Chimera (Parasitology, #3)

by Mira Grant

The final book in Mira Grant's terrifying Parasitology trilogy.

The outbreak has spread, tearing apart the foundations of society, as implanted tapeworms have turned their human hosts into a seemingly mindless mob.

Sal and her family are trapped between bad and worse, and must find a way to compromise between the two sides of their nature before the battle becomes large enough to destroy humanity, and everything that humanity has built...including the chimera.

The broken doors are closing. Can Sal make it home?

Parasitology
Parasite
Symbiont
Chimera

For more from Mira Grant, check out:

Newsflesh
Feed
Deadline
Blackout

Newsflesh Short Fiction
Apocalypse Scenario #683: The Box
Countdown
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats
How Green This Land, How Blue This Sea
The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell
Please Do Not Taunt the Octopus

• ISBN10: 0316381012
• ISBN13: 9780316381017
• Publish Date: 24 November 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

Chimera is the mostly satisfying conclusion to the Parasitology trilogy. Who will win in this battle for the planet, the humans or the chimeras, or will the tapeworms wipe out them all?

Sal has once again found herself separated from her chosen family, this time with USAMRIID and Sally's family. Except 1/3 of that family is in a coma, 1/3 believes Sal holds the answers to waking her up, and the other 1/3 would rather just wipe Sal off the face of the planet. So Sal finds herself locked in quarantine with the other human (non-tapeworm implanted) survivors. Except some of these survivors are suddenly finding themselves infected and "turned".

Turns out Sherman's brilliant plan for turning the rest of humankind into chimeras isn't exactly working as expected. Can Sal make it back to her family, and will they find a way to save human-kind and chimera-kind, both?

I was mostly satisfied with how things wrapped up in this trilogy. There's a fair bit more action here (I read this much faster than the second one), and I enjoyed the settings created by the author, but sometimes there's a bit too much philosophizing by Sal. There are also a few unexpected twists and turns. Overall, I was happy I read these, though they don't quite live up to what the Newsflesh trilogy was.

[Quirky Cat]

Chimera is the third and final novel in the Parasitology series by Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire. The series is somewhere between a medical thriller and a dystopian series, in many ways. In a world where scientist feel comfortable skipping steps for the ‘greater good’ (and greater profit) it really was only a matter of time before an outbreak such as the one in this series occurred.
If you haven’t read the first two novels in this series (Parasite, Symbiont) then you should stop reading this review now, because it is absolutely going to have spoilers for those books.
Chimera brings a conclusion to the outbreak, as well as finally resolving all of the subplots that have been up in the air. It gave me a lot of peace to see some of these events resolved, though there are one or two things I wouldn’t have minded seeing included.
I know that Mira Grant probably could find more to write about in this world if she so chose. But honestly, I think it ended at a good point here. I’d rather see a series end when it should, then have it go on longer than it can sustain (we’ve all seen what can happen there).



Warnings: If you’ve read the previous novels, then you’re already aware of the steps and extremes the military branch here has been willing to take. This includes forced isolation and testing, as well as forcing people into camps. These camps are only for the people parasite free, but they’re not exactly great places to be. And again, they’re not voluntary. Some of the descriptions here can be a little rough to hear.
Chimera was the perfect conclusion to the Parasitology series. Though honestly, I am very sad to see it go. It was a lot of fun to read this series, and I will miss it. I loved Sal and all of her stubbornness and quirks. I loved the outbreak caution-less science created, and I loved all of the ethical debates this series raised.
Looking back on this novel, it feels like it contained so much more than just the conclusion to the series. Sal went through a lot in this novel. She seems to always be going through a lot, doesn’t she? She bounced from one location to the other, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes not.
But that’s nothing compared to some of the emotional turmoil she had to go through here. She had to put up with inhumane conditions, accept the way people viewed her, and accept the loss of loved ones along the way. It couldn’t have been easy for her.
There was one moment in this novel that I really loved. Up until now, Sal had been skirting the line between the two major sides. She didn’t want anybody to die – human, sleepwalker, or chimera. She had naively been hoping that people could just accept the chimeras for who they are. There was a moment here, where the finally realized why that wasn’t going to be so easy for the humans. Why they couldn’t easily forgive and forget, where the bodies of their loved ones were concerned. It showed a lot of growth on Sal’s part, and honestly, I think it was a perspective she needed to have.
Her realization helped to further show us just how far her father, Colonial Mitchell, was willing to go to make amends. He went above and beyond, no matter how you look at it. Yeah, he did some pretty awful things in the past. But he didn’t have to agree to do any of the things asked for here. His wife certainly would not have, we know that much. But he did, and he did it all with grace. So Sal wasn’t the only one that grew during the course of this series.
Chimera did a wonderful job of wrapping up all of the major plot points that have been running throughout this series. I won’t say that everything is back to normal by the end –I don’t know if that will ever be possible. But we do get answers to all of our major questions. And we get a sense of satisfaction as well, so I certainly can’t complain.
My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that (spoiler warning) Dr. Banks didn’t get what he deserved. I would love to complain more about this…but honestly? It kind of makes sense. Real life doesn’t tie things up in a nice bow. Sometimes the bad guy does get away with things. Especially when he is a rich scientist with lots of government connections. It stinks, but it happens.
I’m sad that the series is over, but it ended with no loose ends, so I’m content. At least I have plenty of other series from Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire to move onto next.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Melanie]

Review originally posted at RabidReads.ca.

I’m a huge fan of Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series. So, I decided to give her Parasitology series a try. This is a very interesting series. In this world, scientists have genetically modified tapeworms and made them help to medicine, instead of a hindrance. They can be tailored to an individual and help them with issues like epilepsy, like our main character Sally Mitchell. However, you know what happens with you play with Mother Nature.

At this point, we have a good handle of what is going on, sciencewise anyway. What is going to happen to the characters we’ve grown to love is another thing. The bad people are not always obvious. Who is going to come out on top? Will humans live through this disaster?

While, I really enjoyed this series, it doesn’t compare to the Newsflesh series, in my opinion (that is not a putdown for this series, just shows my love of Newsflesh). What does make this story great is Mira Grant’s ability to write characters that you truly care about. Not only was I highly invested in the main character of Sal, but also in many of the secondary characters. Tansy is a character that is a little off kilter, but an amazing character. She is extremely loyal to those she has as her family, but she really doesn’t have a conscience outside of them. She has no problem killing you if you try to hurt her family. Adam is childlike, but also much smarter than a child in other ways. Very smart, but emotionally a young child. Fishy, who thinks he’s living in a videogame, is fearless. I mean, if he gets killed, he can just use another life from the game. He is someone I would like to have at my back anyday. Dr. Cale is a real interesting character. She was instrumental in creating these worms, but she also saw what was going on well before anyone else. Her partner, Dr. Banks, chose greed over caution, so she left and been underground ever since. But, at the same time, Dr. Cale will do just about anything to learn more. She is all about knowledge. Sherman is one of the scariest guys, though he doesn’t always seem that way. He’s able to charm his way into anything. If you’re a character driven reader, like me, I can’t recommend Mira Grant enough.

Narration
Christine Lakin was a new-to-me narrator before starting this series. She did an amazing job with the narration of this series. Her voices and tone were perfect for each of the characters. She really brought out Sherman’s charm, Fishy’s crazy, Adam’s childishness. I loved her voice for Tansy and her crazy. I really enjoyed her narration and will be looking for her in the future.

[empressbrooke]

Unfortunately, this trilogy never does recover from the unnecessary middle book. Yet again we have nearly 500 pages of not much happening. It starts where book #2 left off, with Sal kidnapped yet again. She escapes. Then her comrades get kidnapped. So she goes back to the second place where she was held hostage to get help rescuing friends from the first place where she was held hostage. And then suddenly the book is over.

To recap, after an intriguing start in the first book, nearly 1000 pages are spent on a merry-go-round of kidnapping and escaping.

It seems like such a waste to have this interesting set-up and world-building but not to have the characters do anything that drives the overall events in this world forward. It feels like a half-baked idea that wasn't fully fleshed out and no one stepped in to edit it.

[Artemis]

Read more reviews at The Artemis Reader

Chimera was an interesting conclusion to the Parasitology series. I spent a large majority of the time reading Chimera frustrated beyond belief. These characters are really dense sometimes! That being said, I did enjoy this final book in the series just not as much as its predecessors.

Chimera begins with Sal, pretending to be a resurrected Sally Mitchell, in USAMIIRD custody on her way to the Pleasanton facility. Along the way she meets Paul and Carrie, two non-infected humans who were rounded up in San Francisco, become Sal’s gen-pop housemates in the quarantine zone. Sal later uses Carrie to escape once again from the facility. After a car-chase and a run in with some sleepwalkers, the girls and their new chimera child, make their way to Dr. Cale’s bowling alley laboratory. Reunited with Dr. Cale, Nathan, Adam and Fishy – things seem quite peaceful. However, Sherman manages to locate them and capture Dr. Cale and her team. Sal and Fishy, and a few other supporting characters manage to avoid capture and decide to head to USAMIIRD to team up and take down Sherman. They also want Joyce – who might be a good match for Tansy who is in organ failure. These events lead up to the quick, but action packed conclusion of Parasitology.

One thing I’ve really loved about this series is the ambiguity in determining a true “bad guy”. Each major player has done something truly horrible/outrageous/extreme, but has also tried to contribute to the solution that the “sleepwalking” sickness has caused. The USAMIIRD in an attempt to create a quarantine safe zone for survivors, creates a survivor prison with limited resources and overcrowding. Solider’s shoot the inhabitants for disobeying the rules and living conditions are poor. Sherman, who infected the water supply with Sal’s tapeworm eggs, is trying to create the perfect race. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Symbogen and Dr. Banks – who we don’t see much of in this final installment – can probably take most of the blame for adding high percentages of human DNA to the tapeworms. And Dr. Cale for creating the overall formula. Each side has done something to cause this epidemic, but is also trying to rectify the situation.

There were lots of frustrating moments in this book. And I read a majority of it on the commuter rail to and from work, so I couldn’t chuck my iPad into the closest wall. Chimera started very slowly, but it definitely set the scene in how USAMIIRD was handling the situation and how very little they knew about the other players. I mean they had no knowledge of Sherman and the chimera squad?! They seemed to be more focused on just Dr. Cale. Plot wise this felt so rushed, especially the last half of the book. Grant spent a lot of time forging a relationship between Carrie and Sal and their escape and then Carrie just kind of disappears at the end? Also whatever happened to Anna – did I miss that? Also really didn’t like how “easy” Col. Mitchell gave over Joyce.

One thing I was really happy about was the lack of Nathan. Definitely my least favorite character in the series. Nathan is a stagnant character – he has almost no reaction to anything throughout the whole series. Was really glad that there was minimal involvement with him in this final installment.
There is a lot of things I felt had the potential to be really great that just didn’t get developed in time. I also could of done without the first third of the book constantly reminding me of what I already read in the first two. More on Juniper and how she came to be would have been nice. When Sal returns to the bowling alley compound Dr. Cale briefly mentions the depression Adam experienced when Sal and Tansy went away and I think elaborating on this theory would have strengthened my understanding of Juniper and Sal’s attachment. But she almost glosses over it and moves on. The whole Tansy/Joyce debacle felt rushed too. All in all, the last third of the book especially felt so rushed – at one point I remember having seventy-five pages left and knowing that everything was going to be over far too quickly.This also led to the ending/epilogue being very anti-climatic. While there is no resolution on the sleepwalker/chimera front the theme of can we coexist is so strong – especially in the scenes between Col. Mitchel and Sal. For me this was a huge plus and made up for other areas that I felt were lacking.

Overall, Parasitology is a fascinating series filled with a little something for everyone. Grant manages to create a full world in this series, with (some) vibrant starring and supporting characters that push the plot forward with plenty of action. The series is certainly entertaining, and while not as outstanding as other’s I’ve read, it is still a series worth reading.

And I am really going to need a full version of Don’t Go Out Alone. Creepy children’s books for the win!

[celinenyx]

Mira Grant - of Feed fame - has finished another wonderful science-fiction trilogy, proving again that she knows how to write good endings.

In the final Parasitology book, the tapeworms are spreading. Countless people are getting infected and turned into mindless husks, incapable of complex thought, ruled by their instincts. It is up to Sal and her friends to save the world - but the world doesn't seem to want to be saved.

An issue that is incredibly prevalent in science-fiction is a lack of character growth and development. More often than not, sci-fi characters are mere sock-puppets, mouth-pieces for the author to express a certain message. Grant (the pseudonym of Seanan McGuire) takes a solid science-based concept, and combines it with characters that feel real.

At the core of the Parasitology trilogy lies the story of Sal coming into herself. She is the focus of the books, and Chimera shows the final part of her journey into accepting what and who she is, and finding her place in a broken world. Because so much careful attention is spent on Sal's development, I felt that some other characters were done a bit short. I would have loved to read more from the points of view of other key characters - the short pieces of autobiographical writing at the start of chapters provided a welcome insight into their minds, but I was left wanting to know more.

Like all the other books I have read by Grant, the science in the Parasitology novels is sound. The fact that a character like Sal takes the spotlight does not mean that Grant lets the worldbuilding slide. Chimera is well researched, though the subject matter - parasites! tape worms! - might put people off from reading these books.

Chimera answers all of the questions raised throughout the trilogy in a satisfactory manner, and has all the elements I look for in a science-fiction. Grant has yet to disappoint me in anything she writes.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Grant takes us into the not so distant future, introduces us to a world on the cutting edge of medical technology, and shows us how miracle medical cures could be society’s downfall. Eerily realistic it highlighted financial greed, humanity's search for the magic pill and ponders how far in the name of science is too far.

Since the beginning of the trilogy Grant has presented multiple perspectives some in diary format, audio messages, and others in scientific documents. Throughout the trilogy, we have watched the transformation and growth of protagonist Sal as she finds herself caught on both sides of this war. We witness good characters, greedy characters, sympathetic characters and villains who will make you shiver. Human and parasites alike fall into these categories. I love that Grant did not make this a battle against good and evil, but gave it a realistic perspective where both sides need to compromise.

One of the things that impressed me with the trilogy and particularly Chimera is that Grant blurs the lines between humans and tapeworms. The characters played a large role in this transformation. Sal in particular as well as her brother Adam and her sister Tansy changed my perspective. While this is classified as horror and yes in the beginning, I shivered it slowly became more about the characters and made me ponder humanity's advancement. Could the ultimate medical cure be our downfall? Is our search for eternal youth, diet pills and carefree eating going to be our undoing?

Grant once again weaves in humor, tender moments and surprises that tugged at my heartstrings and made me giggle. She highlights strong characters who can accept and those whom are close minded presenting a realistic look at what if. She made me care and I became completely engrossed in the outcome. I feared for them, cried for them, loathed others, and damn it she made the unthinkable loveable.

"Sometimes I miss lying to myself about the things that make my life complicated."-SAL

"Wow"said Fishy. "I don't think I heard a single full stop in there. You know, when you start talking entirely in comma splices, you're probably ready for a time-out and a tranquilizer."

For fans of the trilogy Chimera packs a punch and delivers a nail-biting final book with twists and turns before closing with an open-ending that left me deeply satisfied. Of course, it also left room for novellas in this world, something Grant does these marvelously and I gobble them up like candy. If you read this Ms. Grant, I would like Fishy’s story and for the love of all that is holy, I need a copy of Don't Go Out Alone.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer