Peeps

My biases are showing: as much as I'm a sucker for a splash of supernatural in my fiction, I'm even more a sucker for books that try to explain something everyone else takes as fiction with straight-up science. And this book succeeds, admirably. In Westerfeld's world, vampires exist, but they're simply hosts of a nasty parasite. This is a brilliant idea, and Westerfeld succeeds on two fronts: not only does he explain almost every facet of vampire legend (cruciphobia, mirrors, nocturnalism, etc.) through the lens of parasitology, but all of his science is accurate and plausible (the biggest stretch is the existence of an "anathema" "switch" in the the brain that can be triggered by the parasite, but as he amply points out, biology show more contains other examples just as weird.) The action is pretty consistent, and exciting, and the inserted tidbits about other (real) parasites don't break the flow of the story at all. Four and a half stars because Cal occasionally was a little flat as a narrator, and because the ending was a little silly, but overall, an extremely fun (and scientifically accurate!) take on vampirism. show less

Cal is a carrier for a parasite that causes symptoms that may sound a little familiar, such as a hatred of sunlight, superhuman strength and senses, and a desire to feed off of other human beings. But they really don't like the V-word, preferring the term "parasite positives," or peeps for short. Fortunately, Cal, being a carrier and not a full-blown victim, got most of the useful parts of the condition without the irresistible urge to violence, and he now works for an organization of other carriers, hunting down the more dangerous infected.

The idea of vampirism as a parasitic disease isn't remotely a new one, but Westerfeld does put some genuinely new and interesting touches on the idea, and I'm always kind of impressed when a writer show more finds something even slightly different to do with a subject as well-used as vampires. And the plot is fun. Completely and utterly ridiculous, but fun. The novel also includes a lot of little interludes describing real-world parasites. Enough so that I half think Westerfeld wrote the whole novel just as an excuse to ramble on about various weird and disturbing parasites, but, you know, I'm okay with that. Because it is fascinating, in a repulsive sort of way, and he writes about it quite entertainingly. show less

Cal moved to NYC from Texas as a wide-eyed first-year college student, lost his virginity to a pretty goth woman who turned out to be, essentially, a vampire, and now he is an asymptomatic carrier of the infection who passes it on to anyone he even so much as kisses. He works for an ancient office that tracks down Peeps (Parasite Positives), people who have been infected and very much *do* show the symptoms (i.e. they eat people and are pretty much monsters). But as he searches for Morgan - the pretty goth who infected him - he encounters an apartment building with definite issues in the basement and a tenant who is a little too nosey and a little too much his type, and his world starts to tilt once more.

I really enjoyed this take on show more the traditional vampire story, and I loved Cal to bits from page one. It's a unique story with great characters and a couple of cool twists. I'll most likely continue with the series. show less

Wow. I certainly know a lot more about parasites now!

This was definitely a page-turner. I couldn't put it down. I'm freaking out over a major exam but I didn't study because I had to finish this novel. Scott Westerfeld certainly knows how to spin prose along. Beautiful descriptions, and a voice that will seduce you. The amazing thing with Scott Westerfeld is that he changes his voice for each book. Not just when the character's thinking. He changes the prose to fit the protagonist. THAT is something that I haven't seen in young adult books for a long time.

The plot will keep you on your toes, and you will fall in love with the main characters almost immediately. Twists and turns abound, and most of them you won't see coming.

I would show more have rated this five stars in a heartbeat, except for the ending. Don't get me wrong, the concept is cool (marvelous even) but I didn't like some details of it. I'll keep this a spoiler-free review so I can't say what that is.

But an action-packed, fascinating read that I'm going to recommend to a bunch of my friends. :) show less

This is undoubtedly one of the weirdest books I've ever read...but you could tell Westerfeld had an absolute blast with it. And the thing is, it worked.

Cal is a peep-hunter; he tracks down humans infected with a little-known parasite that causes what most of us think of as vampirism. Cal himself is a carrier; an infected human with only a few superhuman side effects and none of the insanity that most other peeps have. Cal carries out his work in secret, until the day he accidentally stumbles upon a brand new strain of the parasite...and pulls in the beautiful and sarcastic Lace with him.

Along the way, Cal gives us parasite "fun-facts," both revolting and fascinating. And the way Westerfeld has taken so many real world concepts and show more woven them together so plausibly gives this book that extra dimension of realism; the feeling that it could be true, somehow. Cal's realistic nineteen-year-old guy narrator voice helps; he's not afraid to talk about rats, parasites, organs, and sexual feelings in detail.

One things for sure; you've probably never thought of vampires or the zombie apocalypse quite this way before. And you'll certainly be more knowledgable about the freakier side of biology. show less

This is one of the most inventive takes on vampire stories that I've seen in a long time. I love the way Westerfeld combines biology and mythology to shape the world in which the book is set. Not only does the book present a unique twist on the vampire (zombie, ghoul, werewolf, whatever myth you want to call it by), but the story veers into an unexpected direction.

Cal is well developed, brave out of necessity and smart in some ways, but also lazy and wounded in others. I liked him, and I liked all the characters.

The one caveat that I should warn you about ... in every other chapter Cal presents readers with the low down on a new parasite, which tends to be both funny, fascinating, and revolting. Reading these chapters may cause OCD show more compulsions to washing your hands and fear of raw meat. I'm cringing just thinking about all those lovely parasites (but also smiling, because I am disturbingly amused by this sort of thing).

Despite my newly developed paranoia (~_^), I would definitely recommend this book and I'm looking forward to diving into the sequel. show less

Parasites are, and have been since pre-history, causing Vampirism. The young protagonist is a carrier, infected shortly after his arrival in NYC from Texas, and has been recruited by a secret City organization for tracking down and containing those more symptomatically affected. But wait, there's more - and not just that every other chapter is a short essay on parasites and their effects. Well paced, sometimes funny, and completely absurd.