Infested: A Fast-Paced Thriller Horror Novel by C.M. Forest
Infested is an occult horror novel by C.M. Forest, who is also known as author Christian Laforet. It was published on June 1, 2022 by Eerie River Publishing and weighs in at 272 pages.
Wow! I knew from the cover this would be a book I’d enjoy, and I was right! It gives you chills before you even begin to read the story. This is the type of book where after every chapter I felt compelled to keep going and read the next one. I willingly gave up sleep to finish it!
The story takes place in the New Leaf, a wireless, state-of-the-art luxury high rise apartment building. The clever name is rife with meaning throughout the book. I’m always a fan of hidden or not-so-hidden terms in a story, and it wasn’t lost on me. Needless to say, when Olivia wakes up on her bedroom floor in a sticky pool of vomit, can’t find her husband Liam, and is alone in her apartment as a vicious storm batters the exterior and takes out the power, her new life isn’t going as planned.
This is Forest’s debut novel, and it’s hard to believe. If this is the beginning, I can’t wait to see what’s next. Hold onto your seat, because this story is fast and brimming with dangerous, creepy-crawly monsters ready to take over. Readers will feel like Olivia, being bombarded with monstrous terrors as they immerse themselves deeper and deeper in the story. Nowhere is safe. The scenes are visceral, horrifying, and deliciously disgusting at times. I caught my jaw dropping open over and over as I turned the pages to devour more atrocities.
There is so much suspense and dread at every turn. I was absolutely on edge from chapter one as Olivia tries to come to grips with what is happening around her. The fright heightens when she leaves the safety of her apartment to try to find Liam and find out who’s screaming. And why.
Forest’s writing is alluring. I enjoyed his style and his fantastic descriptions throughout the book. He built tension masterfully, leaving me breathless as I stumbled upon horror after horror alongside Olivia.
This is a spoiler-free review, so I won’t give away anything, but there are some scenes that had me absolutely gobsmacked. I definitely need to read more from this author.
On a personal note, years back my husband and I lived in a building in Tulsa that locals affectionately referred to as the corncob. (I’ve included a photo of it further down the page for those interested.) Having lived in a similar structure to the one in Infested ramped up the scares and fright to another level for me. I felt like I was in the New Leaf, especially since I read this on an e-reader in the dark, too. It heightened my whole experience.
I’m the type of reader who devours every part of a book. Intros, blurbs, you name it. I would love to know which Trent Reznor song Forest is referencing in the Acknowledgements section!
If you love fast-paced horror that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go, get a copy of Infested. I know I loved every disgusting, horrific, dread-filled moment.
Need more C.M. Forest?
Who is C.M. Forest?
C. M. Forest, also known as Christian Laforet, is the author of the 2023 Benjamin Franklin silver award winning novel Infested (Eerie River Publishing), the novella, We All Fall Before the Harvest (Timber Ghost Press) and the upcoming (Sept. 2024) short story collection, The Roots Run Deep and Other Stories (Eerie River Publishing). His short fiction has been featured in over a dozen anthologies across multiple genres.
A self-proclaimed horror movie expert, he spent an embarrassing amount of his youth watching scary movies. When not writing, he lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife, kids, three cats, and a pandemic dog named Sully who has an ongoing love affair with a blanket.
- From C.M. Forest’s website
University Club Tower: We had an apartment on the 23rd floor of this apartment building for a while when we lived in Tulsa. I couldn’t quit thinking about it while I read Infested.
