Not only is the world going to end...we're all INFECTED!

This end of the world stuff is not a coincidence. YA is, in my humble opinion, on the cutting edge of what's coming up in fiction and is where we need to look when we want to know what's "HOT" and what's "NOT" (thanks Vanity Fair Magazine for that cute litle quip). And NO, this new fascination with the end of the world and for some reason mermaids (?), is not a coincidence...because truly, for many of us, it DOES feel like the end of the world. Ever seen....
Wasteland or
ENRON or
An Inconvenient Truth???
Infection plays on those fears, and while I would not classify it as technically being YA, it has elements of that genre (rage, apocalyptic undertones, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-anxiety). While I would only recommend this book to those mature teens who can handle an absurd amount of blood, guts and gore (there are incredibly memorable scenes involving the oven and a fork but I'll leave it at that), it IS primarily an adult book for those who enjoy a good zombie/infection/can't take it with you so spend it crowd. While not written in the style of Henry James, it's good for what it does: SCARE. It's fast-paced, fun, and filled to the top with monsters and bloodshed. So, like I said, teen and adults-alike: skip this one if you're a tad bit squemish...or even medium bit squemish. This would be either rated R or MA if books had ratings.
The story basically centers on a virus that attacks the body and brain, making human beings go absolutely mad with rage and kill their fellow humans. "Blue Triangles" appear on the body and telepathically communicate with the host until they go mad and kill off a large number of innocent people. In addition, the "triangles" use the body as a vessel from which to hatch. Hatch what you say? Well, you'll have to read the book to find that one out. I've noticed more lately that there is a HUGE book culture out there that consists of horror and gore fans just chomping to get their hands on a book that might actually FREAK them out. This, for some of you, may be it.
While I've read novels in a similiar vein, this one gets four stars for being unabashadly unafraid to go where many would fear to tread. The end of humanity as we know it....because of a man-made virus that imprints blue triangles on the human body. Forget about Wall Street or your vanishing 401K fund. THE HATCHLINGS ARE AT THE DOOR!!!!