Westerfield, Scott. The last days.

WESTERFIELD, Scott. The last days. (Sequel to Peeps.) Penguin, Razorbill. 289p. c2006. 1-59514-062-X. $16.99. S*

Westerfield's tone changes from humorous satire to one more like Apocalypse Now! Giant worms are rumbling up through the subway tunnels and the new, improved vampires are set to fight them. In the meantime, society, especially in NYC, is disintegrating and people are gathering in clusters to protect themselves while garbage piles up in the streets, rats run amok, and water runs black. But wait! Really loud and really good rock music also seems to have a deleterious effect on the worms. Five teenagers--a vampire, a poor little rich girl, a schizophrenic, and two boys--are currently starving musicians in a garret, but they form a band and battle the chaos and teenage hormones because, of course, all the wrong people fall in love with all the wrong people.

Westerfield knows how to create a narrative. His plots have action, vivid scenes, snappy dialog, and interesting characterizations. He's got it all ... except, he writes about vampires, which may be good news for some and bad news for others. But maybe those who don't care for fantasy/ horror can be lured by the notion that the vampires are a metaphor. They certainly aren't boring, and their "disease" actually benefits a more diseased society. All readers can have great fun reading this engaging novel and be swept along into thinking about Large Ideas at the same time. Myrna Marler, Assoc. Prof. of English, BYU, Provo, UT

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.