I was introduced to Scott Westerfeld’s work by Jack Haringa. I am glad he did. And I’m glad I took his advice and picked up Westerfeld’s books. Most of the time when people recommend books to me I respond politely that I will check so-and-so author out and smile all the while not having any inkling to actually pick up the recommended book. Most books people recommend are crap (My recommendations aside, they are always on the money).
But Jack’s advice panned out. I have included four quick reviews of Scott Westerfeld’s books; Uglies, Pretties, Peeps, and The Last Days. All excellent books. I have also read of his The Midnighter Series, and the penultimate book in the Uglies Series, Specials, and I will be reading the final book in that series, Extras, soon.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This was my first YA book that I picked up and read. I wasn’t expecting much other than maybe two-dimensional characters and hackneyed dialogue. I was wrong and I should smack myself for having those prejudgments. Westerfeld crafts well rounded characters. Tally, our heroine, makes decisions that we might not like or might not agree with but by the end of the book she has grown as a character. Shay, her best friend, does not grow as much but we see a change in Shay that we might have expected. You get a like the characters that Westerfeld wants you to like and despise those he wants you to. After reading it I was surprised that YA fiction could have characters of such depth.
Sorry no synopsis here. If you want to see what the book is about go here. The story is well paced and grabs your attention immediately. Westerfeld doesn’t explain much. He doesn’t give you dates or places or anything that would make the setting familiar. What he does is suck you in and you want to learn more. There are a few plot holes but nothing big enough to drive a truck through. And there is sort of a twist at the end. I wouldn’t call it a twist but it sets up the second in the trilogy very well without being so heavy handed. Westerfeld gives his characters room to grow and make decisions though they might not be the best decisions. My one gripe with Westerfeld is how stupid or gullible he makes his antagonist through the entire story then at the right moment shows that the antagonist isn’t as stupid as we think and that everything that has occurred is because she let if happen that way. It reeks of du ex machina more than careful plotting. I think Westerfeld would have done better adding a few more scenes showing the machinations of the main bad guy.
Overall- 8 out of 10
Great book with a few flaws. Even adults will like this one.
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
If the laws of the universe are correct it is rare that the middle story of a trilogy is usually the weakest of the triplet. Except for a few exceptions this is something you can set your watch to. The first book sets up the premise, introduces the characters, the conflict, the themes, and everything else about the story. In the first book everything is new and everything is exciting to the reader. By the second book everything is old hat and it is tough to keep the reader interested in what is happening to the characters.
PRETTIES could be that exception to the second story slump rule except for a few misfires.
We know that Westerfeld can write. He proved that with Uglies. He also showed us that he can craft interesting characters and a compelling plot. So there is no reason to discuss that here. What I will point out is that Westerfeld adds a few things into this story that just didn’t need to be there. He is sailing along smoothly bringing the story into the next phase with Tally becoming a pretty and how she deals with it. Westerfeld is adept at expressing some genuine characterization of Tally as a pretty and doesn’t allow her to just jump into the action that ended in Uglies. Which actually gave Tally more depth. Most authors I think would have allowed Tally to get into the heart of trying to NOT be a pretty early in order to advance the action. Westerfeld however, takes his time and allows us to see inside how pretties act.
After Tally’s escape (which was well written and includes some really suspense filled scenes) moves into one of Westerfeld’s misfires. Throughout the previous book and this book Westerfeld was able to show us how evil and manipulating the Pretties and Specials are. With this section where Tally is involved with primitives that are being used as experiments goes over the top and is unnecessary to the themes and the overall story. It bogs down the narrative and is uninteresting. Westerfeld could have skipped it and it wouldn’t have weakened the overall novel.
Overall rating- 7 of 10
Even with this misfire Pretties is one hell of a read. I highly recommend it.
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
For those that are looking for a new, interesting, exciting and original take on the vampire story should be, at this very moment, putting this book into your shopping cart at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com. Full stop.
Westerfeld weaves a great tale about your average teenager in New York City for the first time as a college freshman. The difference with Cal is he ends up loosing his virginity and becomes the host for a parasite that has been the basis for most of the “vampire” folklore through the centuries.
“Oh dear lord” you may be saying now to yourself. Well I though so at first but this book is just great. Westerfeld intersperses mini parasitology lessons, well Cal the main character does, which gives us a little more of a peek into how Cal’s mind works. Here is the geeky kid who just revels in his knowledge of parasites. I had a friend in college who was the same way. He was great to hang with at parties but the worst to be around during dinner because that is when he brought up that story about the parasite in South American rivers that are attracted by urine in the water. This is essentially what Cal does with these lessons. At the same he builds a case that parasites, no matter how disgusting, are beneficial and even essential to the ecosystems they inhabit. Which lends to the over all story that Westerfeld is telling.
Cal is your not to stereotypical geek. He knows a little too much about his job, which is catching Peeps (parasite positive people) and he relishes this task. Not because he is some glory hound that likes the chase. He is that kid that just loves science and how the world and its intricate web of life works. You really get to like this kid relatively quickly.
The book starts up a year after Cal is infected. He is a carrier but not a full blown Peep. So he works for the Night Watch. The Night Watch is an ancient shadowy “police force” that polices parasite positive infectees. Much like the CDC but much cooler. Since it is Cal telling us this story of his life we are ignorant of the overall picture and any other developments in Cal’s world. This suits the story quite well. Westerfeld let’s us speculate as to the motivations of the other characters and at times had me going in one direction with such suppositions only to interject a small piece of information which blew my assumption. Just like Cal. As Westerfeld unfolds the plot we start to distrust the Night Watch, or maybe just a few people inside.
The book is part mystery, part science fiction, mostly horror, and a damn good twist on the “vampire” genre if there is such a genre. But it really isn’t a vampire novel.
When we begin the story it might seem like a neat little plot centering around Cal and his job and a few “vampires.” But Westerfeld brings more into it and turns it into a grand epic so to speak. There is a second book in the series and I don’t know if a third is in the works. But by the end of PEEPS a whole new set of threats and conflict are brought to the surface that our intrepid 19 year old Cal must face. But at least he has a girlfriend now to help him out.
Overall rating- 10 of 10
Go buy this book. Now. What are you waiting for.
[BN, AMZN, Nook]
The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld
This is a sequel that isn’t a sequel. What is it then? Maybe it is in the vain of the “In the Meanwhile . . .” type of story. The Last Days takes place at the same time as Peeps but you get the perspective of outsiders and those that no nothing of what is happening in the City as the events of Peeps occur. Where Peeps was all about parasitology, The Last Days is about musicology. Westerfeld titles his chapters after band names, many obscure, some more well known. At the same time he also follows the story of a group of kids, from disparately different backgrounds come together to form a band.
I wanted to include this review with Peeps since they go together, but I read this book a few years ago, actually the month it was released so the story is fuzzy. But I remember that his book blew me away. And I think the main reason, other than the obvious of being a great story, characters, and giving a new perspective of the Peeps story, Westerfeld does a great job of telling a story from different perspectives in first person.
Essentially each chapter is from the POV of a character in first person. And they switch from chapter to chapter. And the best thing is that Westerfeld pulls it off.
Overall rating- 10 of 10
Just like Peeps what are you waiting for, buy this book.
[All the reviews here were written a couple of years ago except for The Last Days.]
