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Parasite
Seventeen-year-old Jack Ives is used to being unlucky. His only friend has just moved away to college, his parents are alcoholics, and he’s relentlessly bullied by the town psychopath. All that begins to change with the arrival of a handsome but quirky new student, Lucien, who wants to be more than friends.
Their newfound happiness doesn’t last, however, as a strange new illness strikes the island. Fishermen go missing, and the villagers left behind aren’t themselves anymore. When Lucien is suspected to be the cause of the outbreak, can Jack overcome his teenage hormones and save Eldrick Isle? Will he even want to?
Their newfound happiness doesn’t last, however, as a strange new illness strikes the island. Fishermen go missing, and the villagers left behind aren’t themselves anymore. When Lucien is suspected to be the cause of the outbreak, can Jack overcome his teenage hormones and save Eldrick Isle? Will he even want to?
- GenresHorror
ebook
Published June 28, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 29, 2022
3.5
This isn’t my normal genre pick, but ever since I read Hell Followed with Us this year, I’ve been looking for more queer horror stories and this book didn’t disappoint!
This is a story of Jack, a lonely trans teenage boy who lives on a secluded, small island. One day Jack meets a charming stranger, Lucian, while walking home. When strange things start to happen on the island coinciding with the strangers arrival, the town looks to the new neighbors for answers.
First off, the setting and atmosphere of this story was so spooky! I really wish I would have picked this up before Halloween because the vibes were spot on. The descriptions of the town gave me goosebumps!
Although this is primarily a horror story, it’s also a bit of a romance and I think the mashup was done so well! It was so warm to watch Jack and Lucian fall in love and go through all these normal teenage relationship issues and milestones. Then you layer in the backdrop of the mystery of what is happening to the town and the eventual body horror aspects, and the juxtaposition between everything just made for an interesting story.
I do want to call out that Jack’s hometown is full of a lot of bigoted and honestly terrible people, so there is a lot of dead-naming and slurs that get thrown around. It’s difficult to read at times but it really aides in telling just how hard Jack’s life has been.
Obviously don’t want to give any of the mystery away but I really enjoyed how the story wrapped up and I would definitely recommend for anybody looking for an atmospheric queer horror read with some cute (dare I say fluffy? Dare I???) romance. I’m definitely curious to see what else Ridley puts out.
Thanks to Ridley and Pride Book Tours for the copy of the book to review!
This isn’t my normal genre pick, but ever since I read Hell Followed with Us this year, I’ve been looking for more queer horror stories and this book didn’t disappoint!
This is a story of Jack, a lonely trans teenage boy who lives on a secluded, small island. One day Jack meets a charming stranger, Lucian, while walking home. When strange things start to happen on the island coinciding with the strangers arrival, the town looks to the new neighbors for answers.
First off, the setting and atmosphere of this story was so spooky! I really wish I would have picked this up before Halloween because the vibes were spot on. The descriptions of the town gave me goosebumps!
Although this is primarily a horror story, it’s also a bit of a romance and I think the mashup was done so well! It was so warm to watch Jack and Lucian fall in love and go through all these normal teenage relationship issues and milestones. Then you layer in the backdrop of the mystery of what is happening to the town and the eventual body horror aspects, and the juxtaposition between everything just made for an interesting story.
I do want to call out that Jack’s hometown is full of a lot of bigoted and honestly terrible people, so there is a lot of dead-naming and slurs that get thrown around. It’s difficult to read at times but it really aides in telling just how hard Jack’s life has been.
Obviously don’t want to give any of the mystery away but I really enjoyed how the story wrapped up and I would definitely recommend for anybody looking for an atmospheric queer horror read with some cute (dare I say fluffy? Dare I???) romance. I’m definitely curious to see what else Ridley puts out.
Thanks to Ridley and Pride Book Tours for the copy of the book to review!
October 12, 2022
This book blew my mind a bit. Horror is my first true love and this is some wonderful old school horror scifi right here.
Jack is a lonely trans boy on a small island off the Massachusetts coast. A new kid (Lucien) moves to town with his older brother. Jack and Lucien become fast friends despite Luciens general weirdness. Meanwhile people are acting very out of character and getting infected with something horrific, which Jack is mostly oblivious to,
Everyone is town is shitty and deserves bad things to happen to them. I didn't really care about what happened to any of the characters except maybe the teacher. The ending resolves nicely while being completely open ended.
The "romance" is between two teenage boys. I wouldn't really categorize this as romance at all really, but that's how I discovered it. This should have more readers because the book was an enjoyable, horrific, disgusting, and at times disturbing.
Jack is a lonely trans boy on a small island off the Massachusetts coast. A new kid (Lucien) moves to town with his older brother. Jack and Lucien become fast friends despite Luciens general weirdness. Meanwhile people are acting very out of character and getting infected with something horrific, which Jack is mostly oblivious to,
Everyone is town is shitty and deserves bad things to happen to them. I didn't really care about what happened to any of the characters except maybe the teacher. The ending resolves nicely while being completely open ended.
The "romance" is between two teenage boys. I wouldn't really categorize this as romance at all really, but that's how I discovered it. This should have more readers because the book was an enjoyable, horrific, disgusting, and at times disturbing.
January 28, 2023
Y'ALL. This book. You know I was just talking about how much I loved Hell Followed With Us and was talking about trans rage. If you resonate with trans rage and body horror, you're gonna love this book too.
Jack is so relatable and realistic as the struggling teen desperate to leave his small island and get away from his life. It'd be hard not to root for him throughout the story. More worrisome, it's hard not to root for Lucien and then feel just a tiny but guilty about it. Even worse..... okay, Mitch is a bully. Complicit. But look at how adorable though! Maaaaaan.
The horror aspects were so well written too, and the pacing set the tension perfectly. It really read like it could be a movie. Jack knows the genre too-- from The Thing to Left 4 Dead, he was dropping all my favorite references.
Jack is so relatable and realistic as the struggling teen desperate to leave his small island and get away from his life. It'd be hard not to root for him throughout the story. More worrisome, it's hard not to root for Lucien and then feel just a tiny but guilty about it. Even worse..... okay, Mitch is a bully. Complicit. But look at how adorable though! Maaaaaan.
The horror aspects were so well written too, and the pacing set the tension perfectly. It really read like it could be a movie. Jack knows the genre too-- from The Thing to Left 4 Dead, he was dropping all my favorite references.
January 1, 2023
An excellent small-town horror with clear through lines to many horror genre staples, this horror/romance stands on its own in the way it keeps you wondering how much of a monster the monster is. It wears its influence on its sleeve without feeling beholden to them, and the author has a way with words that will have you grinning.
November 30, 2022
A huge thank you to @pridebooktours and @ridley_harker for letting me be on this book tour and #gifting me the ebook.
Parasite is a YA/LGBTQI+ Horror following Jack Ives. A seventeen year old who has just had enough of life and his hometown, Eldrick Isle. Untill a quirky and strange new student comes, Lucian..who wants more than to be friends. But Jacks newfound happiness doesn't last, as a strange illness hits his town. Fishermen go missing, villagers acting extremely weird and all points to Lucian.
I thoroughly enjoyed Parasite. It had the perfect eerie, dark and creepy atmosphere. Perfect for this cold wintery month. I especially loved the gore in this book, Ridley doesn't hold back and I was certainly having a few 'eew' moments.
As well as all of that, I really liked how the characters were developed. All of the characters were so well done. Their insights and their feelings were told so well. I generally thought I was actually them. Jack's character was extremely well done. His background with his alcoholic parents, being a victim in some really abusive and emotional bullying. But most importantly about his transition to being a boy. Little things like his wrap and how it makes him feel, hormone medicine. Also details like how he feels, how others make him feel. I felt Jack's character was the most rawest character I've ever read. It was done exceptionally well and so many would feel like his character was based on them.
I also love Lucian. He is such a strange character and all these weird things about him, made you curious. Details like how pale he is, how he doesn't eat, seems to not feel pain/can heal. All this made me want to read and read to see why.
These two as a romance was exceptionally cute. I had quite a few 'aww' moments and often you'd see me grinning like a cheshire cat.
There were some flaws for me however. There was times that so much had happened, that I got a little lost. Also some elements felt a bit too rushed and others not had the full circle. But for me that didn't stop me from enjoying this story, nor wanting to put the book down.
Overall, this was a really good horror and with the romance added in made it fun at times too. The topics were so well written and it really does make you reflect on how your behaviour is to others. If you like your queer books and horror then I guarantee you will enjoy Parasite.
Parasite is a YA/LGBTQI+ Horror following Jack Ives. A seventeen year old who has just had enough of life and his hometown, Eldrick Isle. Untill a quirky and strange new student comes, Lucian..who wants more than to be friends. But Jacks newfound happiness doesn't last, as a strange illness hits his town. Fishermen go missing, villagers acting extremely weird and all points to Lucian.
I thoroughly enjoyed Parasite. It had the perfect eerie, dark and creepy atmosphere. Perfect for this cold wintery month. I especially loved the gore in this book, Ridley doesn't hold back and I was certainly having a few 'eew' moments.
As well as all of that, I really liked how the characters were developed. All of the characters were so well done. Their insights and their feelings were told so well. I generally thought I was actually them. Jack's character was extremely well done. His background with his alcoholic parents, being a victim in some really abusive and emotional bullying. But most importantly about his transition to being a boy. Little things like his wrap and how it makes him feel, hormone medicine. Also details like how he feels, how others make him feel. I felt Jack's character was the most rawest character I've ever read. It was done exceptionally well and so many would feel like his character was based on them.
I also love Lucian. He is such a strange character and all these weird things about him, made you curious. Details like how pale he is, how he doesn't eat, seems to not feel pain/can heal. All this made me want to read and read to see why.
These two as a romance was exceptionally cute. I had quite a few 'aww' moments and often you'd see me grinning like a cheshire cat.
There were some flaws for me however. There was times that so much had happened, that I got a little lost. Also some elements felt a bit too rushed and others not had the full circle. But for me that didn't stop me from enjoying this story, nor wanting to put the book down.
Overall, this was a really good horror and with the romance added in made it fun at times too. The topics were so well written and it really does make you reflect on how your behaviour is to others. If you like your queer books and horror then I guarantee you will enjoy Parasite.
November 23, 2022
Jack is a lonely trans boy on a segregated island which is, let’s be real, full of bigoted and nasty people. Between his parents being raging alcoholics, his brother being incarcerated and his only friend having moved away, life is not looking very good. Enter Lucien, a mysterious newcomer to the island. Lucien quickly turns into “touch Jack and I’ll make you pay” (quite literally). However, this book is not a romance, I would say it is more a gory horror/sci-fi with a romance within it.
I’ll start off with the points I loved about the book:
✨ Jack as a whole was written perfectly. The struggles that trans people go through both externally and internally were portrayed very well in this book and he was such a lovely character, I want to protect him at all costs.
✨ The quick romance between Lucien and Jack is heartwarming. I loved seeing Jack’s own confidence grow the more Lucien stuck up for him and made him feel loved. Lucien is so cheeky and flirty as well just <3
✨ The gory horror/spooky element, I am a sucker for this in books and I do wish I had read this around Halloween!
✨ Mrs Ashford - she was a supportive gay queen and truly an unrecognised hero within this book and I wish we had got to see more of her!
Okay points I did not like in the slightest bringing it down to a 3 star read for me:
🩸The plot is CONFUSING. It was all a tiny bit chaotic and I think parts of the plot really needed explaining a lot more so that the overall book (and especially the ending) made more sense.
🩸 Lucien himself misgendering Jack?! Like wtf was up with that? It was never explained why or added anything to the overall plot and was just brushed over?
There are a lot of content warnings for this book which I will post below. Overall I would 100% recommend to anyone who loves a gory horror🥰
Thank you so much to @pridebooktours on ig for gifting me this copy of parasite🥰 also thank you to Nine Star Press and Ridley Harker also!
—————————
⚠️CW: alcoholism, animal abuse, blood, bullying, deadnaming, death, domestic violence, drowning, gore, homophobia, misogyny, misgendering, rape fantasies, transphobia, transphobic slurs.
I’ll start off with the points I loved about the book:
✨ Jack as a whole was written perfectly. The struggles that trans people go through both externally and internally were portrayed very well in this book and he was such a lovely character, I want to protect him at all costs.
✨ The quick romance between Lucien and Jack is heartwarming. I loved seeing Jack’s own confidence grow the more Lucien stuck up for him and made him feel loved. Lucien is so cheeky and flirty as well just <3
✨ The gory horror/spooky element, I am a sucker for this in books and I do wish I had read this around Halloween!
✨ Mrs Ashford - she was a supportive gay queen and truly an unrecognised hero within this book and I wish we had got to see more of her!
Okay points I did not like in the slightest bringing it down to a 3 star read for me:
🩸The plot is CONFUSING. It was all a tiny bit chaotic and I think parts of the plot really needed explaining a lot more so that the overall book (and especially the ending) made more sense.
🩸 Lucien himself misgendering Jack?! Like wtf was up with that? It was never explained why or added anything to the overall plot and was just brushed over?
There are a lot of content warnings for this book which I will post below. Overall I would 100% recommend to anyone who loves a gory horror🥰
Thank you so much to @pridebooktours on ig for gifting me this copy of parasite🥰 also thank you to Nine Star Press and Ridley Harker also!
—————————
⚠️CW: alcoholism, animal abuse, blood, bullying, deadnaming, death, domestic violence, drowning, gore, homophobia, misogyny, misgendering, rape fantasies, transphobia, transphobic slurs.
October 19, 2022
I had the pleasure of receiving a review copy of this book. Parasite is a horror-romance novel – and if that sounds like a difficult combo to nail, you’d be right. So understand the full weight of my enthusiasm when I say that this book NAILS IT.
Jack Ives, a teenager with a very troubled home life, finds his world changed for both better and worse with the arrival of Lucien, a charming, yet off-putting stranger to his island. I was fully invested in the characters and the romance itself, while also remaining gloriously uneasy about the sinister aspects lurking in the shadows around them. Jack made for an interesting and complex main character, while Lucien’s behavioural quirks had me paying close attention every time he was on the page.
Harker is brilliant at layering subtle clues through the story, and the true nature of the central horror is revealed in deliciously small doses during the first half of the book, building into a thrilling climax that lasts most of the second half, with all gory secrets revealed.
As for setting, the entire story takes place on the remote and gloomy Eldrick Island, and this sense of gloom pervades Harker’s writing perfectly. Jack feels trapped there, and by the end of the book this characterisation of the island as a prison takes on a whole new meaning. The murky grey atmosphere is a perfect reflection of the shades-of-grey morality within the overarching narrative.
If I have one complaint, it’s that I wish there were just a couple more pages at the end to dwell on the fate of Eldrick Isle, and particularly the state of Jack’s relationships with the people there. However, the story is still wrapped up very well, and is tantalisingly full of opportunity for a sequel.
Read the full, extended review on my blog: https://georginajeffery.com/2022/10/1...
Jack Ives, a teenager with a very troubled home life, finds his world changed for both better and worse with the arrival of Lucien, a charming, yet off-putting stranger to his island. I was fully invested in the characters and the romance itself, while also remaining gloriously uneasy about the sinister aspects lurking in the shadows around them. Jack made for an interesting and complex main character, while Lucien’s behavioural quirks had me paying close attention every time he was on the page.
Harker is brilliant at layering subtle clues through the story, and the true nature of the central horror is revealed in deliciously small doses during the first half of the book, building into a thrilling climax that lasts most of the second half, with all gory secrets revealed.
As for setting, the entire story takes place on the remote and gloomy Eldrick Island, and this sense of gloom pervades Harker’s writing perfectly. Jack feels trapped there, and by the end of the book this characterisation of the island as a prison takes on a whole new meaning. The murky grey atmosphere is a perfect reflection of the shades-of-grey morality within the overarching narrative.
If I have one complaint, it’s that I wish there were just a couple more pages at the end to dwell on the fate of Eldrick Isle, and particularly the state of Jack’s relationships with the people there. However, the story is still wrapped up very well, and is tantalisingly full of opportunity for a sequel.
Read the full, extended review on my blog: https://georginajeffery.com/2022/10/1...
October 16, 2022
The Review
This was a haunting and captivating horror read. The chilling nature of the narrative took readers by storm, revealing both the panic-inducing body horror that films like John Carpenter’s The Thing and modern-day indie horror film The Bay have become known for and the suspense that keeps readers invested in the narrative as the motivations and twists of the story keep the true “threat” facing the people in town and the protagonist under a shroud of mystery. The brilliant imagery the author utilizes brings the “jump-scare” effect to the narrative, keeping readers hooked on the author’s writing.
The character development and atmosphere were the best-developed aspects of this narrative. Between the strong LGBTQ character bonds that the main characters shared together and the scare-filled atmosphere that kept the reader engaged with this narrative, the book hooked me immediately. The balance between every day, haunted aspects of daily human life that brought the townspeople to the place they found themselves in at the start of the narrative and the more parasitic, horror-themed problems that they come face to face with will have readers immersed in this story.
The Verdict
Powerful, thrilling, and entertaining, author Ridley Harker’s “Parasite” is a must-read LGBTQ-driven body horror novel of 2022! The perfect fall read for horror fans, the story and atmosphere will hook readers immediately, but it is the well-developed characters that will have readers invested as the narrative comes to its chilling and climactic finale.
This was a haunting and captivating horror read. The chilling nature of the narrative took readers by storm, revealing both the panic-inducing body horror that films like John Carpenter’s The Thing and modern-day indie horror film The Bay have become known for and the suspense that keeps readers invested in the narrative as the motivations and twists of the story keep the true “threat” facing the people in town and the protagonist under a shroud of mystery. The brilliant imagery the author utilizes brings the “jump-scare” effect to the narrative, keeping readers hooked on the author’s writing.
The character development and atmosphere were the best-developed aspects of this narrative. Between the strong LGBTQ character bonds that the main characters shared together and the scare-filled atmosphere that kept the reader engaged with this narrative, the book hooked me immediately. The balance between every day, haunted aspects of daily human life that brought the townspeople to the place they found themselves in at the start of the narrative and the more parasitic, horror-themed problems that they come face to face with will have readers immersed in this story.
The Verdict
Powerful, thrilling, and entertaining, author Ridley Harker’s “Parasite” is a must-read LGBTQ-driven body horror novel of 2022! The perfect fall read for horror fans, the story and atmosphere will hook readers immediately, but it is the well-developed characters that will have readers invested as the narrative comes to its chilling and climactic finale.
November 28, 2022
I really, really enjoyed Parasite! It was a very gripping story and was definitely edge of your seat stuff! This YA/LGBTQ+ read as a proper scifi/horror novel. Some parts reminded me of the Gone series by Michael Grant which is an all time favourite of mine, so this book was totally up my street! The characters as a group were all very realistic, I could imagine them and their personalities so clearly. The story was very interesting too. There was quite a but going on but it never got complicated or took away from the overall feel of the book! The only thing is I'd like to have found out a little more behind Spencer and Lucien's goals, and that's all I'll say as I don't want to give a huge amount away!
If you're looking for a dark, captivating scifi story, definitely check this one out!
* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *
If you're looking for a dark, captivating scifi story, definitely check this one out!
* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *
July 10, 2022
Oo, a new-to-me author! I used to be a sucker for any type of infection/disease horror... not so much these days! In this case, I was lured by the cover and the blurb.
This book is a perfect blend of nibble off your nails horror (including toe nails), intrigue, romance, mystery, and the kind of layers you think about for months. A perfect read for a Friday night!
I might double check the door locks tonight though!
5 owl stars from me!
This book is a perfect blend of nibble off your nails horror (including toe nails), intrigue, romance, mystery, and the kind of layers you think about for months. A perfect read for a Friday night!
I might double check the door locks tonight though!
5 owl stars from me!
featured
September 26, 2024Spencer from Parasite is asexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
April 30, 2023
horror's not my genre, but this was a bookclub pick and finished so there's that. It's very cinematic - we call could totally see this as a TV movie.
Did want to clarify rep for those curious!
100% yes to trans rep for Jack!
WOG bi for Lucien
WOG ace for Spencer, though none of the bookclub (we're all ace) would have pegged Spencer as such. There was no true opportunity to explore it
Did want to clarify rep for those curious!
100% yes to trans rep for Jack!
WOG bi for Lucien
WOG ace for Spencer, though none of the bookclub (we're all ace) would have pegged Spencer as such. There was no true opportunity to explore it
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews