Peeps by Scott Westerfeld - Audiobook Review

Special thanks to guest reviewer Ro, for this audiobook review!

Title: Peeps
Series: Peeps, book 1
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Narrator: Joshua Swanson
Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks
Duration: 8 hours, 11 minutes
Copyright: 2008
Genres: science fiction, vampire, young adult

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .
©2005 Scott Westerfeld; (P)2008 Penguin

MY THOUGHTS: I think “Peeps” is brilliant. Not only is it a refreshing new spin on vampires, there is also the classic Westerfeld message to his young readers. This time the message clearly says not to fool around, because even a kiss might get you infected by a truly terrifying parasite.
Once you're infected with the parasite, you have an insatiable hunger for meat even if you were previously a vegetarian. Forget all the things you loved because you'll suddenly cower from the sight of them. Pretty awful consequence for giving in to hormonal temptations, wouldn't you say?
I couldn't put this audiobook down. Between the heart pounding fights with rats, cats and worms, luring Peeps into capture and trapping them by showing them pictures of Elvis, the humour behind Cal having a collection of music his ex-girlfriends liked, and his need to stuff his face with bacon while trying not to give in to his attraction for a female journalism student lest he infect her, I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
The fictional scientific idea behind vampires is quite believable and explains the lore across the centuries surrounding these beings. An added bonus is every other chapter including a lesson in parasitology. Learn about real life parasites and cringe the night away. I recommend not eating while enjoying this audio book. Stay tuned at the end of “Peeps” for an afterward by the author with even more exciting words about parasites. His lesson to all of us - sing 'Happy Birthday' while washing your hands.

NARRATOR: Joshua Swanson has a pleasant voice and does a good job of distinguishing between characters without overdoing the voices. He is easy to understand and I especially liked the way he says, "dude", which a female character says quite often.

FINAL WORD: All in all “Peeps” is a truly entertaining and educational audio book and I highly recommend it. I will say that the aim seems to be at older teens, with a few instances of swearing. Hopefully though, teens will listen to the message about the importance of not getting drunk and fooling around.
There is a follow-up to “Peeps” called “The Last Days”, if you read 'Peeps' and need more, which I certainly did.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
“Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld
“Pretties” by Scott Westerfeld
“Specials” by Scott Westerfeld

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Want to purchase this audiobook?
Sorry, the audiobook version of “Peeps” is not available at Amazon.com.

This book review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Ro
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