When a deadly disease strikes the already war-torn America, the country goes into shambles. For fifteen-year-old Stephen who was born years after the war and plague, salvaging and surviving is all he’s ever known. But when his grandfather passes away and his father falls into a coma, Stephen finds himself alone. And to Stephen, being alone is way more terrifying than living in a post-apocalyptic world.

Although there aren’t any flesh-eating monsters in The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch, the setting of the novel is the perfect place for a zombie-apocalypse. I’m relieved Hirsch didn’t incorporate any sci-fi elements to the story though. Otherwise, it’d draw attention away from some major themes and amazing characters.

Meet Stephen. Your typical defiant teenager who (unsurprisingly) disagrees with most of his father’s decisions. Stephen respects his dad for being the “moral compass” of the group, but he knows that their acts of kindness come at a price. It’s difficult to trust people in this new anarchic world. Stephen’s grandfather constantly reminded him of this. Even after his grandfather’s death, Stephen could still hear his grandfather’s voice in the back of his head telling him to do what he has to do to survive. His father tells him that they must always do the right thing despite the risks. So when his father goes into a coma, Stephen battles with his subconscious: preserving his humanity and doing the right thing, or playing by the new rules of the war-torn land.

Then there’s Jenny. The protagonist’s love interest who, for once, isn’t an annoying Mary-Sue character. Jenny is reckless and flawed, but all the more relatable. For many reasons, her race being one of them, Jenny feels isolated in the little community of Settler’s Landing. She bonds with Stephen, an outsider and new arrival to Settler’s Landing, who understands her better than the ignorant people that’ve been living inside the safe walls of the community all their lives.

Hirsch tackles multiple themes in The Eleventh Plague. Friendship, bravery, tolerance, selflessness… I can’t list them all! He shows us how little mistakes and decisions can turn into catastrophes (Jenny and Stephen pull a prank that goes horribly, horribly wrong) and teaches us to really think before we act. Hirsch gets the readers thinking about how we can prevent any sort of spark in this metaphorical “Powder Keg.” Take that for your ordinary post-apocalyptic novel.

IT’S BETTER THAN THE MAZE RUNNER. And, trust me, that’s really saying something.

The Eleventh Plague is an easy read worth eleven AR points.