Perry Dawsey is infected by an alien parasite and must remove them before they hatch and kill him. Perry Dawsey is a former college linebacker who grew up in an abusive home. All of his life his father taught him to be tough and this upbringing has turned Perry into an angry time bomb that goes off violently every so often. His best friend Bill has been trying to keep him calm for the last eight years. The two work together in customer service and the only reason Perry was hired is because Bill vouched for him. One day, Perry wakes up incredibly itchy. He doesn't know at the time, but seven alien parasites have landed on his body and are currently burrowing their way into his skin.
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Eventually, what Perry thinks is a rash turns more serious as he picks at one. He manages to pull one of the parasites out of him with tweezers, but the tail of the parasite has burrowed into the muscles of his thigh. When he finally rips it out he sees that the creature is alive and the tail is wriggling like crazy. He feels sick and faints, slamming his head on the toilet and giving himself a concussion.
Meanwhile, a CDC doctor named Margaret Montoya and her assistant Amos are studying other victims of the alien parasite. They are working with CIA Deputy Director Murray and his top soldier Dew to keep these cases secret while simultaneously studying the bodies for weaknesses. It turns out that these parasites drive the host crazy using neurotransmitters, naturally created by the brain, in much higher than average doses. This turns the victims into serial killers in almost every instance.
Perry wakes up on his bathroom floor two days after removing the first parasite. The parasites have grown into blue triangles in the time that he was asleep and have gained more control over their host. They demand that he feed them and they scream inside his brain until he complies. Perry doesn't know this, but if the parasites are removed from his body, a chain reaction will occur that will cause his body to quickly rot into black slime. Perry continues to try and remove the parasites, but they are adapting to his efforts. He pulls one out of his leg and nearly bleeds to death as the now barbed tails rip through his Achilles tendon.
Now Perry only has the use of his right leg and is hopping around his apartment trying to figure out how to get help. The CIA has set up a website where victims can ask for help and he sends them a message. The paranoia of the parasites starts to take over his brain and he thinks that they will just send soldiers to kill him. He begins to pack, the parasites telling him in his mind that he must go to a secluded wooded area to the north where other parasites are building a doorway to their home planet.
As he is about to leave, Bill shows up to check on his friend. In his delusional state, Perry concludes that Bill is working with the government to spy on him. He attacks the smaller man and stabs him in the leg before breaking his nose. He drags him inside and crucifies him before leaving. The police show up and he hides in another apartment with another infected person. He watches as the parasites burst out of her body and swears that he won't let that happen to him.
Meanwhile Dew and the doctors are en route to rescue Perry. Dew plans on killing Perry even though they need him alive.
Perry finally gets the courage to rip the other three parasites out of his body before setting the house on fire. The hatched parasites attack him but he kills one and the rest flee. As the apartment building burns he runs outside and is knocked out by the CIA agents. They find a map on his person that shows where the triangles wanted him to go. Dew orders a platoon of soldiers be sent to that location.
While Perry recovers, Dew and the soldiers find something at the location. It is a portal that leads to the alien home planet. The area is swarming with fifty or more hatched parasites, some grown as tall as a middle school student. The parasites sense the presence of the soldiers and activate the portal. They then rush the soldiers. While the rest of the men fight the parasites, Dew can't stop looking at the portal. He now sees their home planet and an army of a million invaders ready to come through. The first alien takes his step onto Earth when an airstrike destroys the portal. The earth is saved, but Dew knows that this won't be their last attempt to come through. He thinks that humanity will be fighting this threat for a long time.
Best part of story, including ending:
This story is visceral. There are some incredibly gory moments described in detail that will make your stomach turn. I was impressed by the level of detail and creativity of the gore scenes, but it might turn off a lot of readers.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene of the book is when the parasites hatch out of the woman in front of Perry. The whole book, the reader is wondering, along with the rest of the characters, what happens when these parasites grow to their adult form. The disgust felt by Perry is matched by the reader disgust, but it is also a fascinating moment of payoff for the reader.
Opinion about the main character:
Perry Dawsey is not a nice character. At first in the story you feel sorry for him. He had a really abusive father and this caused him to have really bad anger issues. The Perry in the beginning is trying to overcome this. By the end, however, he has fully become his father. He screams most of the time and abuses another infected victim to get what he wants. He stops being likeable when he becomes what he has always feared. It works in the story, but it makes it hard to keep rooting for him.
