"Infected" by Scott Sigler

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Infected
Scott Sigler
352 pp. Crown. $24.95

Reviewed by Paul Stotts

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“Bottle of Jack Daniel’s: check.
Two bottles of Bacardi 151: check.
Butcher’s block with knives and Chicken Scissors: check.
Lighter: check.
Towels: check.”—Perry Dawsey, “Infected”

Scott Sigler’s harrowing and gruesome thriller “Infected” will likely have you reaching for your own secret stash of booze. Consuming vast amounts of alcohol are just the cure (blackouts are your friend) for forgetting how Perry eventually uses the last three items on his list. Never in the history of literature has Chicken scissors been so disgustingly employed (This statement should really be a blurb on the back of the book; if anything, it will save millions of squeamish souls). So readers should beware that in “Infected”, there will be blood! Oh yes, there will be blood! However, if you perked up at the mention of Chicken scissors (and really who doesn’t), then please continue reading, because this just might be the book for you.

Sigler’s book is beyond disturbing and gruesome; it gives disturbing an uneasy feeling from across the room and causes gruesome to vomit uncontrollably. And then it gets worse. It is one of those novels that will have you cringing the whole way through in anticipation as you inevitably see what’s coming, and dread the day it arrives. Forget squirm-a-minute! This is squirm-a-second stuff that refuses to let up or back down, jolting the reader like a sledgehammer on sensitive body parts. Despite its unflinching presentation and megatons of blood, “Infected” may be the best book you ever barf your way through.

Once an all-star linebacker at the University of Michigan before a career-ending knee injury, Perry Dawsey works as a computer network analyst with his best friend, Bill Miller. The massive Perry, whose abusive upbringing resulted in an uncontrollable temper during his college years, wakes up one day with strange bumps all over his body. Following the male blueprint, he attempts to scratch the itchy welts into submission but without any success. Within days, Perry realizes that his new infection may be more insidious and dangerous than he originally thought. Confused, he doesn’t know where to turn for help. Or if there is anyone that can help?

Dew Phillips, a CIA operative, is working on a secret assignment that’s come down from the highest levels of the United States government. It seems a new mysterious disease has arisen that transforms people into raving, psychotic murderers whose depravity and violence to themselves and others knows no bounds. So far, Dew has been too late to save any of these infected victims, and the rapid decomposition of their bodies doesn’t give the CDC scientist Margaret Montoya working with Dew much to examine. Desperate to learn about the nature of the infection, Dew and Margaret need to get to one of the infected while they’re still alive. Only by securing a live carrier do they have any hope in curing the mystery ailment that is afflicting people. Soon they find themselves racing against the clock hoping they can stop a horrible epidemic before it begins.

At first glance, no single aspect of “Infected” seems to really stand out. The story line about a mysterious parasite infecting humans with disastrous results is a long time science fiction standard. Sigler adds copious amounts of gore to freshen it up for the modern reader used to high levels of violence. Sigler’s writing style is simple and direct, much like a visual presentation put to paper. Like the story line, the characters are also familiar elements, playing the roles in the story we expect rather than defining new areas. It’s like Sigler was so influenced by the classic story that he wanted to write his own take, a sort of fan boy love letter to the genre. “Infected” is less a reimagining and more of a remake. But oh what a remake.

First, the book is infinitely readable. Everything about it, though not spectacular, just works. This is a case where the sum is much greater than its individual parts. This can be credited to the fact that Sigler is a natural storyteller. Much like the legendary master of the genre, Stephen King, Sigler has the ability to immediately suck you into the story, making elements that are cliché seem fresh and exciting. It’s a great gift, and he uses it in full force to drive the reader through the novel; you’ll find it difficult to put the book down. He also displays a deft hand in amping up anticipation throughout, just when you figure things couldn’t get worse, they do. Because it sinks its hooks in early and refuses to let go, “Infected” is the very definition of a page-turner as it’s not a book you’d want to start late at night if you plan on sleeping.

Last Word:
Shockingly gory enough to make a coroner blanch, “Infected” will have you cringing like you’re about to get a kiss from a huge, hairy spider. Incredibly fast-paced and filled with heart-stopping action, this gem of a book will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can. Scott Sigler establishes himself here as a terrific natural storyteller, as well as a writer that is guaranteed to get under your skin. Getting infected has never been so much fun!

Final Grade: 81 out of 100