SOLVED. PA book girl returns from camp to find the city in chaos. Friend owns costume shop and has gone insane. Full of abandoned buildings, looting and general mayhem. [s]

[Jeshhy]

I read a great book many years ago about a girl who comes back from camp to find the world in a Post Apocalyptic state. It is NOT Tomorrow when the war began. I cannot remember the details of the apocalyptic scenario, all I know is there is looting and general instanity breaking out.
I remember near the beginning she goes to her friends parents costume shop to find she is insane and spends her time dressing up in all the costumes.
Eventually she leaves her friend and ventures into the chaotic city, finding deserted shops and power crazied civilians. I remember little else as it was so long ago.

[Lindsey]

Your description kind of reminds me of Plague by Jean Ure.

Here is a review/description from Publishers Weekly:

"Fran returns from a wilderness trip to find London cut off from the rest of the world, besieged by a plague that has taken the lives of her parents and many of her friends. Once inside the city--a group of children show her a secret way to reenter--the only thing Fran knows for sure is that she must escape in order to survive. Stealing and scavenging for food, Fran nurses her friend Shahid miraculously back to health before she manages to cross the city's boundaries to an uncertain future. Gripped by the pall of disease, death and government conspiracy, Ure's tale must work hard to achieve a more hopeful plane. Fran's hard-won, stoic optimism at the book's end seems a faint cheer compared to the thunderous silence of the dead she leaves behind--and is sure to encounter ahead, as Ure suggests a global disaster has occurred. More chilling than thrilling, this frightening, thought-provoking novel grabs the reader's attention and holds tight until the last word."

Hope this is it! If not, you might try browsing through the books on Goodreads with the "Post Apocalyptic" tag to see if you recognize it.

http://www.goodreads.com/genres/post-...

[Jeshhy]

YES THATS IT! Thank you so much Iv been searching for this book for AGE! So glad I found this site. :D

[Lisa]

It looks as though there's a sequel too: After the Plague

[Rainbowheart]

Plague seems like it's come up a lot.