| Even under the most normal circumstances, high school can be a painful and confusing time. Unfortunately, Lilianas circumstances are anything but normal. Only a few people know what caused her sudden change from model student to the withdrawn, doomsayer she has become, but her situation isnt about to get any better. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lilianas worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreakher father in D.C. covering the early stages of the disease and her mother in Hong Kong and unable to get a flight back to New JerseyLilianas town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread illness and fatal disaster. Now, shes more alone than shes been since the incident at her school months ago.With friends and neighbors dying all around her, Liliana does everything she can just to survive. But as the disease rages on, so does an unexpected tension as Liliana is torn between an old ex and a new romantic interest. Just when it all seems too much, her living nightmare comes flooding back. Will Liliana survive the outbreak and overcome her personal demons? In this thrilling debut novel from author Yvonne Ventresca, you will follow Liliana to the brink of humanity and her own sanity. But theres no telling if youll make it through alive.Contemporary fiction for teens (ages 13 to 17) is growing in popularity, and parents, teachers, and librarians will find that Pandemic is a solid addition to this growing genre. Liliana is a relatable teen character who is struggling with real-life issues: friendship, identity crisis, sexual abuse, fear of death, etc. And her coming-of-age tale amid this very real-life threat is sure to resonate with teens (and even adults) interested in contemporary fiction. While the primary audience will be teenage girls, teenage boys may also be drawn to the book with its bleak plot, the realistic boy secondary characters, and the similarities between this and the movie Contagion. |
