Very descriptive and gory, and interesting. Extremely suspensful! My dad recommended it for me. AHS/JR

Excellently written and I can't put it down. Much like Stephen King, he snags you from the beginning. ( )

It was a great novel. This is the first novel that I read from Scott Sigler. Very impressed. I can't wait to read his other novels. "The Triangles" were very interesting. I personally think it was the best parts of the novel when he was trying to kill them. ( )

There's really only one thing to say... "EW." I don't think I've ever read a book that grossed me out more. It was great. 3/5 totally, utterly, nasty, disgusting ...uh... fungi?... that one could be afflicted with. ( )

My review of sorts:

I listened to the author narrated podiobooks for both of these books and all I can say is WOW! They were awesome. Full of action, blood, violence, death, mayhem you name it, it's in there somewhere I assure you.

I loved the story line and the characters had me pulling for them right from the beginning. The big gruff football player and the sassy female doctor and the military boys all were like able and interesting characters.

The funny thing is I even liked the creepy crawly invaders too. The blue triangles with the single black eye on each side. They're just right amount of creepy to give you goose pimples and yet you still kinda secretly like them just a little even though they are out to get you.

These books are not for the faint of heart though. There is a lot of blood, language, violence and creepiness in them to fill a stadium. So if you are squeamish in anyway they're probably not your thing but if your not...Read them! ( )

I just finished Infected and I'm left with: "I need to find the next book!". It's science fiction (somewhat) as it's taken place in present day with scientific theories and studies. However there's not a lot of science to make you go "Huh?" and a little bit of technical terminology but nothing that will make you feel as if you have to be a rocket scientist to read the book. (Added bonus there's no physics! har har). When I first picked up this book I thought it was going to be a zombie novel but I was far wrong. It's totally different and I think I'm going to leave it up to you to pick it up and read. Yes, it has something to do with disease and some medical issues but that's where it stops and the insanity starts. There's plenty of action in this book, and it actually starts in the prologue and in the first few chapters so you definitely won't be bored. There is graphic detail, so if you're squeamish or if you're eating dinner it's not recommended. There were parts in there that made me just want to cringe in pain and it went on for several pages and chapters but it's essential to the plot in my opinion. There are elements of comedy (albeit dark comedy) that do make you laugh out loud (at least I did) but it's enough to keep light of the situation but at the same time shows the seriousness of what's going on. (You'll laugh with the incident of Perry and his bare butt with the ruler..don't ask just read it) :D

Character wise, I'd have to like Dew. He's your regular soldier turned CIA guy with a edge for sarcasm and wit. Plus he has a thing for tootsie rolls and throwing the wrappers on the floor wherever he is, I just thought that was a funny quirk of his. It's hard to describe him, I guess he's your tough guy with the one liners but not the cheesy cliche ones. So that makes him cool in my book.

The drawback of this novel? hmmm. Well if you're squeamish I guess it would be that, there is quite a bit of swearing if it bothers you. For me, it would be this stupid "sexual tension" between two characters (who I didn't really like to start with). In the words of a character named Amos: "Why don't you two just fuck and get it over with already?" pretty much sums up those two.

All in all a great read! ( )

Very light spoilers to follow:

“As sharp as the butcher’s knife he’d used to cut into his own leg like some narcissistic cannibal.” This is my favorite sentence in the whole book and I think that it encapsulates everything you’ll find in this book: humour, dark; violence, lots; and metaphors, awesome.

This book literally kept me on the edge of my seat, I was so animated by it that the people on my commute thought I’d finally lost my mind as I kept yelling, quite vocally too, “go to the hospital, go to the damm hospital now.” I could barely breath from the tension that kept my every muscle locked up, only my hands free to turn pages. I almost got run over twice, because I was unwilling to put down the book even while crossing the street.

The book was told from three points of view, Perry Dawsey who is infected with the disease, and two of the people trying to fight it, Margaret Montoya and Agent Dew Phillips. Sigler does such a great job in developing them that Perry had me in tears for much of the story, mostly as I yelled at him to go to the hospital. He also has a spectacularly vivid way of describing everything that will leave you looking at every itch suspiciously, because you could be Infected. ( )

The premise: yet another novel in the ever-popular genre of humans getting infected by alien/viruses/parasites, Infected follows the mystery of how seemingly benign Americans suddenly go psycho and start murdering everyone around them. It's a mystery that attracts the attention of the CIA and the CDC, and everyone's trying to find one of these victims ALIVE to figure out what's making them go loco. Enter in Perry Dawsey, former linebacker now desk-jockey, who wakes up with the rash from hell and soon discovers that he's got a battle of his own to fight, because whatever's growing in his body is determined to take over.

My Rating

Wish I'd Borrowed It: this book reads like another one of those fast-paced, thriller SF novels for people who don't really read SF. Despite what the rave reviews are telling me, this is no mash of Chuck Palahniuk and Michael Crichton, at least, not a pleasing enough mash for me to really sit back and enjoy this novel. Sigler does great work with extraordinarily gruesome detail, I'll give him that, but I didn't care about the characters, and really the premise didn't pay off the slightest. It may be the first book in a larger trilogy/series, but I'm not reading any further.

The full review, which only includes very VAGUE spoilers and cover art commentary, may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Scott Sigler's INFECTED

Happy Reading! ( )

Some interesting characters. Very gruesome. ( )

This was a pretty good story, but there was a lot of unnecessary vulgarity and gore, which is the reason it gets a three star rating. ( )

Started off wonderful......okay throughtout the whole book, excluding the ending it was wonderful. Scott, I think, did a wonderful job on this book and he really knows about the biochemicals, the government and the like. Going through the book you're following a bunch of different people throughout this whole ordeal. But I really loved how he would take a chapter and literally explain to the reader what the disease does to their host. Interesting!

First of all, this book is about a virus or disease that infects people and turns them into crazy people (nice touch, I was half expecting zombies). They get infected and they kill or hurt themselves and whatnot. He would jump from chapter to chapter, still being in the now, but with a different POV (point of view) each time. First, we'd be with the cops in the story trying to figure out whats going on, then you'd be in with the infection and being told how the cells split and how it grows, then you're following an infected person, seeing what he's seeing and hearing what's going on in his head. Absolutely fascinating!!!!!

Really, I did enjoy this book all the way to the last few chapters. Unfortunately at the end, I felt 'stuck'. I read them and read them again and it still makes no sense to me. Was the infection alien or was it man made? Maybe I missed it somewhere, but that was the only thing I found disappointing. ( )

This was a wild ride! Very, very, good for those sci-fi, horror fans. Not for those that have a weak stomach, though! ( )

“Bottle of Jack Daniel’s: check.
Two bottles of Bacardi 151: check.
Butcher’s block with knives and Chicken Scissors: check.
Lighter: check.
Towels: check.”—Perry Dawsey, “Infected”

Scott Sigler’s harrowing and gruesome thriller “Infected” will likely have you reaching for your own secret stash of booze. Consuming vast amounts of alcohol are just the cure (blackouts are your friend) for forgetting how Perry eventually uses the last three items on his list. Never in the history of literature has Chicken scissors been so disgustingly employed (This statement should really be a blurb on the back of the book; if anything, it will save millions of squeamish souls). So readers should beware that in “Infected”, there will be blood! Oh yes, there will be blood! However, if you perked up at the mention of Chicken scissors (and really who doesn’t), then please continue reading, because this just might be the book for you.

Sigler’s book is beyond disturbing and gruesome; it gives disturbing an uneasy feeling from across the room and causes gruesome to vomit uncontrollably. And then it gets worse. It is one of those novels that will have you cringing the whole way through in anticipation as you inevitably see what’s coming, and dread the day it arrives. Forget squirm-a-minute! This is squirm-a-second stuff that refuses to let up or back down, jolting the reader like a sledgehammer on sensitive body parts. Despite its unflinching presentation and megatons of blood, “Infected” may be the best book you ever barf your way through.

Once an all-star linebacker at the University of Michigan before a career-ending knee injury, Perry Dawsey works as a computer network analyst with his best friend, Bill Miller. The massive Perry, whose abusive upbringing resulted in an uncontrollable temper during his college years, wakes up one day with strange bumps all over his body. Following the male blueprint, he attempts to scratch the itchy welts into submission but without any success. Within days, Perry realizes that his new infection may be more insidious and dangerous than he originally thought. Confused, he doesn’t know where to turn for help. Or if there is anyone that can help?

Dew Phillips, a CIA operative, is working on a secret assignment that’s come down from the highest levels of the United States government. It seems a new mysterious disease has arisen that transforms people into raving, psychotic murderers whose depravity and violence to themselves and others knows no bounds. So far, Dew has been too late to save any of these infected victims, and the rapid decomposition of their bodies doesn’t give the CDC scientist Margaret Montoya working with Dew much to examine. Desperate to learn about the nature of the infection, Dew and Margaret need to get to one of the infected while they’re still alive. Only by securing a live carrier do they have any hope in curing the mystery ailment that is afflicting people. Soon they find themselves racing against the clock hoping they can stop a horrible epidemic before it begins.

At first glance, no single aspect of “Infected” seems to really stand out. The story line about a mysterious parasite infecting humans with disastrous results is a long time science fiction standard. Sigler adds copious amounts of gore to freshen it up for the modern reader used to high levels of violence. Sigler’s writing style is simple and direct, much like a visual presentation put to paper. Like the story line, the characters are also familiar elements, playing the roles in the story we expect rather than defining new areas. It’s like Sigler was so influenced by the classic story that he wanted to write his own take, a sort of fan boy love letter to the genre. “Infected” is less a reimagining and more of a remake. But oh what a remake.

First, the book is infinitely readable. Everything about it, though not spectacular, just works. This is a case where the sum is much greater than its individual parts. This can be credited to the fact that Sigler is a natural storyteller. Much like the legendary master of the genre, Stephen King, Sigler has the ability to immediately suck you into the story, making elements that are cliché seem fresh and exciting. It’s a great gift, and he uses it in full force to drive the reader through the novel; you’ll find it difficult to put the book down. He also displays a deft hand in amping up anticipation throughout, just when you figure things couldn’t get worse, they do. Because it sinks its hooks in early and refuses to let go, “Infected” is the very definition of a page-turner as it’s not a book you’d want to start late at night if you plan on sleeping.

Last Word:
Shockingly gory enough to make a coroner blanch, “Infected” will have you cringing like you’re about to get a kiss from a huge, hairy spider. Incredibly fast-paced and filled with heart-stopping action, this gem of a book will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can. Scott Sigler establishes himself here as a terrific natural storyteller, as well as a writer that is guaranteed to get under your skin. Getting infected has never been so much fun! ( )

Yuck! This book made me look for bugs everywhere! At work, at home, in the car...well, you get the picture. An well-written book on a virus that attacks America through "bugs". What are they? Will they go away? Read on, dear reader and see for yourself!

Critters invade folks.

Reminiscent of Crichton--

fun, quick read. Sequel?

Scott Sigler did a fine job crafting this novel. The pace is quick, the chapters are generally short and it’s easy to read. The story is interesting, and what’s worse, believable. It definitely gives the imagination fodder to worry about. If you’re a fan of horror and science fiction, then I highly recommend that you include Infected in your “must read” list! ( )

Horror is a genre that is much maligned. There are people who think nothing of reading a deeply supernatural thriller by John Connolly and yet would scoff at the idea of looking for something to read in the horror section. Preferences are, of course, complex things, but I think it boils down to this: for every great writer in the genre--a Jeff Long, say, or a Peter Straub--who writes elegant novels that don't get too very gory or bloody, there's another writer (often far more well-known), such as Stephen King, who doesn't hesitate to give it over to the gross-out whenever possible. Don't get me wrong; I think Stephen King deserves all the accolades he gets, and I snatch up every one of his novels as soon as--or even before, if I can--they come out. But some people just don't have the tolerance for vomit, blood, and alien fungi that I do.

Scott Sigler has planted his flag firmly in the camp of the gross out. And oh, I hope he was wearing his waders when he did so, because there is some deep, nasty shit in his first novel, Infected.

In Infected (which I can tell you without spoiling anything is ripe for a sequel...and probably already has one in the works) people across the country have been infected with--what? a bacterium? a virus? tiny cyborgs? Well, whatever it is, it causes them to behave violently, erratically, and finally, murderously. Visible signs are a triangle shaped rash beneath the skin. Oh yes, and their corpses rot away to nothing within days, making it difficult for CDC scientist Margaret Montoya and her team to isolate the cause and figure out how to fix it.

We get inside the mind of one of the infected, Perry Dawsey, as he fights, then gives into, but ultimately defeats the triangles. It's not a pretty thing. He hears voices. They tell him to do things. They punish him when he doesn't. And to get rid of them Perry has to do some really, really nasty things to himself.

I won't tell you what the triangles are, mainly because I'm not entirely sure myself. I will, however, recommend this quick, nasty read. I will also recommend, though, that you not read it on a full stomach. ( )

Infected, but Scott Sigler, is one of the many books I've picked up recently. I'm not sure why, but I always end up buying more books than average during the summer. This book is another one that I read about on John Scalzi's Whatever blog, in one of the Big Idea posts.

This story is told in several parts. One plot follows a man who has the infection, a mysterious and very scary type of parasitism. Another follows the doctor tries to figure out what's going on. A third is told by a government agent (working of the CIA but not an official member of that organization) who is trying to keep the public at large from learning about this disease. The last plot thread is a third person narration of the progress of the disease.

As I read this book, I found Perry's plot (the guy with the infection) and the thread about the disease the most engaging and the most horrifying. As the disease progresses, you get to see how far Perry is willing to go to eradicate the parasite. And things get pretty graphic. I think part of what got to me about this book--and a book hasn't gotten to me since I read The Stand the first time--was that it was medically graphic. As an academic librarian, I've seen so many pictures in journals of surgeries and dermatologic conditions in medical journals that my imagination didn't need a lot of help picturing what Sigler was describing. (*shiver*)

*SPOILER ALERT*

But I have to say that the ending pissed me off. I hate it when it turns out that it was aliens all along. It always feels like a cop out ending, especially when the author does so much research into epidemiology and microbiology. (I was impressed.) And in this case, I think there are so many scary diseases and parasites out there that you don't need to bring in extraterrestrials. Up until it turned out it was aliens, I was hooked. And freaked out. Which is what you want from a horror novel.

Sigler presents a frightening and gritty tale of infestation in humans by an unknown parasite. With unflinching and disturbing writing, Sigler succeeds in a truly graphic style. ( )

Scott Sigler is one of those new fangled podcast novelists who is revolutionizing the publishing industry. Sigler offered audiences his first couple of novels free to the whoever wanted to download them. Through hard work and shameless self-promotion, Sigler got his name out there, drew in audiences and created a network of 30,000 plus rabid fans who couldn't wait for the next insallment or novel.

Eventually, the publishing industry took notice and signed Sigler to a contract to put his stories in the old-fashioned brick and mortar stores. And unlike some first-time authors of this kind, Sigler wasn't going out in paperback or a trade paperback. He was going hardcover with a full-on marketing push and blitz.

The first major label publication is Sigler's popular story "Infected." Not only because it's one of his better books, but also becuase it's creating the universe that Sigler plays in other novels. Hopefully the blitz and the publication will create new fans for Sigler as they realize what many of his podcast fans have known for years--the man can write one hell of a novel.

"Infected" is an alien invasion story, of sorts. Every-man Perry March's body has been invaded by some kind of alien virus. It starts out as a rash, but slowly evolves into something worse, to the point that the virus can communicate telepathically with Perry. The organisms are slowly turning into something, something sinister. But what they are and where they came from aren't exactly know to Perry.

Meanwhile, a government team is trying to find a connection between a set of seemingly well-adjusted people who suddenly go mad and on a killing spree. One connection is the crazy person become suicidal and their bodies decay quickly after death.

These plot threads slowly and inevitably come on a collision course.

The first thing to warn readers is that "Infected" is not for the faint of heart. Perry's attempts to get the sores out of his body become more and more intense as the story goes along. This is not a book to be read while eating or even if you've eaten lately or if you're thinking of eating later. It is, however, a great book to lose weight by reading. Sigler finds the perfect balance between giving enough information on what's unfolding and allowing our imaginations to fill in the rest.

The portions of the story with March are the most compelling of the book. Sigler seems to channel Stephen King or Richard Matheson in finding the everyman who is in some bizarre circumstance and trying to figure out how to react to it. March's descent into madness works because Sigler lays out the journey and the decisions that eventually lead to his actions. That said, you'll never look at chicken scissors in quite the same way again.

Where the story does drag a bit is in the governmental pursuit of the virus. While March's story has a definite beginning, middle and end, the story of what the virus is and the pursuit of it feels more like the opening salvo of a larger storyline. If you're looking for a lot of answers on that front, you're going to come away being disappointed. "Infected" clearly leaves itself open for a sequel and I just hope sales justify the next installment of this series.

Of course, I guess even if they don't the good news is that Sigler would still deliver the novel via podcast.

But why not pick up the book and encourage them to give us more? At times, "Infected" is a white-knuckle thriller that will keep the pages turning and there are certain scenes that will huant you long after the final page is turned. It's a bloody, dark, violent gruesome affair and one of the best "first novels" I've read in a long time. Some day we may all look back and say, "Oh yeah, I read Sigler back when...."

Get on board the train now. You won't regret it. ( )

A thrilling, if gory, vision of what a real alien invasion might look like. Nanomachines land on unprotected flesh. Even if only .01% survive, there still might be enough for them to proceed to the next level. Victims go crazy in the attack, killing themselves and others. Other victims play out their role as host to the invading army. Only the CIA and two scientists from the CDC have any idea what might be really happening and try to stop it. Much of the novel is focused on one ex-football player from an intensely abusive upbringing that tries to stop the seeds from using him as fodder for their invasion plans. This novel is action packed and chilling, but might be too personally violent for an average reader. ( )

People are going insane. They keep hearing voices and turn into killers. Killing people around them in addition to turn on themselves. The Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases is investigating this rash outbreak and what could be causing this. Margaret Montoya with the CDC detemines that there is one thing that all these people have in common......They have been colonized by a bioengineered parasite.

Perry Dawsey has been infected but there is something unique about him. For some odd reason the parasites need Perry. The parasites start communicating with Perry. They even grow eyes, so they can see what is going on. Perry doesn't know what to do. The only thing Perry knows is that the parasites need Perry to live. There is help on the way but help for who... Perry or The Parasites?

I have to tell you this book kept my interest going till the end. I have not come across many books like Infected and this is why. Infected delivers such a hugh whopping punch of "Holy Shit, I can't believe what just happened."

In just the first chapter. There was a man who called a radio station demanding to be put on the air as he had just murdered his family. His reasoning was because The Triangles told him so. Infected reminded me of the movie Bug with Ashley Judd and The X-Files only Infected was ten times better! Infected is my first book by Scott Sigler but after reading it I have to say it will not be my last time. I now have a new favorite author and his name is Scott Sigler. Infected was always running on full...full of intrigue, adventure, horror, and paranoia. So grab a copy of Scott Sigler's Infected but be warned you may lose sleep but don't worry as Mr. Sigler already has the sequel for Infected lined up with Contagious. I can't wait. ( )

Scott Sigler is a marketing machine. If you who haven't seen one of the many newspaper articles explaining how he used pod casting to attract a rabid audience for his intense brew of sci/fi and horror, then used that audience to obtain a major publishing deal for his third novel, Infected, I don't know where you've been hiding. The downside to such a marketing blitz is that it sets the novel up for disappointment.

Infected, surprisingly, proves itself worthy of the hype. Written in a style that's as cinema-ready as anything I've encountered, Sigler employs short, punchy chapters to dance back and forth between an ex-football player's struggle to deal with a bizarre infection that is gradually taking over his body and mind, and the CIA's and CDC's desperate measures to track and contain the spread of this bizarre infection without alarming the public. The fact that the infection's victims take on a wild, murderous personality as the infection matures, cranks up the stakes and tension. And as the story unfolds, we learn that the infection has the most serious implications imaginable for humankind.

This is a gory novel, to be avoided by the squeamish reader. It also suffers a bit from the use of clichéd characters, situations, and descriptions. But for those into horrific thrills, Infected provides entertainment in the vein of Stephen King, relying on well-researched, science fiction-based content rather than the fanstastical content in King's work. ( )

Infected is a complex and enjoyable novel. A devastating disease has infected only a few people so far. The infected become psychotic and paranoid, causing them to mutilate themselves and murder indiscriminately. The narrative follows Margaret Montoya and her team of doctors and CIA agents as they scramble to find living infected subjects to learn more about the disease and eventually cure it. The novel also follows Perry Dawsey from the initial infection to his descent into madness. The duality of the healer and the infected, the insane and the sane, really showcases Scott Sigler's ability to write unique and interesting characters.

This book will make you laugh and it will make you cringe with disgust. This book made me forget that I needed to eat or sleep until it was finished. The explanations and scientific observations of the disease from the spore stage to the mature stage are astonishingly detailed and believable. When reading this novel, I couldn't help but think of World War Z, with the unique character voices, or the film The Signal, with its unique look at insanity. I'm curious to see how widespread the disease will get in the next novel in the series (Contagious) and how society will handle it. ( )