Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Razorbill
Copyright: 2005
ISBN: 9781595140838
Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 9-12
Genre: Paranormal and Horror--Monsters--Vampires
Reader’s Annotation: Cal has a mission: hunt down his ex-girlfriends, whom he's infected with a parasite that causes vampirism, then find the woman who gave it to him.
Plot Summary
Cal Thompson moved from Texas to Manhattan for college, and within days lost his virginity in a drunken stupor to a mysterious woman. She infected him with a terrible parasite--the parasite that causes vampirism. In fact, vampires are known in Cal's world--the shadowy Night Watch organization for which he now works--as "parasite positives" or "peeps." Westerfeld cleverly explains the legends surrounding vampires as resulting from the parasite's symptoms--anathema, or hatred of things loved before the time of infection, is the reason behind vampires' supposed aversion to crosses. The short even-numbered chapters tell the stories of real-life parasites, bolstering Westerfeld's case for the vampire parasite and sneaking lessons on evolution into this otherwise fluffy read.
Since his infection, Cal has become a hunter. He is a carrier, so he is immune to the worst of the parasite's effects--cannibalism and anathema--but he does have heightened senses, super strength, and unusually good reflexes. He also suffers from heightened horniness, since the parasite is sexually transmitted and he must not act on his desires. His mission is to hunt down the ex-girlfriends he unwittingly infected and then to find his "progenitor." In the course of tracking her, he becomes involved with an attractive college student, Lace, who is too interested and clever for her own good. Cal and Lace learn that there's a conspiracy afoot among New York's clannish old families and that there may be something worse than vampires lurking beneath the city streets.
Critical Evaluation
Westerfeld’s witty first-person narrative and the creepy mood of the novel keep the reader turning pages, but the plot gets bogged down with twists, revelations, and explanations in the final chapters. The engaging combination of humor and horror is established in the first chapter, when Cal finds his ex, Sarah, lurking in an abandoned building with a horde of rats and the skulls of her victims—yuck—and uses Elvis paraphernalia, Sarah’s former passion, to trap and subdue her. “I took advantage of my slow ascent to leave a few items from my backpack on the stairs. A sequined cape, a miniature blue Christmas tree, an album of Elvis Sings Gospel” (p. 5).
The science in this book is refreshingly solid. The chapters on real-life parasites are not for the weak of stomach, but are factual and surprisingly captivating. The vampire-parasite premise is convincingly explained. Coming up with a new take on the done-to-death vampire genre is an accomplishment in itself. Characterization is competent, but the characters aren’t especially memorable.
Problems arise as the climax nears. For the first several chapters the book seems to be on track to be a satisfying stand-alone novel, but it veers off toward the end into setup for a sequel (which has yet to appear). There are too many revelations in too short a time, so the story must be put on hold for explication. The creepy mood is undermined when it turns out that the bad guys aren’t really bad. The final revelation is not as scary as it should be after all the buildup, and the final confrontation is somewhat anticlimactic. Who needs monsters when you’ve already got parasites and vampires?
Curriculum Ties: Biology--parasites, evolution
Booktalking Ideas: Read one of the descriptions of real-life parasites. Icky but interesting and witty.
Challenge Issues: Occult content, mild sexual content
In the defense file, I will include my library's selection policy, ALA's Library Bill of Rights, ALA's guidelines on free access to libraries for minors (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/freeaccesslibraries.cfm), and ALA's strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials (http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips/index.cfm). I will also include my library's reconsideration form, in case challenges to this book cannot be defused with "tea and sympathy." The reviews a will include come from Booklist (mixed), VOYA (negative), Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices (positive), and Kliatt (positive).
About the Author
Scott Westerfeld is me. I’m the author of eighteen novels. Five are for adults, and the other thirteen for young adults.
I’ve also been an occasional ghost writer, which is like driving someone else’s car really, really fast for lots of money. (I could tell you what famous authors I ghost-wrote for, but then I’d have to kill you. My name can be found on three Powerpuff Girl choose your own adventures, however.) In my artsy days, I wrote music for artsy downtown New York dancers, some of which can be found at the bottom of my video page.
I’m best known for my four sets of books for young adults. The most recent is the Leviathan trilogy. It’s a steampunk retelling of World War I, illustrated by the incomparable Keith Thompson. It features adventure, walking machines, and living airships!
My most famous works are those of the Uglies series, set in a future where cosmetic surgery is compulsory when you turn 16, making everyone beautiful. Of course, there are some people who want to keep their own faces . . . and that’s not okay with the government. The series consists of a trilogy—Uglies, Pretties and Specials—as well as a companion novel, Extras.
I was born in Texas, and split my time between New York City and Sydney, Australia. (I have more frequent flyer miles than you do.)
http://scottwesterfeld.com/about-the-author/
Why is this title included?
Westerfeld is a very popular YA author. Peeps is on the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2006), YALSA Teens' Top Ten (2006), and School Library Journal Best Books (2005) lists.