PLAGUE- MICHAEL GRANT
Plague is the fourth book in the series Gone by Michael Grant, and in my opinion, this was the most entertaining book in the series. From the titles of the books in the series, (Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plague, Fear and Light) one would definitely think that the series is really depressing, from kids dying in every chapter because of famine and battle, but in Plague, a new epidemic has caused a conflict to a whole other level. Now they’re being killed off not from guns or powers, but from the old fashioned way; plague. Normally, today in society in the U.S., we have medicine to cure ourselves so kids these days don’t usually get life threatening illnesses. However, in the FAYZ the kids are just kids and they don’t have anymore medicine, no doctors, no way to get more, no way to get help. And since it’s the FAYZ, under the dome, everything is 10 times worse. The dome has caused mutations; in the beginning it was on the kids, letting some have special supernatural powers, but it also morphed animals, to talking giant coyotes, flying snakes, man eating worms, and blue water bats. That also means there are supernatural sicknesses, infections, and parasites, as described in the book.
Luckily for all the readers reading the book, it’s only a book and the best description is only words. If we saw pictures or a movie/TV show of what happened in the book, we’ll all have nightmares. From just hearing about it doesn’t let us know how exactly it is like, since some of the sicknesses are not real, but if you’re like me, you still look up the things that ARE real. Just from reading the book made me lose my appetite, but actually reading more into description with pictures… made me literally want to throw up. The person reading this is probably wondering, what exactly are the things described in those 492 pages…? Or maybe you’re sane enough that you DON’T want to know.
I think that everyone knew there was going to be plague in the next step. All the germs spreading around, from what was going on, obviously spread some kind of deadly illness. The first epidemic mentioned was a contagious flu that caused the victim to have seriously high fevers, coughing spasms, and then in the end, right before they die, they coughed up blood and their own lungs. That one was a made up illness, but the real inflammation that causes reader to feel numb inside, just like if they were one of the victims of it, is worse, and it’s real. It’s not a disease, but more like an infection if you got bitten, or as it says in the book, sprayed on. One of the mutated animals the dome created was a giant wasp. Many people do not know this, since few people look up things like this, but in real life there are parasitic wasps that prey on caterpillars. The unlucky caterpillar will get injected by a female wasp, who lays her eggs inside of it. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the caterpillar from inside out as their first food source.
The mutations in the dome don’t just make the wasps humongous, but they also turn them to prey on humans instead of caterpillars. In the way Grant describes the grotesque details that happen, you can not stop reading. Unless you throw up in the process, but if you have a strong stomach, then you won’t stop reading. “Hunter’s entire body writhed and squirmed. The side of his head was partly gone. A creature, like some monstrous melding of insect and eel, protruded from Hunter’s shoulder and as they stood there rooted in horror it took a vicious bite of Hunter’s flesh... The insectlike creature was almost completely emerged from Hunter’s shoulder. Legs were becoming visible. It had wings folded against its body. It looked like a gigantic ant, or wasp, but silver and brass and covered with a sheen of slime. It was emerging like a chicken breaking out of an egg. Being born. And as the creature was born, it fed on Hunter’s numbed body. Jerky movements beneath Hunter’s shirt testified to more of the larvae emerging.”
Yeah. I know. And the whole book's full of that. ^.^ This isn't a horror book. I hate horror. But it's sooo interesting and addicting! I don't know why! I know I'll be grossed out, but then I still read it to entertain myself of how gross it is...? weird... idk. some people are so confusing these days. *sigh*
As always, for school. ya.
-Caroline
