Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jul.14, 2007, under Battle of the Books 2007, Real life, Sam's Reviews, Thriller, YRCA
Who would like this book? Teens who like a fast-paced thriller set in contemporary New York involving some unsuspecting teenagers. It’s a good “it could happen to you” book.
Why? Mitty is a 17-year-old slacker whose only motivation comes from his interest in Olivia, a studious and beautiful young woman. When they receive a research assignment on infectious diseases in their advanced biology class, Mitty gets a very slow start and ends up needing to use some books from a century-old collection that his mom had purchased to use in her home decorating business. Mitty not only finds a volume on his chosen topic, smallpox, he finds an envelope marked “smallpox scabs” within its pages. Of course, he opens it and breathes in the dust. As he begins to suspect that he might have endangered himself and others, he plunges into research into smallpox, research that has unintended consequences and that pushes the climax in an unexpected direction. Don’t miss the way Mitty writes. He has a great slacker-style approach to avoiding plagiarism.
The details: 195 p. 2005
