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heidisreads's review against another edition
5.0
America has collapsed after a plague wiped out much of the population. 15-year-old Stephen Quinn walks the country with his father and grandfather, collecting and trading what they find. One night that all changes when they decide to save two strangers. Leaving their well-traveled path, Stephen must fight and make decisions or he fears the country will rebuild itself just in time to collapse once again. Will he survive?
samanthastemarie's review against another edition
2.0
I give this book a solid two star.
I think it had the potential to be amazing. The characters could have been really memorable and the story could have been impactful but it was VERY rushed! It was under 300 pages and I just felt like I didn’t get enough from the story.
I didn’t feel an attachment to the characters and six months from now I probably won’t be able to tell you anything that happened. There was a lot of telling and rushing through without showing the reader the environment, the background of any characters, etc.
I wish it had maybe 100 more pages to allow for a deeper look into the world.
That’s why it’s a two star for me because I have no connection to it due to its length and lack of detail.
I think it had the potential to be amazing. The characters could have been really memorable and the story could have been impactful but it was VERY rushed! It was under 300 pages and I just felt like I didn’t get enough from the story.
I didn’t feel an attachment to the characters and six months from now I probably won’t be able to tell you anything that happened. There was a lot of telling and rushing through without showing the reader the environment, the background of any characters, etc.
I wish it had maybe 100 more pages to allow for a deeper look into the world.
That’s why it’s a two star for me because I have no connection to it due to its length and lack of detail.
nzkiwishen's review against another edition
2.0
Solid 2.5 stars. Some of what happened seemed a little far-fetched and the author didn't make things super believable for me. The characters didn't have enough depth. Not an awful book to listen to, but not amazing either. Maybe that's why there weren't any holds for it... ;)
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed at Hooked on Books
Why did it take me a year to finally get to this book? It is an absolutely amazing, incredibly well written, post-apocalyptic tale.
I know it's incredibly trendy to compare everything to the Hunger Games and I know how annoying it can be when those comparisons fall flat. But this is truly one book that really felt similar in style and theme to Suzanne Collins' series. The stories are incredibly different, but they explore similar issues and both writers have an incredible knack for character development.
I really loved hearing about all the different characters in this book. Each one was incredibly rich and fleshed out. At times it felt like I knew some of them personally. Characters really make or break a book for me, and these characters are everything you could ask for and more. I loved Violet, Jenny, Marcus and Jackson. They were such a regular family, living in such an irregular time. It made me happy to think there could be people like that in the very plausible future Jeff Hirsch sets this book in. I was also incredibly impressed with the amount of emotion (in particular anger) I could feel for a character that is never officially introduced - Stephen's grandfather. Bravo Jeff Hirsch. Bravo.
For me, one of the key themes of The Eleventh Plague was responsibility. Stephen's responsibility to his father and their survival, the responsibility of the community to take care of one another, the responsibility to be a better person than the world around you expects you to be. I think this was an incredibly interesting approach to this story, and it really made me take pause and think about what was going on, and how I would react in similar situations.
Final recommendations: A brilliantly executed book. One that I recommended strongly to both male and female teens AND fans of The Hunger Games.
Notes on the Audio
Dan Bittner did a fantastic job with this book. All the voices were clear and easy to understand. Everyone sounded like the right age - which is pretty impressive considering there is a huge range of ages in this book, from young teenagers, right up to senior citizens. He also nailed the energy needed for this story. He was subdued when needed, and exciting and/or anxious when the tone would fluctuate. I would happily listen to his narration again.
Why did it take me a year to finally get to this book? It is an absolutely amazing, incredibly well written, post-apocalyptic tale.
I know it's incredibly trendy to compare everything to the Hunger Games and I know how annoying it can be when those comparisons fall flat. But this is truly one book that really felt similar in style and theme to Suzanne Collins' series. The stories are incredibly different, but they explore similar issues and both writers have an incredible knack for character development.
I really loved hearing about all the different characters in this book. Each one was incredibly rich and fleshed out. At times it felt like I knew some of them personally. Characters really make or break a book for me, and these characters are everything you could ask for and more. I loved Violet, Jenny, Marcus and Jackson. They were such a regular family, living in such an irregular time. It made me happy to think there could be people like that in the very plausible future Jeff Hirsch sets this book in. I was also incredibly impressed with the amount of emotion (in particular anger) I could feel for a character that is never officially introduced - Stephen's grandfather. Bravo Jeff Hirsch. Bravo.
For me, one of the key themes of The Eleventh Plague was responsibility. Stephen's responsibility to his father and their survival, the responsibility of the community to take care of one another, the responsibility to be a better person than the world around you expects you to be. I think this was an incredibly interesting approach to this story, and it really made me take pause and think about what was going on, and how I would react in similar situations.
Final recommendations: A brilliantly executed book. One that I recommended strongly to both male and female teens AND fans of The Hunger Games.
Notes on the Audio
Dan Bittner did a fantastic job with this book. All the voices were clear and easy to understand. Everyone sounded like the right age - which is pretty impressive considering there is a huge range of ages in this book, from young teenagers, right up to senior citizens. He also nailed the energy needed for this story. He was subdued when needed, and exciting and/or anxious when the tone would fluctuate. I would happily listen to his narration again.
mckinlay's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok but those making comparisons to the Hunger Games should stfu. it's nowhere near as good.
sillydog43's review against another edition
3.0
Very deep. It seems like jeff knew exactly what would happen when the world came to an end. Well done.
britpuck's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly bought this book for the cover. As we all know, I'm a huge fan of YA Dystopian novels. I just really, really like the "this could possibly happen in the future" type of books. They seem so much more real to me than fantasy type stuff.
This was a really, really easy read. Very short (278 pages) and I finished it in about 3 hours (while working). I only rated this book 2 stars on Goodreads simply because the whole book was a build up to a one chapter ending. The book follows what happens after the United States is taken over by another country and a wide spread flu virus kills most of the population. People prefer to roam instead of settling because you just can't trust anyone anymore. The characters were all developed pretty well. We see what it's like for a boy to roam his entire life and then be thrust into "civilized" living after an accident with his father. Will he decide to stay and create a new life, or go back to the only thing he knows and feels comfortable with?
This book is definitely targeted toward a younger audience, but it's worth a couple hours of your time. Had it been a little longer and had it dived more deeply into what happened to everyone else I would have easily given it 3 or 4 stars.
This was a really, really easy read. Very short (278 pages) and I finished it in about 3 hours (while working). I only rated this book 2 stars on Goodreads simply because the whole book was a build up to a one chapter ending. The book follows what happens after the United States is taken over by another country and a wide spread flu virus kills most of the population. People prefer to roam instead of settling because you just can't trust anyone anymore. The characters were all developed pretty well. We see what it's like for a boy to roam his entire life and then be thrust into "civilized" living after an accident with his father. Will he decide to stay and create a new life, or go back to the only thing he knows and feels comfortable with?
This book is definitely targeted toward a younger audience, but it's worth a couple hours of your time. Had it been a little longer and had it dived more deeply into what happened to everyone else I would have easily given it 3 or 4 stars.
ambi925's review against another edition
3.0
I give this book 3.5 stars. I loved that the story focused around a young boy where as most books i read have been female charcaters. Of course there was a strong young female also. I thought I read this is going to have a sequel.... not sure how the story didnt leave much to create a good second book.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
3.0
This book has been very popular in my classroom, and my boys have been nagging me to read it for quite some time. It is a futuristic novel that takes place in a time after a massive plague. The world is in ruins, and Steven travels with his father, attempting to avoid other scavengers, mercenaries, or slavers. I would rate it 3.5 stars, as I found sections to be unrealistic and coincidental. However, the story is very engaging and fast-paced, which will appeal to readers.