CODE ORANGE by Carolyn B Cooney
Mitty is a typical slacker high schooler with a crush on the school brainiac. Mitty and Olivia need to research a biology paper. Olivia chooses typhoid fever, Mitty chooses smallpox. In his research Mitty happens on old envelope that says it contains smallpox scabs. Mitty, of course, opens and then smells and crumbles the scabs. Is he infected? Will he infect others? Who else is interested in smallpox, a disease that no longer exists – or does it?
Mitty is well developed as is Olivia. The other characters are less well developed and are incidental to the plot. The plot is intricate and after a slow start is heart poundingly detailed. Good information on smallpox is given and is necessary for plot development. Teens will love this novel by a noted writer of YA books. Adults (and teens) will remember their high school days and identify with either Mitty or Olivia.
5 of 5 stars ( )

Pretty Good Book! Very Suspenseful. ( )

could have been great.... ( )

Cool YA fiction about a kid that finds a 100 year old medical envelope with small pox scabs in an old book while doing research- he sneezes...now there is a day by day count down until the incubation period ends and he is at risk for spreading this absolutely disgusting and terrifying disease to the millions and millions of people packed into every city block of Manhattan. I loved all of the gruesome descriptions of what happens to a person's body, as well as the 90's band references.

Takes place and was written soon after 9/11, so there are some reference there too. if you like any of these things in a book, you might like this one:
-medical history
-suspense
-grossness
-the '90s
-music
-romance stories with a 3rd wheel that is a jerk and hates the friend's -girlfriend.

Note to librarians: Great for any middle grades and lower High School just for fun. ( )

I like young adult books like this one. We have a well-defined character caught up in a straightforward, linear-progressing, problem. The story moves along well and is the kind that is not easily put down. I don't know that I particularly liked the ending, but there really wasn't any other direction to go with this one. Good book for teens in need of a summer read! ( )