Publication Date: September 2011
Pages: 278
Series: no
Acquisition: BEA 2011
Summary:
In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving.
In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for
But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever. (From Goodreads)
In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for
But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever. (From Goodreads)
My thoughts:
A great read for me. The post-apocalyptic world Jeff has created both thrilled and terrified. It's harsh and there are so many unknowns it's amazing that anyone can survive. Society hasn't yet reformed itself, and it's questionably if it ever will. There is no known governing forces, the landscape is bare and desolate and the people who inhabit it aren't quite old enough to have forgotten how it use to be. It's a world trying to reform and still so very close to imploding.
This world in which Stephen lives is also very real. The remnants of the way things were are still fresh - I could see our world in Stephen's and this was not comforting at all. But, it was this realism that added a thrill to the story for me.
Alongside this scary, untamed world there is a cast of characters that I really enjoyed. Some really got to me and others didn't make much of an impression but it was a good mix.
Overall, I pretty much enjoyed every aspect of The Eleventh Plague and I'm very excited for whatever Jeff has planned next!
The Eleventh Plague is a great read for anyone but I really think younger boys will really be engaged by this story. The bleakness of the society combined with characters that are easy to relate to, in my opinion, makes this a perfect read for reluctant and avid readers alike.
Overall Rating:
5 / 5 Stars
Linkage Love:
Scholastic
Author's Website
Goodreads
Sounds excellent. I'm intrigued by this one.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for this book - it is very high on my wishlist :)
ReplyDeletePS Thanks for coming by and congratulating me :) *hug*
ReplyDelete