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A Plague Year

3.06 of 5 stars 3.06 · rating details · 169 ratings · 43 reviews

It's 2001 and zombies have taken over Tom's town. Meth zombies. The drug rips through Blackwater, PA, with a ferocity and a velocity that overwhelms everyone.

It starts small, with petty thefts of cleaning supplies and Sudafed from the supermarket where Tom works. But by year's end there will be ruined, hollow people on every street corner. Meth will unmake the lives of fri...more

Hardcover, 305 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

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Mar 27, 2013 Alex Templeton rated it 2 of 5 stars

I just don't really get Edward Bloor. His books are so hit-or-miss with me. I loved loved "Tangerine" and Crusader", found "Story Time" amusing but not as good, was kinda disappointed by "London Calling", and thought "Taken" was pretty cool, and altogether was really puzzled by this book. It purported to be about a year in which meth took over a community, but that remained in the background as the protagonist dealt with 9/11 fallout, crushed on a egotistical and elitist girl, and attended a var...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Beverly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: 14-16 year olds

Recommended to Beverly by: YALSA

A Plague Year had so much potential to be a powerful realistic story of a poor mining town destroyed by meth. I was hoping for a rural YA version of the must read classic David Simon book The Corner. (The book that became the basis of the HBO series The Wire.) Instead it is another disappointment from one of my favorite YA authors. The destruction of families is mentioned only superficially in a couple of conversations. The neglect and abuse of children by their addict parents is absent complete...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Tom Coleman’s dad works very hard as the manager of the Food Mart in town. He always seems to be hustling in and out of the store, and this one morning his father runs in once again telling Tom he will be right out to take him to school. Tom waits in the van in the parking lot, and decides to use the extra time to study. As he sits there, Bobby Smalls pulls into the parking lot and almost races to the door. Bobby is one of those “perfect workers” who’s dedicated, always on time, and makes the Fo...more Tom Coleman’s dad works very hard as the manager of the Food Mart in town. He always seems to be hustling in and out of the store, and this one morning his father runs in once again telling Tom he will be right out to take him to school. Tom waits in the van in the parking lot, and decides to use the extra time to study. As he sits there, Bobby Smalls pulls into the parking lot and almost races to the door. Bobby is one of those “perfect workers” who’s dedicated, always on time, and makes the Food Mart his life.

What Tom Coleman doesn’t expect is the truck that pulls in, backs up to the store, and a man exiting the vehicle with a compound bow in his hand. It’s almost as if Tom is suddenly stuck in some ‘big screen’ war movie instead of the normal, everyday life he always lives. But this is no movie; the men in this truck are there to do some serious damage. Without thinking, Tom begins to beep the horn to warn his dad inside the store. Then, he guns the engine of the van and races toward the evil-doers, trying to save both Bobby Smalls and his father from getting killed. Thankfully, he does. But that is nowhere near the end of what is about to take on Tom’s town; there is a plague that is about to begin, and that plague has a name - meth.

Tom Coleman is a boy who seriously just wants a normal life. Get through school, go off to college, and deal with his sister, Lily, who seems to be headed in a much darker direction than she should be going in. Listening to Lily and his mother fight constantly about the counseling program that Mom says she needs to be in because Lily took a ‘hit’ off a joint, is just one of the events that seems to be happening daily. But normalcy soon turns into a war - in Tom’s own house, as well as outside the walls.

The zombies in this novel are quite different from the ‘fantastical’ creatures that many authors put in their ‘horror’ or ‘sci-fi’ stories. These zombies, with their red eyes, rotted teeth, and pasty skin - are creatures who are very real, and some even look like your neighbors and friends. Things are being stolen, odd chemicals are being purchased at the Food Mart, explosions are taking out houses, and people are beating each other to death to get the main ingredient that they have to have in order to survive. There is nothing Tom wants more than to leave his now disgusting town and turn his back on the creatures that are going to eventually tear he and his family apart. But as Tom showed with his first heroic save, he will NOT go quietly. Tom Coleman is prepared to fight this plague until his final day.

Exciting is not really the word to use here. Reality is. This author has brought to all YA’s (and adults) the very real plague that is happening on all of our streets right this second. Although the characters and plot are certainly right on the money, this is definitely not an entertaining ride or a thrills and chills YA novel - THIS is truth.

A good book that is ultimately an educational text that should be used in high schools across the country; not an entertaining YA novel.

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Sep 30, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, I thought I would be very interested in this book because of it's content. The area that I live in is very small as well and is also dealing with a huge Meth crisis. My husband is a deputy for the Sheriff's Dept. and sees it every day. I've seen the pictures and have even known some current meth users and some recovering meth users. However, I was not looking for a book that lectured you on the use of meth. Unfortunately, this one did just that.

Tom lives in a small town in PA. His journal...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was well written and the characters were well thought out and executed, but this story was not I thought. I was really enjoying the book in the beginning and all the way through to page 200, when I realized that it wasn't going to pick up. That nothing exciting was going to happen. That is when I became disappointed in it.

The story is about how Meth takes over a small Pennslyvania town, and the kids in the local HS are learning about it through one of their classes, in addition to the...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, realistic-fiction, teen-fiction

Tom's story begins on September 10th, 2001. This is the first day he and his sister Lilly join their after-school drug counseling group at the behest of their parents, who feel that both kids are genetically predisposed to addiction. The topic on everyone's mind at the meeting is the appearance of meth in their small Pennsylvania community. The next day, the planes crash in New York, DC and in a field near Tom's town. Bolstered by his English teacher, Tom begins a journal of the events that take...more Tom's story begins on September 10th, 2001. This is the first day he and his sister Lilly join their after-school drug counseling group at the behest of their parents, who feel that both kids are genetically predisposed to addiction. The topic on everyone's mind at the meeting is the appearance of meth in their small Pennsylvania community. The next day, the planes crash in New York, DC and in a field near Tom's town. Bolstered by his English teacher, Tom begins a journal of the events that take place in the year following 9/11. The year has been described as a "plague year", similar to those throughout history. The plague this time is meth. Tom is seeing the evidence of it everywhere in his town, from the the rash of thefts at his father's grocery store, to the number of "meth zombies" walking the streets. Tom, his cousin and his sister continue to remain die-hard members of the drug counseling group and strive to find ways to help fight the plague that has pervaded their town.
It's an interesting story, particularly since it is juxtaposed against the tragedy of 9/11. What 9/11 has to do with the overall storyline, however, is still unclear to me. Triggers for using drugs are discussed and 9/11 is mentioned as an event that could be a trigger, but it is also clear that meth has already invaded rural Pennsylvania. As the story continues, the theme of 9/11 fades into the past as Tom watches his town sink into ruin. The counseling group serves a device to explain the drug itself, but becomes a strange source of tension when the counselor's PhD husband is exposed as a pot-smoker. I can't help but be a little confused at the two drugs being discussed as though they were on the same level. I understand the kids being upset at potential hypocrisy, but meth is so much worse than any plant-based drug and so addictive/deadly that comparing it to pot might lead some kids to assume one is as bad as the other (or, conversely, that if one isn't that bad, then the other likely isn't either). These details make the book feel less cohesive and more naive. The emphasis and then loss of the 9/11 theme feels disjointed and potentially unnecessary, except for proximity (both in time and place). I wanted so much more for this book, but it ultimately had too many flaws for me.(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Sydney rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: worst-books-ever-written

Disappointment is not a strong enough word to describe this book. There is no character development, plot climax, or resolution. Every single character is half way developed and I will never read another Edward Bloor book again, this was an awful book. I was looking forward to an edgy story about a town taken over by meth... This was not the case. For one, Tom doesn't even have friends who use meth, he has a few acquaintances - and I hate how he compares the mom's pill addiction to an eating dis...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

"A dead human being is worthless, no matter who you were just half an hour before. You can't ever do anything for anybody, ever again."

―Mr. Coleman, A Plague Year, PP. 168-169

Here is a story that contains most of the standard elements of Edward Bloor's great works of fiction: a small town as the setting, a modest family business in which the main teenaged character puts in significant hours for little or no practical pay, the rise of an insidious social problem that slowly takes over everythi...more

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May 24, 2012 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy, dysfunctional, historical

Post-9/11 the world is becoming overrun with "zombies" which are really just drug-addicted, specifically meth-addicted people who are becoming more desperate to seek the drug and do dangerous things. Scenes within the book include a hold-up at Tom's father's grocery store in which Tom becomes a hero and as the story continues more people are stealing and Tom is attending drug counseling with his formerly addicted sister. The topic seemed interesting, drugs abusers as the next plague, but it wasn...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Spencer rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 1666, bubonic plague decimated Europe, specifically England and the town of Eyam, who found that all of its inhabitants could die. The townsfolk knew that the plague could, and probably would kill them, but they could try to run. Even with this option, they stayed in the infected town, noting that if an infected escaped with them, they would be responsible for killing thousands more. The townspeople of Eyam sacrificed themselves, even though they could have lived, for the better of mankind.

Ro...more

In 1666, bubonic plague decimated Europe, specifically England and the town of Eyam, who found that all of its inhabitants could die. The townsfolk knew that the plague could, and probably would kill them, but they could try to run. Even with this option, they stayed in the infected town, noting that if an infected escaped with them, they would be responsible for killing thousands more. The townspeople of Eyam sacrificed themselves, even though they could have lived, for the better of mankind.

Roses of Eyam, is a play by Don Taylor, read within A Plague Year. Even though this play is around 350 years old, towns today face a similar problem, meth. In Edward Bloor’s fictional novel (published 9/13/11), is about a 14 year-old boy, Tom Coleman, and his journal of the modern day plague in Blackwater, Pennsylvania.

The book starts off in 2011, with Tom in 9th grade at a local high school. Suddenly everything changes with the events of 9/11. The town’s inhabitants start using the stimulant meth. Due to recent events, Tom and his sister Lily are pushed into a drug-counseling group. They are educated more on the subject of drugs, and along with other group members, try to fight back. These meth “zombies” cause chaos: stealing from the Coleman’s Food Giant, getting arrested, kids skipping school, people dying, and even a hold-up and shooting. These “zombies” I am referring to are the meth-addicts; the drug causes the overall appearance and mental capabilities of a zombie, minus the need for brains. Tom meanwhile, pursues his first crush, and starts standing up for himself and his beliefs, with the help of his large cousin Arthur. After a series of depressing events, such as the weakness and cheating of his girlfriend, and the deaths of a family member and a friend, Tom and the reader start to wonder if he can survive this plague year.

This generally good book does have its set of disappointments too. The book starts off pretty slow, and until 9/11 the only reason I kept reading was because I had to. The main character, Tom also has a lot of problems, such as his relationships, and actions. Tom’s relationships take very abrupt turns, and some seem to even be forgotten. For example, Tom’s relationship with the Stokes is very odd, a family consisting of Aunt Robin, Uncle Jimmy, Warren, and Arthur. They seem to have just met, even though the Stokes live 10 minutes away, and have been said to have interacted before at holidays and other events.

Even with those problems, this book is great, especially for kids between the ages of 12-15. The book, while being remarkably similar to 9th grade, constantly keeps you on your toes with action, a lot of the time so interesting you need to reread to make sure you got it right. Some examples of this would be the effects of meth: deaths, stealing, shootings. The craftsmanship of the author, Edward Bloor, is also superb, and perfect for the intended audience. His use of various literary devices exemplifies his craftsmanship, such as hidden foreshadowing with the English class, and the symbolism all over the book, with multiple layers. Bloor also beautifully intertwines the plots of Don Taylor’s Roses of Eyam, a book read within A Plague Year, with the main plot of Tom’s Blackwater experience, and other various subplots, such as Tom’s love life, and other books. Overall the book is amazing, even I a literate, but mostly non-reading person, did not want to put the book down.
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Sep 18, 2011 Rene Kirkpatrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really couldn't put this down. there's something compelling about stories about people in crisis. I don't think he really pulled the connections together as tightly as he could have but it was interesting: He uses an English class studying the bubonic plague to show how meth addiction in this little Pennsylvania town has exploded exponentially. How the community is reacting to it or embracing it. There are a lot of issues in the book, townie versus country, 9/11, drug addiction, hypocritical t...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Kelly Bryson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Tom's in the middle of a plague and he doesn't see the signs. Crazy, stupid thefts are occuring, Sudafed and ammonia are disappearing off the shelves. Nobody in Tom's hopeless PA coal town really cares except a group of kids in a drug counseling group.

I appreciated the parallels between the bubonic plague and meth use, and have put "Diary of a Plague Year" on my tbr list.

However...I found this book rather preachy and felt the characters existed mainly to highlight that meth is bad, very bad an...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Cassy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-2012, ya-lit, problem-novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ok, so, don't get me wrong. I REALLY like Edward Bloor. Tangerine was a great book and, while StoryTime wasn't my most favorite, I still enjoyed it. But A Plague Year was just so poorly executed, I couldn't even stand it half the time.

First off, when you're writing a book about Meth and the effect that it has, you should never lecture. All through this book I felt as if I was being preached to by Bloor. I mean, it seemed as if EVERY class that Tom took was talking about Meth. And then they were...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Until I looked up the author’s website I could not recall why on earth I borrowed this book. Oh yeah: he wrote Tangerine a book often on must-read lists and a title discussed a good deal in library school.

This one was just not for me. I was not fond of the writing style which, I guess, was in the voice of the 9th grader who wrote it but it seemed so stilted and rocky.

However, if parents are looking for a milder book about drugs, its effects, and drug addiction, then this is a good title to give...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Tina Lowen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, juvenile-tweens

I actually liked this title, but I'm giving it three stars mostly because I believe there simply could have been "more." The plot could have been slightly more developed, the characters more fully realized, etc. However, I would recommend it to young people. I think that many young people would not find the same faults with it that I do. I'm even comfortable with it for 7th and 8th graders, which is astounding, because most books about drugs in today's YA market, especially those about meth, are...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Lynx rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, this book was not what I had expected. I had been hoping for something with a little more action. However, as I read the book it started to grow on me. It started as a book where I was just waiting and waiting for something good to happen. Halfway through, I realized that wasn't going to happen; but by then there was no way I could put it down! Honestly, once that Wendy girl was barely in the book I thought it was a million times better. Seriously hated that character. Other than Wendy and...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Mary Farrell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Edward, I'm so disappointed! I loved Tangerine! I loved London Calling! I think you did a good job characterizing a seventh grade boy, but the story was too preachy. The bubonic plague connection with meth was a nice, but over-done touch. I appreciated the plight of kids in a small town where the economy has crumbled and there is little future, but I was disappointed in how the good kids became do-gooders and the bad kid got into meth. Arthur seems to me to be a wonderful character who didn't qu...more

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May 11, 2013 Claire Nichols rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t really like the book A Plague Year. It was very confusing and I felt like it took a very long time to get to the point. The book was supposedly about a town where everyone started using meth and they all turned into “meth zombies” except for a couple people, and they would have to figure out how to take care of these people and help those few survivors to stop using meth. However, the book had many twists and told many separate stories. For instance, when the main character Tom went to...more

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May 15, 2012 Lillian rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Ellen Hopkins, and books like that

Read this one really fast! :) Really good, although I wished there could have been a bit more character development, and actually shown/ better described the effects of meth, rather than just refering to the meth heads as "zombies". The scene at the end with the trailer was definetly my favorite part of the whole book, but I also like the 9/11 and coal mining subplots, and how the books they were reading in English tied in to the actually story itself, that was cool.

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Aug 03, 2012 Kellie rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book tried very hard to make the similarities of meth and other plagues known. I learned some things while I read, and the characters were fairly good. All the same, I just didn't feel much about the plot. It was well-written, but some parts were unrealistic--such as the fact that every school-aged character went to substance abuse counseling, regardless of if they abused or not. Still, it was pretty good, historical facts mixed in with fiction.

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Sep 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Drugs are bad, mmmkay?

Read as an ARC from ALA. Painfully didactic, stilted dialogue. I picked it up because I loved Tangerine, but this was as simplistic as it gets. Also, while I recognize that the goal is to keep kids off drugs, I found the conflation of meth cooking/use with pot use to be a little...well, overblown. One of these things is not like the other. The zombie tie-in was also pretty awkward.

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Mar 24, 2012 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bloor's adolescent male characters are engaging and real for me because they are rarely stereotypical. The troublemakers are passionate believers in good; the studious and obedient make gloriously bad choices and get in trouble. And I like how he explores the father-son relationship (or lack of one). I am speaking generally of the Bloor books I've read as well as this one.

Oh how I wish that teachers could take this approach in school! What better way to make the plague of Europe, the black death...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: yyay

This is a retroactively-journaled novel! I kind of like it better than the usual journal format, which sometimes leads to too much blitheness in the narrative tone. More hindsight is necessary here.

The theme of this book could not be accused of subtlety but I still found it believable for the most part. Except for the kindness of so many high school students - not that all of them are overwhelmingly kind--in fact, the mean ones are very mean. But the idea of so many kids going to a voluntary dru...more

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May 30, 2011 Laura Gardner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, scary, ya

Terrifying! I loved this gritty look at meth's effects on a small town. Tough to read at times, but very honest and ultimately hopeful.

Tom is a good kid. He's a hard-working student who wants out of his small town in PA. His nose is always in a PSAT study book and he works for his father in the local Food Giant for free. This book is about the year when the meth zombies infiltrate his town.

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Dec 08, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-books

I find Bloor's books interesting (Tangerine, London Calling).

This takes on the meth drug problem in a small community set against
the backdrop of 9/11 and the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

Realistic fiction but perhaps a bit unrealized with less surprise than other Bloor novels.

Still tells a powerful story.

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Sep 17, 2011 Jamie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

I had the opportunity to read this book as part of Princess Bookie's ARC Tours and I thought that the premise was really interesting. Then the book arrived and I started reading. It did not take me long to figure out that this book was not for me. I wasn't really able to connect with the characters and I thought that the dialogue was pretty choppy. I didn't really get comparing drug addicts to zombies either. Overall, I think that the author has a very good premise on his hands but in my opinion...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-realistic, addiction

I really like Edward Bloor, and A Plague Year is a strong "problem" novel about a PA community facing the meth epidemic. Tom's family tries to stay strong, but it has its own very believable troubles. I liked that Tom and his family were not "perfect."

and it's my 200 book for 2011!!

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Nov 09, 2011 Carrie Shaurette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

What do 9/11, the bubonic plague, methamphetamine drug use, and zombies all have in common? While some of the connections seem forced and kids may find A Plague Year to be too didactic, Bloor nonetheless creates a thoughtful story of what happens when drug use invades a small Pennsylvanian town.

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Jun 10, 2012 Suzi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've become somewhat of an Edward Bloor fan. I think his writing style is rather dry, but he seems to have an interesting insight into youth experience and his books always leave me with something to think about.

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Mar 18, 2012 Irene Imboden rated it 2 of 5 stars

I didn't love it. I kept waiting for something to happen. I noticed I was on page 137 and still reading exposition. There are many books out there on drug use and abuse. This would be low on my recommend list.

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About Edward Bloor

Edward (William) Bloor

Personal Information: Born October 12, 1950, in Trenton, NJ; son of Edward William and Mary (Cowley) Bloor; married Pamela Dixon (a teacher), August 4, 1984. Father to a daughter and a son. Education: Fordham University, B.A., 1973.

Career: Novelist and editor. English teacher in Florida public high schools, 1983-86; Harcourt Brace School Publishers, Orlando, FL, senior editor...more

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