Chimera (Parasitology Book 3)

When evaluating a book, I pay attention to my emotional response. If I am eager to pick it up again in the evening, if I am sorry to finish it and hope for a sequel, that is a good book. If the thought of picking it up fills me with reluctance, if I finish it with the relieved sense of a chore completed, that is not a good book. Chimera, and indeed the entire Parasitology trilogy is, alas, that second book. Now, I can and do intellectualize that emotional response. But the emotional response is primary.You may wonder why I bother to keep reading if I feel that way? Indeed, I sometimes wonder that myself. I have a habit of finishing any book I start, even when it would make more sense not to waste my time. (The last novel I didn't finish was Fifty Shades of Grey.) Furthermore, I was a professor for 25 years, and believe me, you don't become and remain a prof without reading many, many tedious documents.In this particular case I summoned up the will to continue because I have set myself a project of reading everything Seanan McGuire has published. Until Parasitology that has been a labor of love. I read McGuire because she writes enjoyable and insightful novels and stories.So, now comes the intellectualizing! Why didn't I enjoy Parasitology? I think it was mostly three things. First, the books are entirely humorless. This was surprising, since McGuire's Incryptid and October Daye series are often very funny. Second, the characters of Parasitology are at best boring (Sal and Nathan) and at worst odious (Cale, Adams, Mitchell, Sherman). Reading about these people is no fun at all. Third, I cannot get over how stupid the science is.

Sal is trapped at USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) where her father is convinced that Sal will help them cure her comatose sister and consent to having the tapeworm in her brain removed. He is still under the delusion that Sally can somehow still come. Sal keeps this hope alive because it's the only way she can keep existing for the moment. Meanwhile, Dr. Cale is trying to find a solution for all the tapeworm eggs living in the tap water and Sherman, the man who put them there, is lamenting the effect of what he's done. The tapeworm eggs effect everyone: chimera, human, and sleepwalker alike. It's simply acting as a poison except for the lucky very few who become chimera. Will Sherman succeed in replacing the human race? What will happen to Sal and her family?Chimera is the last book in the Parasitology series and picks up right where the last one left off. Sal has gone through quite the transformation over all of the books. Now, Sal is solid in her understanding of and confidence in herself as a chimera. The beginning of the book has Sal trapped in a refugee camp with the general populace, crowded with at least ten people in each room. She goes through a period of depression, where she just languishes and doesn't do much. Then she realizes that she's gotten out of worse and formulates a plan to get out. It's a crazy, not very well thought out plan, but it works. Sal plays on people's assumptions of her and puts on different personas when necessary to make them underestimate her, using half truths and rationalizations to give her performance more veracity. No one can shake Sal's understanding of herself and it's her biggest strength. Everything she does is for the benefit of her family. She deeply cares for humans, chimera, and sleepwalkers alike, but when the priorities get right down to it, she isn't afraid to hurt or stop whoever is hurting those closest to her. Sal's compassion impressed me. It's hard to feel that for people who aren't sentient or aware, but she recognizes their relation to her and ultimately wishes they could be left alone. I like her ability to feel yet she doesn't let it compromise the safety of those around her.All the characters add to the world and bring along their own flaws and rationales. Fishy, for instance, is convinced he's living in a video game world, complete with cut scenes, restarts, player characters, and everything else. His delusion isn't as strong as it used be and the reality where his wife and child are dead shows through sometimes. Sherman is a classic abuser that blames all of his shortcomings and mistakes on his victims. Sal forced him to take samples from her and dump all the eggs into the water supply. It's not his fault that it didn't have the desired effect. He also has a completely different view of Sal, similar to how she was in the first book but weaker and more malleable. The few passages from his perspective were chilling. It fascinated me how his mental gymnastics justified his awful behavior. Although he hates the humans for mistreating chimera, he does the same thing to humans. In contrast, Sal's group for the most part has their own code of ethics that preserves both chimera and human life whenever possible.Juniper is a brand new character and chimera because she is the product of multiple worms invading and one coming out on top inside a small girl. The phenomenon is even rarer than the production of regular chimera. Sal immediately protects her and treats her like her child because that worm was created from Sal. Juniper doesn't have a huge role in the books and has to learn everything about being human, but Sal finally understands a mother's perspective. Her experience lets her understand Dr. Cale and Sally's mother better after experiencing the emotions and instincts involved. Dr. Cale is one of my favorite characters because she may be a woman and a mother, but emotions are very low on her list of motivators. She loves all of her children and she takes care of them, but logic and rationality are higher priorities to her. Her experience also pointed out sexism in her field like how she went into hiding because her male colleague lied and opposed her. Few would side with Dr. Cale if any, so she decided to take herself out of the equation instead. This installment gave me a much better understanding than before when she just seemed cold and callous.The plot twists and turns and I had no idea where it would end up. Some of it seemed a little convenient, but other things are our of Sal's control and don't go quite how she would like. It's a satisfying end to a unique series and doesn't seem too outlandish. I would love to see other stories set within the world. Mira Grant is the pen name of Seanan McGuire and I will read everything she writes. Her writing always sucks me into whatever world she made and keeps me there until I finish and crave the next book.

I liked the series as a whole, especially the first and second books. the third one was but to me it seemed to end too abruptly and with a lot of holes in it. the story and characters could have been developed more. and an aftereffect of how the world works now would have been nice too.also, with the use of technology, that should have been incorporated to get an idea of what was happening around the rest of the world.but overall it was good.

The final installment of the Parasitology trilogy follows Sal through an intricate web of relationships, deceptions, and eventual consequences as she tries to make a world where she, and her chosen family, can survive.The best review I can give this book is that I bought it at 11 in the morning, and finished at 1:30am the next day. Once you start this roller coaster, it's going to grab you by the throat and drag you through the entire ride.The broken doors are open. Don't go out alone.

These books are written well, and they have a fairly descent story, but by the time you get to this third book, the story starts to feel monotonous. The first book in this series was fine, but the second two could easily have been condensed into one novel of the same size. Still worth reading tho, as the author does a good job of endearing the reader to the main character.

What a great story. Real characters, as in, real. Complex, human. Likeable, unlikeable all mixed up together. It is like the ultimate modern fairy tale; the original tales that us, not the sweetness and light that was popularized in the latter half of the 20th century.And, seriously, publish "Don't Go Out Alone"

This book just blew my mind. End of story was amazing.

Book came in perfect condition, Chimera is the Final installment in the Mira Grant; Parasite Trilogy.I received this book as a birthday present from my fiance.The characters in this series are witty, relatable, and easy to fall in love with. definitely worth a read if you're a fan of the Sci/Fy Horror Genre. ☺️

Grants concluding part to her parasitology trilogy begins pretty much where it left off with Sally getting herself out of trouble. There are some exciting action sequences though sometimes get muddled in with overlong transitional scenes which tend to recycle ideas over and over.This is not always a bad thing, but when dealing with a book written in the first person, the repetition sometimes makes one to start to scan through the passages instead of absorbing each written word.All the characters are well developed though one or two get dropped without any explanation.Overall, the book finishes nicely with plot points closed in a world filled with uncertainty which for a book of this Willis one to be admired.I am a huge fan of Grant's work as her fantastic realism of science entwined between science fact and fiction are excellently polished in a foreseeable future. Although it was going to be difficult to top her Feed trilogy, she has Donne a wonderful job taking things to the next step.Although a bit uneven, this is a book this is a trilogy that should be read and treasured. Her stylised views and writings are to be admired. Sally or Sal is an interesting character through her flawed and often questionable irritating manner at times but still admirable in her weaknesses and strengths.Mira Grant is part of the new breed of apocalyptic science horror that is raising the torch of what the future holds. Fantastic trilogy that is slightly let down by the climax. Just slightly. Highly recommended.

The final book in the Parasite trilogy sees Sal in peril. It’s tough being a chimera when everyone is out to get you and Sal has a tiresome habit of throwing herself into danger. Well written, great characters and zombies of a sort - what more could you wish for?This is not a stand alone book but it is a satisfying end to an engaging trilogy!

I really was looking forward to the third instalment of this series and it did not disappoint. While I felt the details of the world ending was a little lacking the story flowed well and the science was spot on. Mira Grant really is the absolute queen of the how's and whys of this genre. No one, including far better known authors, really take the time to focus on the intimate details of the infection. Hats off to you Mira, thank you for showing us what's beyond the broken doors.

God I loved this series! If you enjoyed this one I 100% recommend FEED by Mira grant.Loved the ending, love the story telling, and character building! Ahhh! Give me a month and I’ll be rereading it all over again

Not as exciting as the other two books in the series, but this was a lovely way to wrap up the triology. Fantastic book series, and I would always recommend books by Mira Grant, something wonderful in each of them. I really like the quotes in every chapter as well, nice way to break up the book.