The Eleventh Plague

You may have noticed a theme in the books I read.  I certainly have.  They are all pretty "girly."  I almost never saddle up to a book that I would recommend to a boy, but The Eleventh Plague (watch the trailer here) on the other hand is a book that I would undoubtedly put in the hands of those guys out there.

The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch, tells the story of Stephen Quinn.  Stephen is a fifteen year old "salvager" who has lived the past several years with his hardened ex-Marine grandfather and his kind hearted fathers.  Stephen lives in a future America that has been ravaged by P11, a plague introduced by the Chinese after America entered a war with them.  As a salvager, Stephen has always traveled around collecting items to trade for things he needs.  But, when his grandfather dies, Stephen and his father make a few changes in their lives.

As a result of these changes, Stephen's father is horribly injured.   After the accident, Stephen finds a group of people who shockingly seems to want to help the Quinns.  Despite his instincts, Stephen does go with these people and accept their help. 

This group of people has somehow been able to survive P11 and create a community reminiscent of those before the plague.  There are real houses, schools, a doctor.  Stephen thinks this has to be too good to be true, and his wandering tendencies make him restless.  But then he meets Jenny.

Jenny is a Chinese-American girl.  This fact alone makes her an outsider because of the negative feelings about the Chinese after the war.  In addition, Jenny is determine not to fit in.  Jenny and Stephen get to know each other and realize they share more than they could have expected. 

Will they be able to stay in the idyllic Settler's Landing?  Do they believe that the neighboring Fort Leonard is really full of evil people waiting to strike?  Are they going to be able to adhere to the rules to enjoy these comforts of home?  Well, you'll need to check this one out.  Even if you're a boy!