Name: Peeps
Author: Scott Westerfeld

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Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

Monster attacks and peep violence; some body horror in the parasitology sections

Language

Barely any

Mild language in the YA register

Sexual Content

Some

The parasite is sexually transmitted; Cal's tracking of his past partners is central to the plot — handled with YA-appropriate honesty

Substance Use

None

No substance use

Emotional Intensity

Some

Body horror and the disturbing reality of parasitic biology — the real-world parasitology chapters are unsettling in their own right — give the novel a creeping psychological edge beyond standard YA monster fare

What this book is about

Scott Westerfeld's YA sci-fi/horror follows Cal, a nineteen-year-old from Texas who came to New York, hooked up with a woman, and discovered she gave him a parasite — one that usually turns its hosts into the cannibalistic, light-fearing creatures called peeps. Cal is one of the rare carriers who gets enhanced senses without the madness. Now he hunts the infected while tracking down everyone he may have exposed. Each chapter alternates with real parasitology facts that are genuinely fascinating and disturbing. The sexually transmitted nature of the parasite is integral to the story.