Saturday, April 28, 2007
Peeps (Scott Westerfeld)
Yet another vampire book I am afraid. Peeps isn't normally the sort of thing that I would pick up and read- not only is it about vampires but it has also been slotted into the Young Adult genre (which I no longer belong in, unfortunately). It was one of those books that someone else suggested, giving me enough reason to buy it.
But these aren’t regular vampires we’ve got here and this can be interesting to people who are no longer considered ‘young adults’. The writing is at times a little too simplistic for the older generation and the language the characters use can be grating- but that is the way that the kids speak these days. Westerfeld’s vampires, or Peeps (parasite-positives), are cannibalistic monsters who hate the day light and some of them even hate crucifixes, but that’s all because the parasite that they have contracted has evolved to make them hate the things that they once loved. The vampirism as a disease things isn’t new, yet coupled with the even numbered chapters of parasitic descriptions that curdle the stomach, it makes for an interesting read. It can even be an interesting learning experience.
This is Cal’s story. He’s a recently infected carrier, someone who does not display the side effects but enjoys the benefits. He works for the Night Watch (a name that unfortunately was used without any hint of cynicism or sarcasm) and is searching for the few people that he had infected without knowing it. Along the way he meets a girl that he adores, but whom he cannot even kiss without passing along the disease and turning her into a Peep. He’s destined to live a life of celibacy because only 1% of the population is immune like him. Of course something has got to go wrong, and that is where we step in.
It was a fun ride while it lasted, good for a rainy afternoon. If you do read it though, you may never want to eat a steak again.

40 Down, 12 to Go

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Update
I've been a bit lax when it comes to blogging. Not that anyone cares because no one reads this, but just in case...
I have still been reading- will I make my 52 books this year? I think so. I have a random collection of books waiting to be read, one that I have almost finished and a yearn to read. I go through stages where I won't read a book all week because there are things standing in my way (ie. assignments) and there are weeks where I will devour up to four books (then the head ache kicks in).
I find it a little depressing that I will only just make the 52 books. I really ought to read more. And more and more and more. It feels lazy. If I lived to 50 and only read 52 books a year I would only be able to read 1192 more books, and I am sure there are a lot more than that that I want to read. Not including non-fiction.
I have a bunch of books on order (most importantly Is the Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant) and I want to read more. Feed me, Seymore.
Okay, off topic. I'll start updating more now. Cheers.

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