Customer Reviews

Peeps (Bccb Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards))

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This YA book was head and shoulders above the adult novels I've read in the last six months. Well-written, creepy as all get-out, it had well-defined characters, an entertaining plot, and even a bit of 'stealth science'. The best part was the way in which vampirism was addressed as a parasitical infestation. Every symptom, from photosensitivity to cruciphobia, was discussed in terms that were not only internally consistent, but perfectly plausible.

The title, "Peeps", refers to a shorthand designation for the vampires - as in "Parasite-Positive". The narrator, Cal, is also infested - he's a carrier, capable of infecting others, but not suffering the more dire effects of the infestation (i.e., the blood-drinking and cannibalism). He's recruited to join the Night Watch, an ancient organization that monitors and controls outbreaks of Echinococcus cannibalis -- the organism which causes vampirism -- to act as a vampire hunter, tracking and capturing others who don't have his lucky immunity. In the process, he learns that vampires aren't the only things that go bump in the night.

Highly recommended for teens and adults alike (middle-schoolers may also enjoy this, but parents should be aware that there are references to sex and "being horny" that may require some discussion, and there are numerous discussions of real parasites that may cause uneasiness.)

Peeps or Parasite Positive people are crazy cannibals, a danger to themselves and the rest of human society, unless you are a Peep carrier, then you have a lot of enhanced skills but none of the madness. Carriers are recruited to hunt down the mad Peeps. Cal is a Peep carrier who is hunting down his ex-lovers, now all crazy peeps hiding from the things they loved. However, Cal is about to find out that that despite a year of education on Peep behaviour and hunting skills he doesn't know the really important things about the changes in himself.

By the time you finish this book you'll know a lot more about parasites than you did before you started, both the good and the bad. In a lot of ways this is an introductory novel. There is a sequel due to come out called _The Last Days_ but I'm not sure it has the same characters. For me this was an enjoyable young adult vampire-like book with a new twist that doesn't concentrate on excessive sex, blood or soppy romance for its story line.

First rule: Don't call them vampires. That's just a ridiculous term. The proper label is parasite-positives, or "peeps." Maybe some people think that peeps have a few things in common with vampires of legend, but New York City is a long way from the Carpathian Mountains.

Second rule: Whatever you do, don't forget the anathema, when peeps start hating the things they used to love. The anathema hurts, but in a good way.

These rules to live by are a part of Cal Thompson's daily life. Cal is a peep hunter, sworn to protect New York from the spread of the parasite that, well, makes people act like vampires, if you have to use that word. Cal himself was infected with the parasite, but on him it works differently. He has the superpowers and the urge to feed, but he can still live among those who don't carry the parasite. In a quest to track down the woman who gave him the parasite, he peels away the layers of a mystery involving rats, cats, writing on a wall, and a building with more than a health club in its basement.

Be forewarned: PEEPS is neither for the faint of heart nor for the faint of stomach. But if descriptions of parasites and some truly disgusting life forms under New York City are what you live for, then pick up this book immediately. Westerfeld provides a fascinating, high-adventure look at the lives of parasites and ties it into a gritty urban fantasy with plot twists around every corner.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

Usually when you read about vampires, you think of crazy, bloodsucking, evil flying beasts, but Peeps puts vampires into a different perspective. Instead of calling them vampires, they call them peeps. Being a peep isn't a curse either; it is a disease. There are full -blown peeps and there are people called carriers. Carriers are like peeps without all of the symptoms. They are still fast, night-visioned and good listeners, but they don't have the urge to kill.
This story is about a carrier named Cal. Cal is a hunter of peeps. He hunts down peeps and sends them away so that they wont kill any more people. All of the peeps that Cal hunts are his ex-girlfriends. Carriers can still transmit the disease, even through a kiss. So Cal meets a girl, falls in love, and wants to kiss her but he knows what will happen if he does....

I love this book because it is funny, action packed, and it is about a typical teenage character.

I read the reviews and all the excerpts Amazon could give on this book; I was hooked so bad it was on my wishlist. I usually read books before I want to own them, but this looked so good. "Peeps" looked fresh and new and I couldn't wait to read it. I took it out of the library a couple weeks ago and read it in a few hours.

It gets three stars because of that. It didn't bore me so I had to toss it aside every now and then, and it kept me going, period.

Westerfeld's prose can run a little bit tiresome, especially in the beginning. I found myself rolling my eyes once, sighing another, because his little turns of phrase sometimes seemed more caught up in how clever they were, rather than setting the stage. Things got rolling, and I thought it was going to be okay.

There may be light spoilers ahead, but nothing too shocking or revealing.

Things weren't always developed to their full potential, I felt, and characterizations were weak. I've read a few reviews that say quite the opposite, but this is my opinion, as a writer. For example, the Shrink: I liked the idea of this very old peep who had contracted every disease known to man from living through all those plagues and epidemics needing to be quarantined. But she was never made quite as mysterious and all-knowing as I think she was supposed to be. Oh, she was supposed to be a bit human, not aloof, but the way she was presented was never backed up. She isn't given the room to grow, anyway, and she's introduced as if she is supposed to. A minor let-down. Part of the plot-twist (the ultimate towards the ending) had me WAY ahead and actually getting angry at them for messing it up, even though you're supposed to be just as caught up in it as the characters. This isn't right; you're supposed to like the characters, not rant against them for stupidity. And it was because of that that I felt as though my intelligence was being insulted.

Lace, short for Lacy: I confess I did not like her, and, as with the other characters, she was never really developed. I can't speak for everyone on the planet, but I don't know any girl, including myself, who says DUDE so much. Not just part of her vocabulary, no... OFTEN. Instead of calling Cal by his name, it was Dude, at least seventy percent of the time (this is taking into consideration her friendship with him, a time where she knew his name). She said Dude a lot, and it was annoying. I could be wrong; this might not bother some. Also, Lace never seemed to have a growing attraction for Cal; rather, there was no heat between them. It was a hard time defining when she was actually his friend and then suddenly she wanted more.

Cal, our hero, you have to get to know, and he's an okay guy. I liked him. His age (nineteen) floored me, but I guess part of his characterization was that he was mature for his age, and that fits pretty well. I feel like he could have been older, but that might just be my age (twenties) talking; I believe this is also recommended for teens. The biggest thing I have to stress is that his struggle with the fact that he can't even kiss anyone (the parasite can be spread by bites, sex, and even saliva) was just not amplified enough for me. It was reiterated, yes; just not explored. I thought that could have really been something. There isn't a lot of conflict involving it, and what there is, I feel as though it isn't real. I think it could've been a great aspect of the novel and his struggle. He's a nineteen year old guy and he cannot have sex; how could this be glossed over? Nothing is more human than a struggle with lust and attraction and the need for a mate; but I suppose this wasn't the point of this novel.


I had plenty complaints with this book, but I don't want it to seem as though I am trashing it. It was a fine enough read for the most part and the storyline is pretty clean, nothing too gritty and nothing too complicated, so it's a good read for teens who don't care for profanity or sexual themes (it's not good for very young teens, however), and for those who just like a straightforward book, not a lot of thinking, just a fast-paced read. And it's not a dumb book, either; it's got enough mystery to keep you engaged.

Every other chapter is actually a couple pages on actual parasites; it's gross and interesting, and even though at times I was impatient with the interruption, you CAN skip them and read later.

So there's my final word: Pardon my gripes, because I felt it could have been better developed, but it's a fair read for fans of this type of genre or the author.

I found this book when I was digging around Ollie's for 4 bucks thinking "Oh, another vampire book, why not?" But when I read it, I was amazed and couldn't stop reading it.

Westerfeld started out with a good creative take on vampirism. Then he added action, lust, and fear, and interesting(?) parasite triva. Also, even though the story is placed in a sci-fi pre-apocalyptic world, the characters were real. When it all mixed together he popped out a great book.

This book is rated for grades 9-12, but I'm 37 years old, and I just love the hell out of this book. Sure, it reads a little young now and then, but its a quick read, the story is engaging, and the theory of vampirism is one I've been wanting to see for years!

The book is set in the present day, and based on the concept that vampirism is caused by a parasite transmitted via exchange of bodily fluids, even saliva. Many of the classic symptoms of vampirism (fear of crosses, sun avoidance, etc.) are explained via the concept of "anathema". Specifically, the parasite causes a brain reversal, causing fear and loathing where once there was love.

Anyone who wants to read an engaging scientific (as opposed to mystical) portrayal of vampirism should read this book - whether they're 15, 37 or 73! (And I'd love to see this as a movie! Hollywood, are you listening?)

I picked this up because I loved the four Uglies books currently out, and I really wanted something new from the author. This book didn't disappoint!

Cal is a carrier for a parasite - THE parasite, the one which makes you a vampire, or Peep (Parasite Positive). But unlike most of the people who get the disease, he hasn't turned into an unmanageable eater of humans, and is able to manage his disease with only a few strange side effects - like, he's always hungry for meat, and constantly hungry for sex. Seeing as the parasite is spread through saliva and other body fluids, though, Cal's pretty much out of luck on one of those, or so he thinks.

Since non-murderous carriers are pretty rare, Cal works with the Night Watch to help contain the vampire problem, and he tracks down his old girlfriends and gets them the medication they need to be almost sane. But when he begins tracking the person who gave him the disease, he is led into a foul underworld of carrier rats, unusually rational peeps, and evidence of an ancient and vile monster underground.

As he investigates, he becomes closer to Lace, the journalism student who lives in the building under which he is investigating. She isn't infected, and even for a journalism student she is far too careless about her wellbeing, preferring finding out the whole story to keeping herself safe.

Is the disease evolving new ways of spreading? Why are so many of the new peeps acting almost sane? And most importantly, will Cal be able to keep his hands off of the very hot Lace?

Interspersed with the story are disgusting and accurate descriptions of real-life parasites, which help us think about the story in new ways and give us a backdrop to place the new characters against.

While the book is in many ways WAY overly graphic about the parasites (I admit, I enjoyed those parts even so!), I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was absorbed into the story after just the first chapter, and stayed up late to finish it the first night I started it, because I couldn't bear to put it down. If you liked Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books, Westerfeld's Uglies series, or just are in the mood for something very different, then I highly recommend this.

After reading others of Mr. Westerfeld's books, I tried this one, and it was very good. A take on the classic vampire story, it's a haunting but funny tale of Cal Thompson's survival with Peeps.
The suspense will keep you reading until you finish, and the author has a way of using every other chapter to describe something (like a parasite), and although these don't seem like they fit in, the author does so with skill.

I, like many others, read Peeps because I enjoyed the Uglies series tremendously. I was very disapointed. While the book was both exciting and action-packed it was also very disgusting.I think Peeps would have been far better off it there was less information about random parasites.
However, the Scott Westerfeld we all know and love came through on the plot. It was very creative.
The story takes place in New York City through the eyes of Cal a college student from Texas. Cal works for the Night Watch, a very old organization that keeps peeps or 'parasite positives'under control. Peeps are those who are infected with a very ancient disease that for many years remained underground. Cal being a carrier of this disease must find out how he recieved the disease and stop it from reaching the surface. But many secrets lie before him and may cause him a change in plans. Throughout all of this Lace, a girl Cal met during investigation, stands by his side.
I would only recomend this novel to those who don't mind the breif history of parasite's that is imbedded in this novel. Otherwise enjoy!