Peeps

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, 284 pages

Cal is a vampire hunter, except he doesn’t call them vampires.  They’re peeps.  He is actually a carrier of the disease that causes some people to want to eat other people and avoid sunlight, but isn’t affected by the negative symptoms.  Luckily, he does have some of the positive symptoms, like being extra strong and able to see in the dark, so he’s ideal in his role.  But the hunters don’t kill; they only capture.  While people can’t be cured, they can be helped.  However, some strange things have been going on, like large packs of rats congregating, and peeps that seem to be sane and working together.  Cal suspects that he’s being lied to, but isn’t sure who’s doing the lying so doesn’t know who to trust.  If he doesn’t figure it out, he’s worried that people could end up dead.  Maybe even him.  I mostly liked this books.  It’s not my favorite by Westerfeld but I thought it was an interesting premise and that it was fairly entertaining throughout.  I can see why teens who like the genre would enjoy it.

Parasite

Parasite by Mira Grant, 504 pages 

This was another one of the books that was forcefully suggested by that coworker/potential blogger person. Upon reading the inside cover flap I admitted that it was something that interested me.

Basically in the future no one gets sick or worries about any type of illness or viruses etc. because they have all been implanted with a form of tapeworm that fights off everything. No more allergies to dogs or pollen, no more getting the flu, or managing blood sugar levels, it does everything and more. That is until something goes horribly wrong.

Parasite really takes a look at what could happen if medicine goes too far. It also takes a glance at what science is willing to risk to make money in the corporate world. The book is very well done, and despite getting very scientific in spots, is easy enough to follow. While I don’t know if this is part of a series yet or not, the author does offer some suggested reading in the same subject area that seem interesting.