Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0-545-29014-7
This book follows a young boy named Stephen as he and his family try to survive in a post-apocalyptic America. Most of the population has been killed in genetically-engineered pandemic and the western coast is occupied by Chinese forces. While the story touches on this, these are mostly details touched on throughout the book. The main plot focuses on Stephen as he struggles to care for his dad after an accident that leaves him in a coma. Stephen finds his way to Settler's Landing where he is faced with a way of life much different than the scavenger lifestyle he has known all his life. When he plays a prank with a girl he meets in Settler's Landing, chaos ensues.
The Eleventh Plague was a very enjoyable read. It was not overly difficult to understand and the plot was fairly straightforward. There is not a lot that makes this necessarily stand out from other books of this genre. However, Stephen's way of looking at the world around him does help to make this book a little more unique. In this genre, the main character typically wants to rebuild society in a way that is reminiscent of how things "used to be." This is not the case in this book. Stephen is not a fan of the "old" world he has heard about from his family and those in Settler's Landing. He feels that those ways led to the war that ruined the country and that trying to rebuild it would only cause history to repeat itself. An interesting twist, but not necessarily one that really makes this book stand out from the crowd.
Jeff Hirsch's debut novel, The Eleventh Plague, is worth checking out. It has a solid story grounded in reality that leaves you wanting more. If using this book in a classroom, I recommend using it to discuss concepts such as cause-and-effect.
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