The
Taking of Jake Livingston meets Cemetery
Boys in this YA ghost story about a Puerto Rican
teen’s battle with a malevolent spirit targeting his apartment
building and the all-too-real horrors of gentrification.
Infested is a YA horror novel by Angel
Luis Colón. I hope you're ready for some creepy moments, because they are a-comin' and some...will even have you snickering. LOL!
Infested is a really fun story to read. Young Manny is just one year...ONE YEAR from graduating high school. But riiiight before Sr. year can start he gets hit with that big announcement - "We're moving." Normally, that would be fine. I mean, they've moved before. Multiple times in fact, but the difference is that each time they stayed in the same general area. San Antonio. However, this time..they're not just leaving the state...they're going to New York. Yaaayyy...(yeah, that was really half-hearted. LOL) I mean...seriously! Who wants to move their senior year of high school?!
Well, since Manny has little to no (he literally has none) options, off he goes with his new step-dad to New York to begin the process of helping get the new building Al is manager of underway so that they can get in new residents.
The story unfolds in a typical manner - all seems fine. The building is empty, but it has yet to take on that "creepy" air that lets you know that things just aren't right. There will be a moment or two where you will worry for Manny's safety when it comes to other elements. Namely, the other "kids" in the neighborhood. I know I got a little anxious when one particular interaction took place.
Beware the gross factor though. There is one that did make me cringe a touch, but hey! Who wouldn't!? LOL! I will say I applaud the author for his imagination when it comes to the gross factor. It is on par! I loved it! The author will keep you on your toes because you just won't know what to expect. Will there be another such scene again? Will there be something even grosser to look forward to? You're going to have to dive in to find out! LOL!
When it comes to Manny, as the main character, he's pretty much a typical teen. He's not thrilled about the move, he finds petty little ways to take out his frustrations, and he's a touch awkward. Well, maybe not necessarily awkward, but it sometimes translates that way. He's really shy and doesn't have it easy in making new friends.
The introduction of the character to watch out for is done in a really excellent way. It's a mix of creepy/strange and "innocent." But the deeper the story goes, the more things shift more towards the creepy and dangerous elements.
Infested is absolutely a page-turner of a novel and will keep you engaged in the story and what is going to happen next. There are some creepy factors, but it didn't make my skin crawl. LOL! I love a good horror novel, and this one is a good fit for younger readers. The first half of the book sets the stage, and the final half sees you off to the races and page-turning to find out how it all ends.
Definitely a book for those who enjoy a good horror novel.
5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to the author, Angel
Luis Colón, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next!
Infested:
An MTV Fear Novel
Expected
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Genre: YA
Horror/ Paranormal
Publisher: MTV
Fear/ Simon & Schuster
It’s
the summer before senior year, and Manny has just moved from Texas to
the Bronx in New York. So, instead of hanging with his friends and
making some spending money, Manny is forced to do menial tasks in his
new home, a luxury condo his stepdad is managing, while stressing
about starting over.
Thankfully, he meets Sasha, who is
protesting the building but turns out to be really cool. And he
strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mr. Mueller, the building’s
exterminator. Maybe life in the Bronx won’t be so bad.
Then
the nightmares begin. And Manny swears he has roaches crawling under
his skin. When building contractors start to go missing, Manny and
Sasha come to the terrifying realization that Mr. Mueller is not who
he says he is. Or rather, he is, but he died decades ago in a fire
exactly where Manny’s new building is located. A fire that Mueller
set.
Now, in a race against time, Manny must rescue his
family from a deranged specter determined to set the Bronx ablaze
once again.
“Infested
expertly mixes mystery and monster story with family drama and very
now political concerns. It’s a thrilling, I-can’t-stop-reading
page-turner. If Infested doesn’t make your skin crawl, check your
pulse.” —Paul Tremblay, bestselling author of The
Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts
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https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Infested/Angel-Luis-Colon/Fear/9781665928410
About
the Author
Angel
Luis Colón is the Derringer Award– and Anthony Award–nominated
author of Hell Chose Me, the Blacky Jaguar series of
novellas, No Happy Endings, and the short story
collection Meat City on Fire and Other Assorted Debacles.
His work has also appeared in multiple web and print publications
including Thuglit, Literary Orphans,
and Great Jones Street. Infested is
his debut young adult novel.
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