. It is not as good as the first and feels more flat. There are great moments but overall it doesn't move. With a horror or thriller plot line, there is no sense of urgency or doom. I really like the idea of the book, with the unique look at zombies and the character's POV, but it doesn't really explore it that much. ( )

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the first. It felt a bit bogged down and bloated, as if neither the writing nor the plot was moving at times. Second book of a trilogy syndrome, maybe. Still, by the end it had put the players in place for the war, and that's what needed to be done. ( )

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. ( )

Mira Grant delivers another strong showing with the second book in her parasitology series. She continues the story of Sal, and lets us deal - to some extent - with the reveal of the first book through her eyes. I was a little disappointed with this book, but I believe that to be more in personal preferences than in the quality of writing. Though still sympathetic to the character, I felt myself pulling away from her views little by little as the story progressed. I wanted to see different decisions made by the characters, and was really longing for a more in-depth look at the moral implications and philosophies of the books' premises. Even still, Mira Grant engages and evokes well, and I will happy see the story of Sal and her friends to the end.

Two particular items of note, just to get them off my chest:
1) I'm pretty dang tired of the broken doors. In the first book it worked as a nice strong metaphor, but by the end of Symbiont, the constant, repetitive quotes were really starting to grate on my nerves. Since I listened to this in audio format, skipping past those sections wasn't really an option. People tend to frown at me when I read from a physical book while driving through the Hampton Road Bridge Tunnel, though, so...audio it is.
2) There is one character who is equal parts unbelievable and enjoyable that I would love to see a bit more of somehow. One of the new team members is convinced he is dreaming of living in a video game (a la "The Last of Us") and is ready to wake up and return to his wife and the "real world". It's an interesting psychosis with discussion potential all its own. ( )

Another Grant book that I couldn't stand to put down. ( )

I often have a hard time enjoying middle volumes in trilogies. Middle novels often feel like a dead zone for characters and plot development, lacking in overall excitement and action. Symbiont exceeds where other middle-trilogy novels have failed. It’s interesting and complex at times, characters are tested in situations that allow for stronger character development, and the premise remains plausible. However, I did feel at times the length of the novel was what took the most out of me. As a train commuter for work, I can finish 400 books in about four or five 55-minute train rides. Symbiont took 11. I felt exhausted. It was later that I discovered the series was originally a duology that had transformed into a trilogy.

More here:
https://artemisreads.wordpress.com/2016/02/04/review-symbiont-by-marissa-meyer/ ( )

It's all so plausible, there are a lot of hunts for panaceas for all ills going on, and the idea of a tapeworm that could deal with the niggles is simple, however the "and then it grows and takes over your brain part"? Not so much of a fan. The first one was intense and I couldn't put it down, this one I read a few books over.

I started it some time last year and just finished it and have no real hunger to read the end. I do want to no, no revulsion to finish but when I discovered none of the libraries have it yet I wasn't upset, it was ho-hum and on with my day.

Sal is discovering what it means to be her, being kidnapped and being experimented on and she really, really just wants to live a peaceful life, but no-one is letting her, least of all her fellow parasites.

Interesting but a bit meh. ( )

Review Link: http://bit.ly/1S4nRK4

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Y’all know I have been a huge fan of Mira Grant ever since I devoured the Newsflesh trilogy. So when the opportunity came to read and review Symbiont, I was so excited! I quickly snapped up the chance and boy am I glad. Just when I think Mira Grant can’t get any creepier, she proves me wrong in all the best ways. I am blown away by every book Grant writes and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to review her books. It so hard for me to express how awesome sauce her writing is, but I’m going to give it a shot regardless.

The implant takeovers are no longer isolated incidences, tapeworms everywhere are waking up and taking over their hosts. Sleepwalker hordes quickly gain control of San Francisco. For Sal and the group, the sleepwalkers are the least of their problems as they search for the how and the why while the government, evil scientists and other tapeworms are making the odds of surviving this man-made apocalypse slimmer than ever.

The world building in Symbiont was once again phenomenal. We gain some valuable insights into why the tapeworms are taking over the hosts and are finally given some long-awaited answers, but with every answer that is uncovered, more questions are raised. This is how Grant keeps me on my toes and I can’t help but love every minute of it.

Symbiont was a wonderfully creepy, hair-raising installment in the parasitology series. The characters are even more heartbreaking, the science even more chilling and the plot is as intense as ever. I’m so terrified to see what awaits me in Chimera but I can’t wait to dig in. Fans of science fiction and twisted apocalyptic zombie horror need to pick up this series ASAP. ( )

Continuation of the series, and lacking a bit in the wow factor that makes some of Mira's work so good. This is very much a novel setting up the stage for the final showdown (presumably in the next book) that determines whether or not humanity survives as independents or only as tapeworm breading grounds.

Sal remarkably quickly comes to terms with the shock surprise from the end of the last book that she's not Sally with a new personality caused by her suffering an epileptic fit whilst driving, she is instead a human/tapeworm symbiont- her advanced tapeworm that has spent her previous life protecting her from auto-immune diseases, took the opportunity to transfer to her brain stem and integrated into a seamless new personality, Sal. The plague of zombies currently battling the US are those unfortunate souls who didn't have an unconscious fit at the right time, and have suffered a less than perfect integration, the tapeworm damaging key areas of the brain leaving little more than hunger as a motivational force.

This is very very thin as a biological explanation for zombies, and sadly seems to get much of the current state knowledge about integrated neurology wrong. But it makes an interesting premise for the rest of the book. Sal calls the zombies 'cousins' throughout, and the few integrated symbionts are her brothers and sisters. The few traces of possible epigenetic personality that remain are an intriguing enigma that may be explained in the next book. Meanwhile there's lots of action even if it doesn't drive the plot very far. Sal has to escape from Sherman's clutches after a hospital admission went wrong, and Tasny has the same issues with Dr. Banks. Adam remains a bit confused about what's going on and just wants his family to live peacefully together.

It all flows the characters remain human even if they aren't - which is a question still to be decided. But at the same time the lack of progress towards treating/surviving/surrendering is at times annoying and feels slow. There is more consideration than in Feed about the supply of essential services, but it all still seems a bit lucky and coincidental, chance that they have sufficient power etc. And having been part of a team that's installed lab equipment even into professionally designed spaces pre-prepared for it, I laughed at the thought of moving a bio-tech lab into a reconverted factory on an 'ad-hoc' basis. It just isn't going to work.

Fun though, and I am curious to see who Mira will handle the issue of 'sides' in the conclusion. ( )

Symbiont by Mira Grant is the sequel to Parasite, which I reviewed in late 2013, and the second book in the Parasitology trilogy (well, I assume it's a trilogy). This review (and also the blurb) contains spoilers for the first book.

Honestly, that's not a great blurb. I've read worse, but it does skip over a lot of relevant nuance in the story. The parasite-induced zombie apocalypse was getting starting in the first book, but now it's in full swing. One thing I found both refreshing and interesting is how different this apocalypse is to Mira Grant's other series, Newsflesh.

Sal, the main character, came to the realisation at the end of Parasite that she was not entirely the human person she thought she was. In Symbiont, she starts off still coming to terms with what that means. The book is told mainly in first person and to show us what's going on outside of Dr Cale's lab, Sal gets into a lot of trouble that takes her to a variety of places. It's more plausible in context than I may have just made it sound, and does get around the need to provide the same background information solely in quotes and journal entries.

Symbiont introduces some new characters, two of whom particularly caught my attention. There was Ronnie, a human-tapeworm chimaera that Sal encounters at one point. The tapeworm part of Ronnie has been transplanted several times and is now residing in an adolescent black girl. But Ronnie started life as an implant for a male trucker and the worm part of him remembers this and feels entirely not at home in the girl's body. Basically, it's an interesting representation of a trans chimaera. Since the tapeworms themselves are hermaphroditic, chimaera gender comes from the interplay between the tapeworm and human elements of the person. Which I found interesting.

The other new character that caught my attention was Fishy, a lab tech recruited by Dr Cale. His backstory is that when the apocalypse struck, his wife went zombie and tried to kill him. Since then he's suffered a break from reality and thinks he's dreaming a very realistic video game. On the one hand, it's a plausible coping mechanism, and on the other hand, he provides sort of "fourth wall" commentary on events. (What's the book equivalent of breaking the fourth wall?) My favourite line was about the zombies having been "conceived by a creative team with an obsession for body horror". And the bits where he was talking about boss fights.

So, if you enjoyed Parasite, I definitely recommend reading Symbiont. It does suffer a little bit from middle book syndrome, but if you're invested in the story already, it's a nice volume that pushes the plot along. I am looking forward to book three coming out late this year (and I just saw the awesome cover for it; I really like the design aesthetic they've gone with for this series). I don't recommend starting with Symbiont, but I do recommend the series to fans of medical, apocalyptic and mild horror science fiction.

4.5 / 5 stars

Read more reviews on my blog. ( )

This is the second book in the Parasitology series by Grant; this was originally going to be a duology and was extended into a trilogy. The third book, Chimera, is set to release late 2015. This was hands down my least favorite book Mira Grant or Seanan McGuire (her other pen name) has written. I am a huge fan of all of Mira Grant's/Seanan McGuire's other books. For some reason though this series is just missing the mark for me.

Sal is coming to terms with the fact that she is no longer human. Her human host Sally died in the car accident she was recovering from in the first book (Parasite) and the tapeworm Sal has taken over. While Sal is reeling from this news, the world outside is falling apart. Sleepwalkers, including more aggressive variants, are taking over humanity completely. Sal and her boyfriend Nathan (who is a parasitologist) are working with Nathan’s mom, Shanti, to try and figure out how to stop this crisis and save humanity. Shanti is one of the scientists who helped to develop that tapeworm implants to cure disease in humanity.

I will start out by saying that the first book in this series, Parasite, was my least favorite book by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire (although I still thought the story for that one was decent). This book was worse than Parasite. It is long and it feels long. It is also very wordy and the same ideas/concerns are rehashed over and over again.

It is still readable and decently written. There were just too many plot inconsistencies and the books is way, way too wordy. It's like the story doesn't know whether to be an action-packed zombie novel or a philosophical discussion on the ills of science/medicine gone awry. It teeters in the middle and ends up being pretty bad at both. There is also this strange power struggle going on between the three scientists that helped develop SymboGen’s tapeworm. It’s like all three scientists want to play God and so they like to jerk each other around a lot while humanity dies around them. Honestly it comes off as an obnoxious medical drama of sorts.

I found myself skimming portions of the story and then going back to reread them to make sure I hadn't missed anything (I hadn't). Vast portions of this book could have been left out and the story would have been better for it. I am not sure what happened here, but this is a bloated book. It is a book I did not enjoy written by an author I thought could do no wrong. I am very disappointed. It is still readable and there are sections and ideas within this book that are interesting. But, wow, this book needed some cuts and some editing before publishing.

Okay enough complaining...well okay there might be some more complaining. I have had trouble with the whole concept of this series right from the beginning. The idea that vast portions of humanity would allow themselves to be infected with a tapeworm to prevent disease is just..well...really unlikely. People are incredibly stubborn and incredibly protective of their bodies. It’s taken a lot for me to set all that aside and accept that “yes, of course everyone would get tapeworms implanted”.

The confusion comes in with the Sleepwalkers and the more aggressive tapeworms. There seems to be kind of two types of people infected, or maybe they are going through stages? It’s just all very confusing. People without tapeworm implants are not supposed to be infected, because it’s not an infection it’s a parasite. So I am still a bit confused about how cities are collapsing if only people with tapeworms are getting taken over. What is everyone who doesn’t have a tapeworm doing? Also why do they need the dogs to sniff out sleepwalkers? Aren’t they noisily moaning all the time? Or do only the active ones moan and the other ones need to be sniffed out? So confused...

All that confusion aside... let’s talk about our two main characters Sal and Nathan. Sal (Sally) has been a very confusing character. She is constantly passing out (we are given a reason for that finally in this book), she seems both too naive and too ruthless at times. In the last book she was supposedly still human but at the end of that book we find out she’s not. Now she’s getting used to be a tapeworm living in human skin. Okay I kind of get all that. Then in the second half of this book they are all like “Oh, but maybe you ARE still human too!” Okay make up your mind and get on with the story...I am totally losing interest here…

I do enjoy some of the ideas behind the story. I also enjoy the research that must have been done to write this book, there is interesting information on parasitology and genetics in here. Additionally I enjoy the relationship that Nathan and Sal have; it is one based on mutual respect and trust.

Overall parts of this book were okay but I did not enjoy the majority of it. The book is too wordy, too slow, and too long. There is too much back and forth in the plot and too much rehashing of the same ideas over and over. The characters are inconsistent and the side plots about scientist power struggles are too dramatic and preachy. I haven’t enjoyed our main character and am having a really hard time with the main premise of the whole series (that vast portions of humanity would allow parasite to be implanted into their bodies). I would recommend reading Grant’s Newsflesh series but would recommend skipping this one. I won’t be reading the final book in this series because I just do not care. ( )

Volume two of Grant’s new trilogy turns into zombie territory as the “sleepwalkers” whose brains have been compromised by their genetically engineered, medicalized tapeworm implants run riot in the US (the condition of the rest of the world is not a concern of this book). Sal, the girl who figured out she was a chimera—a worm in a human body—at the end of the last book, long after the rest of us did, goes through many varieties of captivity as the government and the evil corporation behind the tapeworms and the rebel researcher trying to figure out what the evil corporation did all compete to control her. The annoying repetitions of phrases from a made-up children’s book that were characteristic of the first book continue here for the first half, and then finally, blessedly, get lost in more and more plot. Sal starts to exercise more control over her own life and gets a bit back against the sociopath in charge of the evil corporation, but the narrative ends on a cliffhanger ensuring that you’ll read the final book if you had any interest at all in this one. ( )