The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch - Review

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: September 1st, 2011

Source: Library

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“If it was true that all paths in our World led to only one place, then why not fill whatever path you chose with the best things you could find?”

A strain of influenza hits America and only a third of the population has survived this "Eleventh Plague". Stephen Quinn, born 5 years after the Collapse, has just lost his grandfather. As salvagers, he and his father continue their lives on the path that they have been circling for all their life.

However, an incident occurs and Stephen finds himself with nothing but his father who is in a coma. He must find a way to recover his dad, but he also must find what he really wants in HIS life.

The idea is not entirely creative, but it was still very engaging. My favorite character was Jenny, because she had a lot of wise things to say and she knew what she wanted, rather than following what others wanted. She was a strong character and it showed through her actions and words.

I also liked the development of Jenny and Stephen's relationship. Here was Jenny, a girl who was misunderstood and who did not belong, who, despite her callous attitude towards others, decided to befriend Stephen, the reserved "new" kid in Settler's Landing. It was an interesting thing to read about.

The ending seemed very rushed and the sad moments weren't entirely convincing, but I still enjoyed this book a lot because it makes you think a little bit. The only part I didn't like was the ending. It didn't really make sense and I was trying to figure out what was going on, and by the time I did, it was over.

Overall, this book deserves 3 stars for me. It was an okay debut novel.