Plague Year

Rating:
Summary: first half good - second half bad
Review: A new boy, Bran Slocum was different. He had a secret and when everyone found out about it, it got bad. Stephanie Tolan described everyone and the plot very well, but I just did not get into this book. I don't think this book was very realistic because people didn't act that way then. If this was set back in the 50's it would of been perfect time period. This book had me thinking at the beginning, but towards the middle it went bad.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book for Sensitive
Review: I think the book was a good book, but I'm sensitive. If you don't care about anyone this isn't a good book for you. If you do care this book is great. Bran is different and every one judges him on his appearence and doesn't get to know him. It makes you think about they way people are treated. It has very bad stereo types. Nick(the bully)is a typical jock and Kristin(the girlfreind)is a typical cheerleader. It judges the people from their appearecces and careers.

Rating:
Summary: : (
Review: I thought the characters in this book were somewhat unrealistic. First, there was the big mean football jock(nick), then there was the ditsy cheerleader(kristin), the kid everyone picks on(bran), and the guy that's just kind of stuck in the middle(david). The teasing and taunting went a bit too far in the beginning, it was good to incorperate it into the story, but there was too much of it. I think it took the book from realistic fiction to dumb fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Pick Another To Read......
Review: In real life things like this happen. A new kid who everyone thinks is weird is judged as soon as he is moved to a new town to get away from his problems. No one likes him because of the way he dresses, the way he wears his hair, and even his earring. From the first day he was at his new school he was judged, stereotyped, and even tormented. The "popular" kids did not like him because of the way he felt most comfortable with himself. But he refused to change just to fit in. A girl whom befriends Bran with no questions asked, finds out who Bran really is and tries to get her bestfriend to like him his also. David also begins to like Bran, but its was too late to help him. Everyone can relate to at least one character in tis book. Whether it be the cheerleader, outcast, the wannabe, or the sympathetic "geek". Because each one of us goes through something like this in our everyday life, it just sometimes does not get this bad. And I believe the author is trying to show us what happens and for us to try and prevent this from happening.

Rating:
Summary: Not Worth Reading
Review: The Plague Year by Stephanie Tolan is one of those every day stories about people being picked on for the way they look. Its all about a new boy at school and he looks different than every one else. But behind the way he looks, he has secret. This secret is to never be known by anyone. And when if it gets out, it could ruin his life forever. A young boy by the name of Bran starts school in a new city, soon to find out the people in ridgewood are not going to like him....at all. Bran is a "still" charactor and does not like to talk to anyone, untill he meets a girl named Molly who will befreind him. Stephanie tries to get the theme across that you should try to be an individual, but in my opinion she is almost telling you to be like every one else so you dont get picked on. I did not like this book to the least bit. It started to be goodstory but she Stephanie got her emotions to the story all mixed up.

Rating:
Summary: Stop the sterotyping!
Review: The plague year was an ok book. It had a good plot, and some of the characters were realalistic but than others were BIG stereotypes. The jock and the cheerleader were a big joke. High school isn't all about your pom-poms or footbfall jersy, but the other characters were realistic the outcast, the wanna be, the compasionate "geek". Every person could realate to them in some way. Your heart went out to them but then for the sterotypes, she made them hated, she forced the hatred on you she didn't give you a chance to figure out if you like them or not.She almost made you not like them. She needed to let you figure it out yourself. The book had a good theme and it mad you think about others and there feeling and how someone can affect the way they feel about themselves. You should read this book if you like stories that make you feel for someone.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: This book is an unrealistic account of a teenage boy who moves into small town America with a "secret". From the first few chapters of the book you can mostly assume, if you have any sense at all, what it is. Coming from only one point of view, you have no choice but to conform with the sympathetic way of thinking and the moral is forced on you. I will admit, this novel does have good intentions, but in the end it seems it was rushed and not thorough in it's depictions of an average high schooler's point of view.

Rating:
Summary: Great lessons, bad outcomes
Review: This book is great at teaching what can happen when bullying gets out of hand. Stephanie Tolan gave us a character named Bran who got picked on and teased just for being himself. She showed many things that bullies do to tantalize their victims. Bran had problems of his own at home. I think Stephanie brought these problems into action a little too soon. She should have shown more outcomes of the teasing. The ending wasn't all that great. I think she could have thought of little more deeply about an ending that would be a little more realistic. She made me realize that bullying can lead to very bad outcomes. This outcome isn't as likely to happen as other outcomes, though. The lesson was taught, but in a poor way.

Rating:
Summary: Good moral poorly written
Review: This is an interesting book. It raises many interesting points and questions. Stephany Tolan has a good message but she has written the book very poorly. Her charachters are very unrealistic and stereotypical. I found the message to be forced on you. She portrayed the situations to be very drastic very soon in the book which ruined it for me. I also found the book to be very predictable which made it quite boring.I found her attempts at suspense pitiful and very ineffective. I dont recommend this book to any serious reader.

Rating:
Summary: Scary - can this be you? Read and find out!
Review: When you read The Plague Year, many questions come to your mind - Have I done anything like this? Do I judge people because of their family? Do I listen to gossip and act before learning the truth? How would I feel if this were to happen to me? Stephanie Tolan raises those questions and more in her novel. Bran Slocum is an innocent boy whp eventually pays for the crimes of his father. Molly and David try to help him but do they succeed? This novel is indeed a "teaching" novel because you will learn many things about yourself, society, the media and about how others may view you. I highly recommend this book to all.