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Infested
Swarms of powerful mosquitoes sucking victims dry. Insatiable horseflies feasting on living flesh. Huge roaches with a ferocious bite. No tent is safe at the Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground.
Camp manager, Casey Lovitt, and entomologist, Dr. Phillip Edwards, must go up against powerful business interests and cover-ups from the local sheriff’s department to stop the deadly infestation. And with the busy tourist season fast approaching, time is running out. Will Casey and Phillip stop the onslaught of hungry bugs, or will the bodies continue to pile up among the long-buried secrets of the Green Swamp?
Book 2 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.
Camp manager, Casey Lovitt, and entomologist, Dr. Phillip Edwards, must go up against powerful business interests and cover-ups from the local sheriff’s department to stop the deadly infestation. And with the busy tourist season fast approaching, time is running out. Will Casey and Phillip stop the onslaught of hungry bugs, or will the bodies continue to pile up among the long-buried secrets of the Green Swamp?
Book 2 in the Rewind-or-Die series: imagine your local movie rental store back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, remember all those fantastic covers. Remember taking those movies home and watching in awe as the stories unfolded in nasty rainbows of gore, remember the atmosphere and textures. Remember the blood.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2020
About the author
Carol Gore
3 books9 followersCarol Gore examines the absurdity of life on earth by writing horror and humor, sometimes at the same time. Aside from writing, she's a yoga enthusiast, a painting hobbyist, and a lifelong voracious reader. She lives in the rural south with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 9, 2024
Oh what fun it is to ride in a…swamp full of mutated, killer bugs! This was just what I needed tonight. Today was like being caught in a tornado and I really needed a syfy channel level creature feature to perk me up. The characters were all interesting and fun to follow, and I loved the swerve with one of our suspected heroes towards the end. Carol Gore took her time and crafted each person with a distinct personality, backstory, set of motives, and intertwined it all together so well. Oh, and the bugs. How could I forget those little darlings. I thought this was just going to be giant mosquitoes, but it was a ton more than that. And the gore and horror that these abominations brought about was pretty damn satisfying, too. None of the violence was too extreme, but just ooey and gooey enough to make me develop a hankering for s’mores. The ending felt a little underwhelming, but wasn’t bad. And the story clocks in at just under a hundred pages, which was just right. This was my first outing with Carol Gore (Love that name!), but something tells me that I’ll be a repeat customer.
February 4, 2021
4.5
If bugs creep you out, do I ever have the book for you! You’re going to LOVE it. You can trust me, haha 😈
Casey is an environmentally conscious park manager working with a scientist to safely reduce the mosquito population without harmful pesticides in-between caring for the swamp and cleaning up after thoughtless visitors.
Things go awry pretty quickly! And by awry, I mean the bugs are mutating and some are growing disturbingly large proboscis(ses?) and they are super aggressive and ravenous. Things get gross rather quickly and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Well, I thought so anyway!
Since this is a novella of 97 pages I’m not going to say too much so you can go in and discover all of the gory body horror goodness for yourself!
I enjoyed this book so very much. The heroine is a strong protagonist with a good heart and a bit of a painful past and I really enjoyed reading her story.
CW:
If bugs creep you out, do I ever have the book for you! You’re going to LOVE it. You can trust me, haha 😈
Casey is an environmentally conscious park manager working with a scientist to safely reduce the mosquito population without harmful pesticides in-between caring for the swamp and cleaning up after thoughtless visitors.
Things go awry pretty quickly! And by awry, I mean the bugs are mutating and some are growing disturbingly large proboscis(ses?) and they are super aggressive and ravenous. Things get gross rather quickly and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Well, I thought so anyway!
Since this is a novella of 97 pages I’m not going to say too much so you can go in and discover all of the gory body horror goodness for yourself!
I enjoyed this book so very much. The heroine is a strong protagonist with a good heart and a bit of a painful past and I really enjoyed reading her story.
CW:
January 15, 2023
Another mostly fun/campy read, this time featuring some intense, mutated creepy crawly imagery that made me feel itchy.
There’s mentions of a r@pe subplot, and at times I couldn’t figure out what the book was trying to say (in the beginning I got vibes of like: humans are bad, destroying the earth etc, but then it was saying spraying pesticides good/we’re better off spraying them so we don’t find out what happens when we don’t?) but overall I had a good time with it.
There’s mentions of a r@pe subplot, and at times I couldn’t figure out what the book was trying to say (in the beginning I got vibes of like: humans are bad, destroying the earth etc, but then it was saying spraying pesticides good/we’re better off spraying them so we don’t find out what happens when we don’t?) but overall I had a good time with it.
February 22, 2021
The second book of the "Rewind or Die" series is a kooky little creature-feature with ecological undertones that I immensely loved reading. Yes, it is not meant to be a literary masterpiece and it is purposely a bit silly, but that is the point and the charm of this whole series. Plus, thanks to this book I learned a lot about insects, especially about their hunting methods and the ways they neutralize their prey before killing them, and it is fascinating. I also greatly enjoyed Gore’s use of shocking imagery reminiscent of the finest B-movies (e.g. “Her eyeballs were nothing more than frothy slime like melted toothpaste oozing from the tube.”) and her subtle sense of humor that permeates the whole story. Infested doesn’t even pretend that in the end the real monster is man – it presupposes that he is! This novellas may not be giant-sized, but the bugs, the story and the fun sure are.
November 4, 2021
Swarms of mutated mosquitoes, horseflies, roaches and other deadly insects driven to bloodlust after being contaminated by illegal chemicals haunt the once peaceful Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground. With a slew of clueless tourists soon to arrive, it's up to camp manager Casey and entomologist Phillip Edwards to crack the case of what's driving these creatures mad and who is to blame for their unnatural mutations before the whole population is massacred by savage insects.
The first half of this book was fun but struggled to capture my interest. It felt like it was being set up to be a cheesy 80's B-movie which is fun in its own right, but the second half really takes a dark and dramatic turn that surprised me and kept me hooked. The plot with the monstrous bugs brutally eating people alive is classic gross-out horror, but the true appeal behind the story are the dark secrets of the town itself. The people who live around Green Swamp have a cultish mentality of keeping up superficial images to deceive outsiders, even if it means covering up terrible crimes and pinning blame on victims of unfortunate circumstances to avoid attracting controversy and legal punishment toward themselves. With the arrival of the deadly insects, these twisted secrets begin to bubble up from the murky rot.
Casey was a cool protagonist and she ended up being the only one I was rooting for because her family and peers are all a bunch of sick and selfish wackos. A fun horror novella that ended up being deeper than the premise set me up to believe.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
The first half of this book was fun but struggled to capture my interest. It felt like it was being set up to be a cheesy 80's B-movie which is fun in its own right, but the second half really takes a dark and dramatic turn that surprised me and kept me hooked. The plot with the monstrous bugs brutally eating people alive is classic gross-out horror, but the true appeal behind the story are the dark secrets of the town itself. The people who live around Green Swamp have a cultish mentality of keeping up superficial images to deceive outsiders, even if it means covering up terrible crimes and pinning blame on victims of unfortunate circumstances to avoid attracting controversy and legal punishment toward themselves. With the arrival of the deadly insects, these twisted secrets begin to bubble up from the murky rot.
Casey was a cool protagonist and she ended up being the only one I was rooting for because her family and peers are all a bunch of sick and selfish wackos. A fun horror novella that ended up being deeper than the premise set me up to believe.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
September 16, 2020
This is a quick, gory little story about bugs gone wrong—hugely wrong (lol)—and I got way more invested in it than I expected to be! What a great horror novella.
Another entry in the Rewind or Die series (I'm on a kick), this tale is about a swamp where the bugs begin mutating and growing way larger than is cute and worst of all, thirsting for blood. The best moments of the story are definitely the descriptions of the bugs and the chaos they inflict. Bugs are truly alien and have some strange ways of eating—we should all thank our stars that they generally stay quite small and don't consider humans to be good prey. For instance, did you know that wheel bugs insert their beak thing into their prey and suck out all the fluids?! Neither did I until I read this book!
The story gets to everything that I like to see in short horror stories. It has a great protagonist, an interesting twist I didn't see coming, and plenty of gory action. I cared about what happened to the characters and was equally excited to see some crazy bug death. A fun read!
Another entry in the Rewind or Die series (I'm on a kick), this tale is about a swamp where the bugs begin mutating and growing way larger than is cute and worst of all, thirsting for blood. The best moments of the story are definitely the descriptions of the bugs and the chaos they inflict. Bugs are truly alien and have some strange ways of eating—we should all thank our stars that they generally stay quite small and don't consider humans to be good prey. For instance, did you know that wheel bugs insert their beak thing into their prey and suck out all the fluids?! Neither did I until I read this book!
The story gets to everything that I like to see in short horror stories. It has a great protagonist, an interesting twist I didn't see coming, and plenty of gory action. I cared about what happened to the characters and was equally excited to see some crazy bug death. A fun read!
October 20, 2022
This was the 2nd book in the rewind or die series. Usually I don’t like long series, but since each book is unrelated and by a different author I’m giving it a try. I didn’t enjoy the first book, but thankfully I really liked this one! So I’ll def be continuing. This book is exactly what it looks like it would be about. Mutant bugs, and small town/swamp scandal. The bug kills in this are so gross, but so good. Like to the point where I couldn’t eat and read this at the same time. There’s also a really engaging side story about the town drama. But just in case those of you who have triggers, I’ll put the main ones at the bottom of the review.
The only thing that made it not a 5 star was that sometimes the MC was really frustrating and irritating. I also can’t say the plot twist was something totally surprising. But either way, it was just a fun fast read! There were plenty of things going on to keep my attention the entire time.
I still love bugs though! The only thing that wasn’t in here that I was hoping would be is a carnivorous butterfly or something.
On to the next!
Tw: mention of rape, graphic deaths, gore, bugs lol.
The only thing that made it not a 5 star was that sometimes the MC was really frustrating and irritating. I also can’t say the plot twist was something totally surprising. But either way, it was just a fun fast read! There were plenty of things going on to keep my attention the entire time.
I still love bugs though! The only thing that wasn’t in here that I was hoping would be is a carnivorous butterfly or something.
On to the next!
Tw: mention of rape, graphic deaths, gore, bugs lol.
February 2, 2021
Summary
Casey can barely believe her eyes when she begins to witness vicious attacks from oversized bugs at Green Swamp Campground.
When she seemed to be the only one taking the situation seriously she must find a way to have Green Swamp shutdown before the campgrounds busiest weekend.
Personal Opinion
I want to start by saying the men in this book / Green Swamp are extremely Jerkish! With that out of the way, onto the review…
This novella gets straight to the point and has some plus size and graphic bug attacks. Things did get gory at times and being a not so big bug fan there were a few skin crawling moments for me.
Casey was the only character I found likeable and couldn't help feeling frustrated for her as she was constantly brushed aside by the men in town.
There were a couple surprising twists that caught me off guard as well.
Overall it was a good and original story I would recommend checking out.
Casey can barely believe her eyes when she begins to witness vicious attacks from oversized bugs at Green Swamp Campground.
When she seemed to be the only one taking the situation seriously she must find a way to have Green Swamp shutdown before the campgrounds busiest weekend.
Personal Opinion
I want to start by saying the men in this book / Green Swamp are extremely Jerkish! With that out of the way, onto the review…
This novella gets straight to the point and has some plus size and graphic bug attacks. Things did get gory at times and being a not so big bug fan there were a few skin crawling moments for me.
Casey was the only character I found likeable and couldn't help feeling frustrated for her as she was constantly brushed aside by the men in town.
There were a couple surprising twists that caught me off guard as well.
Overall it was a good and original story I would recommend checking out.
March 24, 2020
To sum up, Infested is a novella where bugs become way bigger and more aggressive than they should be. And in a serious, people-murdering, end-of-the-world kind of way. Certain bugs have always freaked me out a bit and so to see them bigger and in larger groups was pretty irksome and made my skin crawl. Just imagining seeing people covered in giant mosquitoes to where you can't even see their skin is enough to make me run for the hills. And do not get me started on the humongous roaches.
This is a quick read with fun characters and enough action to keep you pushing through your fears of creepy crawlies. I had a fun time even though I kept scratching myself because the imagery in this book is REAL and it constantly felt like I had bugs crawling ALL over me.
4 stars and I would love to read more from Carol Gore!
This is a quick read with fun characters and enough action to keep you pushing through your fears of creepy crawlies. I had a fun time even though I kept scratching myself because the imagery in this book is REAL and it constantly felt like I had bugs crawling ALL over me.
4 stars and I would love to read more from Carol Gore!
February 4, 2020
From the cover to the plot to everything inside, this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. I have a soft spot for southern swamp horror, oddly specific I know, and Carol Gore's Infested does a fine job of scratching it.
The bugs in this particular swamp are growing bigger and more aggressive. It starts with mosquitoes and then moves onto horseflies, wheel bugs, ticks, and all sorts of other creepy crawlers that are bad enough at their normal size. (Side note: if you don't know what a wheel bug is, have fun googling while you read about what they do to the people in this story.)
Our main character struggles with family issues and flirting with a co-worker. She really doesn't need this shit, but steps up to combat the big bug problem when no one else will. The results see big horrible bugs doing unthinkable things to human bodies. This book is fun as hell, but gives you enough plot, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you more than engaged.
Good luck reading this one without constantly batting at phantom itches on the back of your neck.
The bugs in this particular swamp are growing bigger and more aggressive. It starts with mosquitoes and then moves onto horseflies, wheel bugs, ticks, and all sorts of other creepy crawlers that are bad enough at their normal size. (Side note: if you don't know what a wheel bug is, have fun googling while you read about what they do to the people in this story.)
Our main character struggles with family issues and flirting with a co-worker. She really doesn't need this shit, but steps up to combat the big bug problem when no one else will. The results see big horrible bugs doing unthinkable things to human bodies. This book is fun as hell, but gives you enough plot, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you more than engaged.
Good luck reading this one without constantly batting at phantom itches on the back of your neck.
July 20, 2020
I hate bugs!
I love bug horror!
This book is the perfect giant killer bug book. There were some bugs I had to Google just to get the correct picture in my head.That is to be expected because, I don't know much about bugs.
The characters were great the main character was a stong women, the other characters were well written and likeable.
The setting was in the swamp and im glad I didn't read this outside.
The part with a brown recluse was awesome and disgusting.
I loved the ending and the side story in here was well connected and it didn't seem out of place or forced. If you are in to giant bug movies I suggest picking this book up!!
I love bug horror!
This book is the perfect giant killer bug book. There were some bugs I had to Google just to get the correct picture in my head.That is to be expected because, I don't know much about bugs.
The characters were great the main character was a stong women, the other characters were well written and likeable.
The setting was in the swamp and im glad I didn't read this outside.
The part with a brown recluse was awesome and disgusting.
I loved the ending and the side story in here was well connected and it didn't seem out of place or forced. If you are in to giant bug movies I suggest picking this book up!!
November 5, 2022
Watch out for the bugs
Enjoyable creepy crawly story. A few twists and lots of mutant bugs. The story had just the right amount of gore to be unnerving and it certainly made my skin crawl!
Enjoyable creepy crawly story. A few twists and lots of mutant bugs. The story had just the right amount of gore to be unnerving and it certainly made my skin crawl!
March 23, 2024
Terrifying and unnerving… if you don’t like bugs this book will give you nightmares. Gore’s genetically modified and ENLARGED swamp dwelling bugs definitely are the stuff of nightmares and the plethora of scenes where they attack and munch on unsuspecting victims are horrific. However, the characters were annoying which made empathising with them and their fight against the bug baddies difficult. Solid creature feature read though!
January 21, 2020
OUCH! It starts out with a bug bite. And, it’s all downhill from there.
Casey is the environmentalist type, so it is no surprise finding her working for the Green Swamp Zip Line Adventure and Camp. It allows her to keep a close eye on the Swamp.
Doctor Phillip Edwards was trying to control the mosquito population by sterilizing them, then releasing them to compete for the females, hopefully limiting reproduction.
Cody is a cop, her brother, AND a major dick!
A hurricane. A chemical plant. Flooding in the Swamp. Mosquitoes. Horseflies. All of monstrous proportions. All viscous and hungry. What could possibly go wrong? LOL
Is that buzzing I hear? Did something just poke me? Is that a creepy crawlie making itself known? Shivers run up and down my spine as I read.
A swamp is already a dangerous, creepy place and Green Swamp only becomes more so as the days pass. And, we do have a surprise or two in store for you, so don’t be complacent. There is more than meets the eye going on.
Want to go on an adventure? Come on in. I dare ya.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Infested by Carol Gore.
See more at fundinmental
Casey is the environmentalist type, so it is no surprise finding her working for the Green Swamp Zip Line Adventure and Camp. It allows her to keep a close eye on the Swamp.
Doctor Phillip Edwards was trying to control the mosquito population by sterilizing them, then releasing them to compete for the females, hopefully limiting reproduction.
Cody is a cop, her brother, AND a major dick!
A hurricane. A chemical plant. Flooding in the Swamp. Mosquitoes. Horseflies. All of monstrous proportions. All viscous and hungry. What could possibly go wrong? LOL
Is that buzzing I hear? Did something just poke me? Is that a creepy crawlie making itself known? Shivers run up and down my spine as I read.
A swamp is already a dangerous, creepy place and Green Swamp only becomes more so as the days pass. And, we do have a surprise or two in store for you, so don’t be complacent. There is more than meets the eye going on.
Want to go on an adventure? Come on in. I dare ya.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Infested by Carol Gore.
See more at fundinmental
March 17, 2021
mmk finally gonna review this.
first of all, it should be known that i get a wicked case of creepy crawlies when it comes to certain bugs.
so when our heroine Casey comes up against centipedes the size of snakes, and mosquitos the size of birds, you better bet your butt i was squealing and squirming.
yes, it's very creature-feature silly in a way, but goddamn can you imagine??? i was imagining it, and i very much enjoy bugs the size they are, thanks.
putting all that aside, the characters are well-written, the ambience of the town and the swamp (where most of the story takes place) is immersive. the novel really pulled me in, all the way until the end, and i was invested in the story and the characters.
Casey is a badass, and you really feel for her. she loves the swamp, and when she realizes something is wrong with the bugs, she is fearless in making it known.
i'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Gore's work,
and would unquestionably recommend this to fans of the genre.
-----
Holy shit that was great.
//rtc
first of all, it should be known that i get a wicked case of creepy crawlies when it comes to certain bugs.
so when our heroine Casey comes up against centipedes the size of snakes, and mosquitos the size of birds, you better bet your butt i was squealing and squirming.
yes, it's very creature-feature silly in a way, but goddamn can you imagine??? i was imagining it, and i very much enjoy bugs the size they are, thanks.
putting all that aside, the characters are well-written, the ambience of the town and the swamp (where most of the story takes place) is immersive. the novel really pulled me in, all the way until the end, and i was invested in the story and the characters.
Casey is a badass, and you really feel for her. she loves the swamp, and when she realizes something is wrong with the bugs, she is fearless in making it known.
i'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Gore's work,
and would unquestionably recommend this to fans of the genre.
-----
Holy shit that was great.
//rtc
August 22, 2020
This is exactly the kind of entertaining killer bug story you'd hope to find in the horror section of the video store. The descriptions of the mutated versions of common insects had me scratching my arms and neck, I felt as though I were being bitten while reading! We are led to believe that protagonist Casey has been a doormat for everyone from her abusive brother to her horrible boss for as long as she can remember, but that all changes in this book. She becomes a tough, kick-ass heroine and, by the end, the reader will love her character. Great fun and a great advertisement for the Rewind Or Die series.
November 12, 2022
It was an enjoyable read. It had the usual theme of no one believing what was going on in the swamp. But the plot had a nice twist that I did not see coming . I knocked this one out in less time than usual due to the action never slowing down.
July 28, 2020
Fun read....exactly as advertised...like watching a B grade movie...beware the killer insects!
November 4, 2022
This was absolutely brilliant story: I really liked Casey and hoped she's going to survive. I loved how characters were fleshed out and how easy it was to relate to them.
Atmosphere was amazing! It was creepy and I absolutely loved it. I still would have loved to be a bit more afraid.
This had some twists that I didn't see coming but the major one was quite easy to guess beforehand. That was a tiny disappointment.
Atmosphere was amazing! It was creepy and I absolutely loved it. I still would have loved to be a bit more afraid.
This had some twists that I didn't see coming but the major one was quite easy to guess beforehand. That was a tiny disappointment.
February 7, 2020
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Besides arachnids, I’m not overly fond of most bugs or insects. Before reading Infested, I didn’t suffer from myrmecophobia (fear of ants), pteronarcophobia (fear of flies), or scolopendrphobia (fear of centipedes). I do have a fear of spiders, but arachnophobia is a pretty common phobia. However, after reading Infested, that’s all changed. I now suffer from entomophobia, fear of ALL bugs.
I don’t care if it’s a ladybug or butterfly, I’m going to be cautious of everything for a long while.
After you read Infested, and I implore everyone to read it, you’ll understand my previous statement. No insect should be the size of a teacup poodle. No gator should be taken out by an insect or multiple insects. And, no way should pests be the predator while the humans are the prey.
Infested will make your skin crawl, but that means Carol Gore completed her mission. She wrote a story that’ll leave a lasting impression with the reader.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
Besides arachnids, I’m not overly fond of most bugs or insects. Before reading Infested, I didn’t suffer from myrmecophobia (fear of ants), pteronarcophobia (fear of flies), or scolopendrphobia (fear of centipedes). I do have a fear of spiders, but arachnophobia is a pretty common phobia. However, after reading Infested, that’s all changed. I now suffer from entomophobia, fear of ALL bugs.
I don’t care if it’s a ladybug or butterfly, I’m going to be cautious of everything for a long while.
After you read Infested, and I implore everyone to read it, you’ll understand my previous statement. No insect should be the size of a teacup poodle. No gator should be taken out by an insect or multiple insects. And, no way should pests be the predator while the humans are the prey.
Infested will make your skin crawl, but that means Carol Gore completed her mission. She wrote a story that’ll leave a lasting impression with the reader.
(Find more reviews/ratings at www.superkambrook.com)
January 26, 2020
Casey’s Forestry degree didn’t prepare her for giant insects hellbent on making humans their prey, but if she can’t get the swamp where she works evacuated and the authorities in to manage the infestation, people are going to die. Lots and lots of them.
This book gave me the creeps. The way creatures like mosquitoes and other insects feed is pretty disgusting on the small scale, but when the bugs are ginormous, it’s nothing short of terrifying.
Gore does a great job with the plot, by adding plenty of obstacles and twists and turns, making this tale much more than violent bug on human action. By creating a great hero in Casey and a well-developed cast of characters, this Gore-fest (couldn’t resist) is horror that is so much more disturbing because as a reader, I believe in Casey and her mission. I wish I had her determination and her desire to save the innocent and not-so-innocent alike, but I’m pretty sure I’d be scarred for life, literally and figuratively, after her first encounter with a killer bug.
This book is another great installment of the Rewind or Die series, which packs a wallop in a novella-sized container.
This book gave me the creeps. The way creatures like mosquitoes and other insects feed is pretty disgusting on the small scale, but when the bugs are ginormous, it’s nothing short of terrifying.
Gore does a great job with the plot, by adding plenty of obstacles and twists and turns, making this tale much more than violent bug on human action. By creating a great hero in Casey and a well-developed cast of characters, this Gore-fest (couldn’t resist) is horror that is so much more disturbing because as a reader, I believe in Casey and her mission. I wish I had her determination and her desire to save the innocent and not-so-innocent alike, but I’m pretty sure I’d be scarred for life, literally and figuratively, after her first encounter with a killer bug.
This book is another great installment of the Rewind or Die series, which packs a wallop in a novella-sized container.
January 24, 2020
A quick search of Google will tell you that 64% of people have a fear of insects. Some so much even that they encounter an irrational gripping terror. What is it about these creatures that our feelings of dread are so closely tied up with feelings of disgust? What is it about them that makes them so fear-inducing? Is it their alien appearance? Or that they make us feel unclean or our territory invaded? Infested takes that almost primal rejection response and lets it crawl all over you
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
August 15, 2021
This flew by!(see what I did there? Awful joke.) This book read like the “Jaws” ripoff creature features of the 70’s/80’s and I loved every single page of this traditional setup. You know the type, person discovers their town is in danger, authority figure won’t shut down seasonal event. Carol gore played into this trope to perfection, throwing in some fun twists and turns along the way. A fun read with the occasional HEAVY moment to bring you back to reality. 10/10. K thx.
August 27, 2021
Solid environmental horror. The ending was a bit rushed, and it would have been better served had the characters been more fleshed out, but I thoroughly loved the creepy crawlies. The additional details about how each insect functioned were quite a nice touch. Hoping she does a proper standalone horror outside of the Rewind or Die series to truly get a good picture of her depth and breadth as a writer. Liking what I'm seeing so far.
February 26, 2021
If you’ve ever seen the Mist? This is literally just that! I loved it, but felt a little unoriginal, 4.5 stars! Storytelling was still amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2021
This book was great! Really well written with a couple unexpected twists and some seriously creepy monster bugs!! Definitely 4.5/5 mutated bug skulls 💀
May 10, 2024
Not quite as much action from the bugs as I'd hoped, but still a good fun read!
September 18, 2020
Carol Gore’s Infested (Rewind or Die) is a great classic-style horror novel. Casey works for the Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground. At the moment, she’s been helping Dr. Phillip Edwards release sterilized mosquitos that are supposed to help lower the population of mosquitos on the whole. It’s the result of a grant from a nearby university, and Casey hopes it will keep the man who runs the campground, Mr. Wright, from using damaging pesticides in the swamp. It’s bad enough that the chemical plant upstream has previously contaminated the local water. Then the unthinkable happens–a person is attacked by hundreds of seriously large mosquitos, and dies. Next there are humongous horse flies that eat an alligator alive. Unfortunately, Mr. Wright refuses to shut the park down, tries to victim-blame for one incident, and–oh yeah, he has ties to the chemical company! Can Casey and Phillip figure out what’s happening and make it stop before the entire town is eaten alive?
The characters are great. Casey has a troubled family, is often dismissed and overlooked by her boss, and just wants to be able to make a living in the swamp that’s always been there for her. Phillip starts out as the befuddled professor, but he has a certain strength to him as well. And might there be an attraction between the two? Mr. Wright is not as well-detailed, but he also isn’t the focus of the book, so I think it works well enough. Casey’s family–her depressed, pill-popping mom and her bully of a cop brother–turn out to have more to them than I expected, which was nice.
The swamp is great, and I love the descriptions of the overgrown insects. Centipedes, spiders, roaches, wheelbugs–they all start showing up in larger sizes and with disturbing appetites. It’s a classic horror-style monster romp with a great cast and a fun plot. There are some good surprises along the way, too, despite the fact that this isn’t an incredibly long book!
All in all I really enjoyed this book. I did have one complaint: at one point Casey takes it upon herself to make her mom go cold turkey from pain pills, alcohol, and anti-depressants, all at once. Any one of those without the supervision of a doctor could go incredibly badly, much less all three!
Content note for gore and some seriously scary insects!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/r...
The characters are great. Casey has a troubled family, is often dismissed and overlooked by her boss, and just wants to be able to make a living in the swamp that’s always been there for her. Phillip starts out as the befuddled professor, but he has a certain strength to him as well. And might there be an attraction between the two? Mr. Wright is not as well-detailed, but he also isn’t the focus of the book, so I think it works well enough. Casey’s family–her depressed, pill-popping mom and her bully of a cop brother–turn out to have more to them than I expected, which was nice.
The swamp is great, and I love the descriptions of the overgrown insects. Centipedes, spiders, roaches, wheelbugs–they all start showing up in larger sizes and with disturbing appetites. It’s a classic horror-style monster romp with a great cast and a fun plot. There are some good surprises along the way, too, despite the fact that this isn’t an incredibly long book!
All in all I really enjoyed this book. I did have one complaint: at one point Casey takes it upon herself to make her mom go cold turkey from pain pills, alcohol, and anti-depressants, all at once. Any one of those without the supervision of a doctor could go incredibly badly, much less all three!
Content note for gore and some seriously scary insects!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/r...
December 25, 2020
From Sci Fi and Scary:
Casey Lovitt is the Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground camp manager. The swamp has been her refuge since her father committed suicide and her family fell apart. Although she has a degree and could have many other career opportunities, she’s stayed near her childhood home to look after her mother, who is seldom sober.
Casey is tasked with helping entomologist Dr. Phillip Edwards. He is releasing mosquitoes into the swamp as part of a controlled study. When Casey is bitten by a giant bug, he assures her that, other than its size, it’s perfectly normal. Casey isn’t convinced, and when oversized bugs start killing and devouring wildlife, she fears for the safety of the campground guests. Casey begs the owner to shut the campground down. She’s determined to figure out why the bugs are mutating, and desperate to find a way to stop it.
This book could be classified in a lot of subcategories. The insect population is infected with a mutation, and this mutation spreads, causing the problems to increase as the story progresses. In this respect, you could say it’s a pandemic. The problem is spreading and without an evacuation the people in town will be the next victims. It’s also a revenge story. And, with the breakneck speed the plot develops at, it’s a horror with strong thriller elements.
One of the strengths of this story is that it is anything but predictable. Casey has to figure out who to trust and keep an open mind as she gathers evidence. This isn’t easy because she is attacked by giant bugs herself and desperate to protect the public.
She is also determined to find out the truth about her father’s suicide. This means that she has to process some difficult truths and come to terms with them. Casey finds herself balancing her career with her romantic interests and her family’s problems simultaneously. She’s emotionally conflicted and it’s easy to see why her judgement may be clouded. These conflicts effectively add to the tension and the twists as the story unfolds.
The author packs a lot of story into this novella and delivers a strong read with an intriguing premise and a compelling protagonist.
4 out of 5 stars
Casey Lovitt is the Green Swamp Zip-Line Adventure and Campground camp manager. The swamp has been her refuge since her father committed suicide and her family fell apart. Although she has a degree and could have many other career opportunities, she’s stayed near her childhood home to look after her mother, who is seldom sober.
Casey is tasked with helping entomologist Dr. Phillip Edwards. He is releasing mosquitoes into the swamp as part of a controlled study. When Casey is bitten by a giant bug, he assures her that, other than its size, it’s perfectly normal. Casey isn’t convinced, and when oversized bugs start killing and devouring wildlife, she fears for the safety of the campground guests. Casey begs the owner to shut the campground down. She’s determined to figure out why the bugs are mutating, and desperate to find a way to stop it.
This book could be classified in a lot of subcategories. The insect population is infected with a mutation, and this mutation spreads, causing the problems to increase as the story progresses. In this respect, you could say it’s a pandemic. The problem is spreading and without an evacuation the people in town will be the next victims. It’s also a revenge story. And, with the breakneck speed the plot develops at, it’s a horror with strong thriller elements.
One of the strengths of this story is that it is anything but predictable. Casey has to figure out who to trust and keep an open mind as she gathers evidence. This isn’t easy because she is attacked by giant bugs herself and desperate to protect the public.
She is also determined to find out the truth about her father’s suicide. This means that she has to process some difficult truths and come to terms with them. Casey finds herself balancing her career with her romantic interests and her family’s problems simultaneously. She’s emotionally conflicted and it’s easy to see why her judgement may be clouded. These conflicts effectively add to the tension and the twists as the story unfolds.
The author packs a lot of story into this novella and delivers a strong read with an intriguing premise and a compelling protagonist.
4 out of 5 stars
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