I starting reading Scott Westerfeld last year when Cool Hunting turned me onto So Yesterday, a young adult novel about, well, cool hunting. Westerfeld writes young adult fiction and science fiction (and young adult science fiction) and my future in-laws have been reading his Midnighters books and got me Peeps for Christmas (but kept it for a few weeks so they could both read it first -- clever).

Peeps is a science fiction vampire story. Our hero, Cal, is a carrier of the parasite that causes vampirism (or as they refer to it in the novel, is "parasite positive" -- a peep) and works for an ancient, secret organization that works to control the spread of the parasite. In addition to a rollicking adventure story, every other chapter has delightfully gross information about real parasites. Make my hamburger well done, please.