The Last Days

That was... strange. There is something about this book I can't place in my head. Westerfeld writes about grand, big, heavy, serious thing so... casually. Yes, that's the word. He can write about (post)apocalypse, world war, culture clashes, fall of empires like some people tell about their day at the family dinner in the evening. And somehow it works even if it should not. He writes what I perceive as true "YA". Not just stories with acting teens in it, but stories told through the eyes of young people (even if they are such only at heart), who still see the world in more pastel/easy/soft/smooth tones without all that adult sharped edges of overlaid social complexities.

P.S. Also: "Cocteau Twins".

Didnt enjoy this book as much as the previous in the series. Partly because I didnt always like the split narration, and partly because Im just not that into stories about bands. There were several characters i thought were original and compelling (mostly Alana Ray) but did not appreciate some of the language the characters used. No Im not talking about swearing, Im talking about the multiple uses of the word retarded as an insult/negative, which is pretty true to how a lot of 2006 teenagers would talk but still not chill for an author to put in their book unchallenged. Gotta give props for vampire apocalypse meets rock and roll with giant worms though.

"How can I be so sure about this rhyme , when all the experts disagree?
Because I ate the kid who made it up."

I had started this one previously and just. . . couldn't get in to it. It's an odd story for sure, full of music references and stray cats, dog walking and guitar rifts. I know that it's tied to the book Peeps but I read that so long ago that I can't even remember what it was about, but this one stood well on its own.

I still liked the gross disease/parasite part of this vampirism. And I liked the way music played in to the story, even if it was a bit over done, I was good with just rolling with it. The angels were spooky and creepy and every time we were in Minerva's POV it was weird but interesting.

I didn't mind this one this show more go-around and am glad I finally got around to reading it. I actually liked it. show less

Aimed at the YA crowd but can be enjoyed by everyone.

Strange things are happening in New York City. Stranger than usual, that is. In fact it is down right scary in a paranormal kind of way. Black liquid spurts out of fire hydrants; rats, more numerous than ever, are roving the streets; and people suddenly go crazy, like the woman who throws all of her belongings out her sixth floor apartment window all the while screaming about who knows what. One about-to-be-discarded object catches the attention of two teen onlookers. The crazy lady waves a mid-seventies Fender Stratocaster with gold pickups and whammy bar. Pearl and Moz, strangers until this moment, work together to catch this valuable guitar before it crashes to the pavement. A show more quick glance above and both glimpse human figures moving swiftly towards the crazy woman's window. Neither comments aloud on this phenomenum. Instead they excitedly talk about their passion for music and the possibility of forming a band.

Pearl is a super smart multitalented gal who thinks Moz is really cute. She and Moz and his friend Zahler meet for practice sessions, and quickly realize they need a drummer and a singer to make their band complete. Street wise Alana Ray agrees to play percussion. She has the ability to see music with color and movement and is especially sensitive to these visions when Pearl brings in her friend Minerva to sing. A few months earlier Minerva suffered a mysterious breakdown. She now stays most of the time in her room, fights to contain the beast she feels inside her, and writes pages full of weird symbols that only she understands. At the first rehersal, when all five gather to play, Minerva singing blends with the music and evokes wonder and fear.

As the story progresses the musical talent of these teens and the vampire powers of Minerva become paramount in fighting monsters that live far below ground and only surface every seven hundred years. The Last Days is a sequel to Peeps (pub, year) where the story of the vampires aka Peeps begins. Westerfeld's powers of description brings characters to life and immerse the reader into the world his vivid imagination has created.

Sequel to Peeps. Razorbill, 2005 show less

A companion to Westerfeld's "Peeps," this takes the concept of the first book in a new, and fairly interesting direction.

Perspective rotates among five characters; members of a strange band brought together by chance. With the world spiraling into disrepair as the peep virus spreads, these five teens are turning the familiar medium of music into something...paranormal.

Moz, a music-lover and brilliant guitar player; Pearl, a genius at all types of music and a born manager; Zahler, the mellow bass player; Alana Ray, who drums on paint buckets; and mesmerizing singer Minerva, who isn't in fact human, but an infected peep. They all just wanted fame at first, but when it seems their music is calling the ancient enemy of the infected, they show more may have a bigger role to play.

The characters were interesting and well-done, although their number and the rotating perspective didn't let you know them as well as Cal and Lace from the original "Peeps" (they make a cameo appearance here). But I did appreciate the depth that went into developing such an original apocalyptic plot; Westerfeld has a unique urban voice and a knack for making real teen characters. Music lovers will also appreciate the artistry with which he describes the various musical aspects in the novel. show less

This was one of those books that made me dance with joy when I got it in on the library reserve shelf. Luckily I work with people who understand book lust, so they just humor me.

Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, the amazing vampire novel that combined vampirism with communicable diseases. This novel takes us further into the epidemic occuring in New York City where all sorts of people are becoming peeps and the society is beginning to crumble due to the epidemic. The situation is seen through the eyes of five teens, who form a band together in the middle of the chaos, looking to make themselves famous before the end of the world. Westerfeld's writing as always is fast-paced, enjoyable, and consuming. His characters are individuals who show more make mistakes, find themselves caught in world-changing situations, but remain true to themselves.

Recommend this to those kids who already love Westerfeld. For those who don't, make sure you start them on Peeps. Any kids who enjoy horror, apocalyptic fiction, or band fiction will love this. Don't you just adore books that sell themselves and get teens asking for more by the same author? And even better, Westerfeld has several series to get teens really hooked. show less

Not as good as Peeps, not nearly as good. For me, a lot of Peeps's strength came from the science, and The Last Days throws all of that over. I mean, it's set in the same world, after the parasite has started spreading at a pandemic rate and the infrastructure has started to shut down, but it's not really about the science (or even the action) at all, it's mostly about the hassles of forming a band. Which is not really a topic that interests me, and the continuous descriptions of the music and the playing and the playing of the music, etc., from five different (but not that different) viewpoints, all got kind of overly precious and repetitive and made me really miss Cal... at least he *did* something other than bitch about rehersal show more space. I didn't really care for the whole "music is biology/will tame the savage beast/etc" metaphor, either - it certainly feels not as well thought-out as some of Westerfeld's other writings, more like he said "well, musicians are cool. How can i stick that into one of my books?" The connection to the vampire mythology just isn't there. Overall, it's not a bad book, exactly; Westerfeld can certainly write in a way that pulls you along through a story. It's just that I loved Peeps so much that this "sequel" was a major let-down - it could have been so much more, and better. show less