The Eleventh Plague: By Jeff Hirsch

The Eleventh Plague is a post-apocalyptic book about a boy who lives in America after it has been destroyed by a terrible war between China and the United States that resulted in the death of two thirds of the U.S. population. The reason so many people died is because China infected America with a new disease that spread rapidly and killed many people. The disease (called P Eleven) spread to Canada and Mexico as well, killing millions. After the war, a period known as the Collapse occurred. THere was no longer government, electricity, cities, laws, or anything like that. The story takes place after this awful war, and centers around the life of fifteen year old Stephen Quinn. After his overly serious grandpa dies, Stephen and his dad travel the U.S. by themselves, looking for anything they can find to trade for essential supplies, like food and clothing. After a horrible accident puts Stephen's dad into a coma, Stephen is forced to travel with some strangers to a small settlement that has survived the war, and the Collapse. This place is called Settler's Landing, and it seems pretty nice to Stephen, who only knows the life of a poor scavenger. But after he meets Jenny, a rebellious girl in the settlement, they get into trouble and cause a huge misunderstanding which leads to fights with another settlement, called Fort Leonard.

This is an excellent book, especially if you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. It is a bit depressing at times, but is also interesting because it can really make you think about how may things we take for granted in our everyday lives. I have nearly finished the book, and look forward to reading the ending.