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".

This is the 2nd book of the [Peeps] duology and so this review will probably include at least minor spoilers for the first book.

Rather than just offer up the continuing adventures of the same characters that survived until the end of the last book, this sequel instead focuses on 5 new characters who meet and go on to form a band. These 5 are all around the age of eighteen. Moz (Guitar) meets Pearl (Keyboards) when they manage to save a Stratocaster when it has been thrown out of a window by someone who seems intent on getting rid of everything in their life. Moz is one of those directionless and unfocused teenagers who spends his time jamming with his friend Zahler (Guitar/Bass) in hope of one day forming a band. Pearl, a Juilliard show more student, suggests they get together to see if they can do just that and if things go well she may even know a singer she can being in. Zahler may even be able to find a drummer. Alana Ray (Drums), who has a form of autism and also has visions of what music actually looks like, busks in Times Square, playing her own unique music on paint drums, but when Moz agrees to pay her for her time she agrees to join in with the others. Minerva (Vocals) is one of the infected but with the help of an esoterica has passed through the worst and is on her way to being able to function almost normally again. Right from the get-go they realise they have something special but can they get their music out there before society crumbles and fame is no longer an option.

More and more people are succumbing to the new disease, there are places that city officials are no longer willing to go. Garbage is piling up on the streets and hordes of rats scurry openly above ground as well as below. The temperature is soaring and the rumblings underground are no longer the sole property of the subway trains. Can the newly formed band hit the heights before everything crumbles around them. Will what they play have an effect on whatever it is that's causing these events to transpire or will they just help bring about the end of days?

While not being a straight sequel in the traditional sense, the story of the previous characters had been told so it makes sense to have new leads this time around. Those wondering what happened to Cal & Lacey needn't worry too much though as they do re-appear in the later part of this book. The five different viewpoints could have been confusing but as each has their own distinct voice it was not difficult to know who you were with at the time but each chapter heading includes that character's name at the beginning anyway. While this book is a self-contained story and you don't have to have read the previous one to understand what's going on, I would still recommend that you do so to gain the full understanding as some aspects are treated as though the reader already has a familiarity with them. A fast-paced, enjoyable story that fits squarely in the young adult bracket. show less

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

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