A review by sharron_joy_reads
Infested by C.M. Forest

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first New Leaf apartment is a state of the art living space. During a violent storm Oliva wakes up on the floor of her bedroom in a pool of her own vomit, not sure what has happened, light headed and stumbling around her blacked out apartment she searches for her husband Liam. Once outside in the corridor she faces a deadlier threat than the storm, a parasite has invaded the building, possessing the residents turning them into killing machines. She has to face her fears to find her husband and find out who has released the Infested.
 
This starts at full speed and never lets up, if you do not like bugs it will make your skin crawl. It is a closed circle mystery wrapped around a gory nightmare creature feature. The entire story takes place in a very modern, state of the art apartment block, the first one to be built by the New Leaf Company in a beautiful but isolated location.
 
The endless corridors, staircases, open and closed doors give the story a very claustrophobic feel. The feeling of being trapped, confined and being hunted is very well done here. The lack of power and therefore light gives the effect of shrinking what in reality are huge spaces within the building. The Infested are repulsive and the way that they infect their hosts is disturbing and gruesome.
 
This was a great horror read with a real nostalgic feel to it, very much in the vein of 70’s and 80’s invasion movies, you’re not really sure if the infested are of this world or another and it gives the story an underlying science fiction horror feel. There is elements of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers with the brutalism of David Cronenburg’s Rabid, I loved it and found it hard to put down.
 
As with most horror check the triggers if you need to but if you like your horror biological and visceral you will love 
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