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Code Orange
Walking around New York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He loved the city, and even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mitty was a carefree guy: he didn't worry about terrorists or blackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was late getting started on his Advanced Bio report.
Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something in if he doesn't, he'll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia's in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in his family's weekend house that focus on something he could write about.
But when he discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer about the grades: it's about life and death. His own.This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless.
Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something in if he doesn't, he'll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia's in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in his family's weekend house that focus on something he could write about.
But when he discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer about the grades: it's about life and death. His own.This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2005
301 people are currently reading
2,890 people want to read
About the author
Caroline B. Cooney
125Ìýbooks1,731ÌýfollowersCaroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. "He used to rip off covers from The New Yorker and pass them around and make us write a short story on whichever cover we got. I started writing then and never stopped!"
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
When her children were young, Caroline started writing books for young people -- with remarkable results. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. Suspense novels are her favorites to read and write. "In a suspense novel, you can count on action."
To keep her stories realistic, Caroline visits many schools outside of her area, learning more about teenagers all the time. She often organizes what she calls a "plotting game," in which students work together to create plots for stories. Caroline lives in Westbrook, Connecticut and when she's not writing she volunteers at a hospital, plays piano for the school musicals and daydreams!
- Scholastic.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 834 reviews
April 28, 2016
OK, so I had to read this for my Language Arts class and it's probably my least favorite book I've ever to read, so here I am. Writing a review about how much I just dislike this book. Grab some popcorn, because this may take a while.
Here's a basic summarization of the plot:
Mitty (Mitchell) Blake lives in Manhattan in an apartment with his parents. At first, the story starts outs probably like any ordinary young-adult, sci-fi/virus novel: A lazy teenage boy has a crush on the brainy and beautiful Olivia and has one other friend, Derek. Mitty goes to his family's country house for the weekend, finds an envelope with scabs from a smallpox patient/victim from the early 1900's in an old medical book, handles them, and then they go home. Since he has a biology paper that he has yet to start, he chooses smallpox as the virus that he's going to report about. He then starts to research the virus, and then realizes that *gasp*, what if the virus is still viable, and what if he gets infected?
Before I start, I do have some bias. I've never been really interested in sci-fi/virus/infection books in the first place, however, I believe that if a book is good, anyone could enjoy it.
But man, this book is just a wreck.
Let's start with the main character, Mitty, shall we?
Mitty (which is a really dumb nickname btw) is SO lazy. While sometimes relatable, Mitty is really annoying because most of the book is him indirectly relenting on and on about how he thinks school is a waste of time, he doesn't like to try, etc. There are pieces of his biology paper he is writing within the text. His teacher, Mr. Lynch, reads and PRAISES him for a paper that's actually poorly written for a high school student. There's a paragraph after a small passage from one his books he's using to write his paper that goes:
Yeah, I get it, he's a slacker, so his teacher kind of gives him a break because of that. But seriously? This guy is supposed to be 16, at least a sophomore if not a junior, and he writes papers like THAT and slacks off? Good Lord, why is this child in Advanced Biology?
Another detail that bothered me was that when the girls on the basketball team at his school apparently don't play well, he isn't surprised and he doesn't 'care' about women's sports in general. Isn't that sort of misogynistic of him...? I have no idea how he is supposed to be 'likable.'
Next, his two friends: Olivia, and Derek.
Derek is Derek. That's all I need to say. Super bland character, adds nothing to the text except he's Mitty's 'bro.' Meh.
Then, we have Olivia. She's bright, articulate, and by Mitty's standards, courageous (and really, really pretty). With this kind of character you'd think it would seemingly make up for the poor performance of the main character, right? Wrong. What I got from her character is that even with all her awesome qualities (which Mitty talks about a lot), she doesn't have the spotlight she deserves. Olivia, similar to Derek, is basically there for conversation and no real addition to the plot.
But, of course, there's an underlying romance.
At first I thought the crush Mitty had on Olivia was one-sided. There was literally little to no indication that Olivia felt the same way, and they talked to each other plantonically. Then at one point in the book, they go to the subway station together and just start holding hands out of no where. And prior to that, they never express of their own individual romantic fondness to each other. Huh?
To add to that, Caroline gives all the reasons that Mitty would adore Olivia, but what about Mitty? Why does Olivia like him? She starts to really get attached to him and I have to wonder why, because honestly. There is NOTHING endearing about Mitty. There is no reason a girl like her (or really any girl for that matter) should be involved with a guy like him, and that stresses me out so much. Olivia could've had a decent, well-thought out role, but she's just another romantic interest.
Now, girls can be wonderful and interesting characters while being the romantic interest. Romance subplots can be good if done correctly. However, the execution of this was really not good at all, and I'm honestly tired of authors coming up with a seemingly great female character but not giving her real substance. One of the only female characters in the book is pretty much reduced to someone that's hopelessly in love with the dumb, main male character. It's an utter shame. If you're going to include a romance subplot in a story, don't make it rushed, and allow your main female character to shine. It's not that hard.
...Another problem I have with this book is when Mitty gets abruptly kidnapped.
(What? Yeah, I know. I'm not too surprised it happened, though. The kid's a pea brain, what else would you expect?)
To sum it up, at one point he emails several people on the internet (including the CDC), questioning the viability of the smallpox virus being able to infect. (Question: Who even emails random people on the internet about this? Couldn't you just do a Google search? Ugh, whatever.)
Anyway, multiple people email him back asking for interviews, when he found the scabs, if they can have the scabs for testing, etc. etc. His email was even forwarded to the FBI for investigation. In general, most of the responses were calm, but some gave the indication that Mitty could possibly have smallpox. Naturally, he freaks out and even writes a letter to his parents explaining his problem, and talks about he may even have to die to save 'his' city (which is really cringe-worthy, to be honest).
Now, this is where it takes a turn...
A woman approaches him while he's walking. Says she's from the CDC, wants to test his blood for the possible virus. He reluctantly agrees. Next thing you know, he's strapped down in a cellar alone. He feels sick and believes it's from the smallpox virus getting to him. Eventually, he is freed from his duct tape prison, but he's still trapped. This is the most intense and probably the most well-written part of the book.
Except for the terrorists.
9/11 was only a few or so years ago when the book was set, and is referenced many times, so I guess it makes sense to throw some bio-terrorists in there to make the story 'exciting.' However, I felt that it was a tad racist. The terrorists were super stereotypical. If one of them had said, "We hate America and can't speak good English. We kill you. Ha ha ha!" I wouldn't have been at all surprised, that's how poorly they were written.
Here's an example:
One of the worst lines of dialogue I have ever seen. Caroline... why?
Also, to add to the list of reasons why these characters suck, all we know is that they want to use Mitty to infect NYC. That's it. No back-story, nothing. I believe New York being the location is suppose to be the 'reason' because of the high population. But then there are so many more unanswered questions: Why exactly did they chose New York, why did they want to use smallpox even though they're not 100% sure Mitty has the disease, and just... not completely revealing the motive for the villains when the story is crammed into one book is just really irresponsible. Don't leave your readers hanging. It's irritating.
Finally, later on in the book, the four super-evil terrorist bad guys (and woman) are killed by monoxide poisoning, and the narrator bluntly states, "Mitty Blake did not get smallpox."
Wow, what an underwhelming reveal!!
Since his jaw was badly damaged during his kidnapping, Mitty had to go the hospital, which is the setting of the ending. This is, word for word, how the book ends:
There it is!!! That horrible line!!! AGAIN!!!!
...So. Basically, I had to go through all of that and that's is the ending I get? Wow. I'm sad. This is my sad face because I'm sad :(
In conclusion, Code Orange has an interesting premise but is a huge letdown. The main character isn't likable, most of the story is boring and seems to coast along, the 'bad guys' are stereotypical, it takes 139 out of 195 pages to get to the main action, the ending is severely underwhelming, and you don't even find out how his paper/project went.
This book, for lack of a better term, is trash, and it's a real wonder that this actually got printed. The end.
PS. Sorry to Caroline... but seriously girl, you could've done so much better.
Here's a basic summarization of the plot:
Mitty (Mitchell) Blake lives in Manhattan in an apartment with his parents. At first, the story starts outs probably like any ordinary young-adult, sci-fi/virus novel: A lazy teenage boy has a crush on the brainy and beautiful Olivia and has one other friend, Derek. Mitty goes to his family's country house for the weekend, finds an envelope with scabs from a smallpox patient/victim from the early 1900's in an old medical book, handles them, and then they go home. Since he has a biology paper that he has yet to start, he chooses smallpox as the virus that he's going to report about. He then starts to research the virus, and then realizes that *gasp*, what if the virus is still viable, and what if he gets infected?
Before I start, I do have some bias. I've never been really interested in sci-fi/virus/infection books in the first place, however, I believe that if a book is good, anyone could enjoy it.
But man, this book is just a wreck.
Let's start with the main character, Mitty, shall we?
Mitty (
"If Mitty used language like that, Mr. Lynch would totally know he was copying. So Mitty wrote: If your country is run by bad guys or if you have gangs of bad guys who aren't running your country, but they're powerful, they might have smallpox even if their actual government claims they don't. And if your laboratory is second-rate, you could have smallpox around that you forgot about."
Yeah, I get it, he's a slacker, so his teacher kind of gives him a break because of that. But seriously? This guy is supposed to be 16, at least a sophomore if not a junior, and he writes papers like THAT and slacks off? Good Lord, why is this child in Advanced Biology?
Another detail that bothered me was that when the girls on the basketball team at his school apparently don't play well, he isn't surprised and he doesn't 'care' about women's sports in general. Isn't that sort of misogynistic of him...? I have no idea how he is supposed to be 'likable.'
Next, his two friends: Olivia, and Derek.
Derek is Derek. That's all I need to say. Super bland character, adds nothing to the text except he's Mitty's 'bro.' Meh.
Then, we have Olivia. She's bright, articulate, and by Mitty's standards, courageous (and really, really pretty). With this kind of character you'd think it would seemingly make up for the poor performance of the main character, right? Wrong. What I got from her character is that even with all her awesome qualities (which Mitty talks about a lot), she doesn't have the spotlight she deserves. Olivia, similar to Derek, is basically there for conversation and no real addition to the plot.
But, of course, there's an underlying romance.
At first I thought the crush Mitty had on Olivia was one-sided. There was literally little to no indication that Olivia felt the same way, and they talked to each other plantonically. Then at one point in the book, they go to the subway station together and just start holding hands out of no where. And prior to that, they never express of their own individual romantic fondness to each other. Huh?
To add to that, Caroline gives all the reasons that Mitty would adore Olivia, but what about Mitty? Why does Olivia like him? She starts to really get attached to him and I have to wonder why, because honestly. There is NOTHING endearing about Mitty. There is no reason a girl like her (or really any girl for that matter) should be involved with a guy like him, and that stresses me out so much. Olivia could've had a decent, well-thought out role, but she's just another romantic interest.
Now, girls can be wonderful and interesting characters while being the romantic interest. Romance subplots can be good if done correctly. However, the execution of this was really not good at all, and I'm honestly tired of authors coming up with a seemingly great female character but not giving her real substance. One of the only female characters in the book is pretty much reduced to someone that's hopelessly in love with the dumb, main male character. It's an utter shame. If you're going to include a romance subplot in a story, don't make it rushed, and allow your main female character to shine. It's not that hard.
...Another problem I have with this book is when Mitty gets abruptly kidnapped.
(What? Yeah, I know. I'm not too surprised it happened, though. The kid's a pea brain, what else would you expect?)
To sum it up, at one point he emails several people on the internet (including the CDC), questioning the viability of the smallpox virus being able to infect. (Question: Who even emails random people on the internet about this? Couldn't you just do a Google search? Ugh, whatever.)
Anyway, multiple people email him back asking for interviews, when he found the scabs, if they can have the scabs for testing, etc. etc. His email was even forwarded to the FBI for investigation. In general, most of the responses were calm, but some gave the indication that Mitty could possibly have smallpox. Naturally, he freaks out and even writes a letter to his parents explaining his problem, and talks about he may even have to die to save 'his' city (which is really cringe-worthy, to be honest).
Now, this is where it takes a turn...
A woman approaches him while he's walking. Says she's from the CDC, wants to test his blood for the possible virus. He reluctantly agrees. Next thing you know, he's strapped down in a cellar alone. He feels sick and believes it's from the smallpox virus getting to him. Eventually, he is freed from his duct tape prison, but he's still trapped. This is the most intense and probably the most well-written part of the book.
Except for the terrorists.
9/11 was only a few or so years ago when the book was set, and is referenced many times, so I guess it makes sense to throw some bio-terrorists in there to make the story 'exciting.' However, I felt that it was a tad racist. The terrorists were super stereotypical. If one of them had said, "We hate America and can't speak good English. We kill you. Ha ha ha!" I wouldn't have been at all surprised, that's how poorly they were written.
Here's an example:
"The men crept closer, hunched down, staring at Mitty as if deciding whether to use wasp spray or rat poison. Then the first guy straightened up. He jabbed his arm and closed fist at the ceiling as if he held a rifle. 'You will die,' he said to Mitty. It was the first thing he had said out loud. He had the same accent as the woman in brown. 'You will die. We,' he told Mitty, 'we will dance in the streets.'"
One of the worst lines of dialogue I have ever seen. Caroline... why?
Also, to add to the list of reasons why these characters suck, all we know is that they want to use Mitty to infect NYC. That's it. No back-story, nothing. I believe New York being the location is suppose to be the 'reason' because of the high population. But then there are so many more unanswered questions: Why exactly did they chose New York, why did they want to use smallpox even though they're not 100% sure Mitty has the disease, and just... not completely revealing the motive for the villains when the story is crammed into one book is just really irresponsible. Don't leave your readers hanging. It's irritating.
Finally, later on in the book, the four super-evil terrorist bad guys (and woman) are killed by monoxide poisoning, and the narrator bluntly states, "Mitty Blake did not get smallpox."
Wow, what an underwhelming reveal!!
Since his jaw was badly damaged during his kidnapping, Mitty had to go the hospital, which is the setting of the ending. This is, word for word, how the book ends:
"Mitty sat up in bed and looked out his window at New York City. He couldn't see much. It was kind of a boring view, actually. It could have been any city. But it's my city, thought Mitty Blake. And no bad guys are dancing in my streets."
There it is!!! That horrible line!!! AGAIN!!!!
...So. Basically, I had to go through all of that and that's is the ending I get? Wow. I'm sad. This is my sad face because I'm sad :(
In conclusion, Code Orange has an interesting premise but is a huge letdown. The main character isn't likable, most of the story is boring and seems to coast along, the 'bad guys' are stereotypical, it takes 139 out of 195 pages to get to the main action, the ending is severely underwhelming, and you don't even find out how his paper/project went.
This book, for lack of a better term, is trash, and it's a real wonder that this actually got printed. The end.
PS. Sorry to Caroline... but seriously girl, you could've done so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2008
This should have been the Indiana Young Hoosier winner for 2008. It has everything, mystery, suspense, gore, history....I love the fact that Cooney draws students into to this great story and then shows them the way to do research and the way NOT to do Research.
Mitty is a procrastinator and is the epitome of a bright student with a lack of motivation to do his work properly. His girlfriend is the opposite, she is a dedicated, driven student that does above and beyond what is required. She is an exceptional student and reminds me of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.
The pair are both in an advanced science class, in which the teacher assigns a research paper on an infectious disease. Mitty being the procrastinator that his is waits until the last minute to begin his research notes. The only book he can find on his topic is an antique from the 1900s that his mother has collected for one of her clients. The book turns out to have been owned by a doctor that was dealing with treating small pox. Mitty comes into contact with scabs that were preserved in the book.
An underlying component of this story deals with teens coping with living in New York after 9/11, dealing with the fear of other terrorist attacks. While I was somewhat annoyed with this, it was not didactic or moralistic. It didn't feel preachy or as if Cooney was trying to capitalize on the tragedy. This is probably due to the fact that she is a New Yorker.
There are so many talking points in this book that I feel it would make a great book for a 8th or 9th grade English Classes, or even science for that matter.
Mitty is a procrastinator and is the epitome of a bright student with a lack of motivation to do his work properly. His girlfriend is the opposite, she is a dedicated, driven student that does above and beyond what is required. She is an exceptional student and reminds me of Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.
The pair are both in an advanced science class, in which the teacher assigns a research paper on an infectious disease. Mitty being the procrastinator that his is waits until the last minute to begin his research notes. The only book he can find on his topic is an antique from the 1900s that his mother has collected for one of her clients. The book turns out to have been owned by a doctor that was dealing with treating small pox. Mitty comes into contact with scabs that were preserved in the book.
An underlying component of this story deals with teens coping with living in New York after 9/11, dealing with the fear of other terrorist attacks. While I was somewhat annoyed with this, it was not didactic or moralistic. It didn't feel preachy or as if Cooney was trying to capitalize on the tragedy. This is probably due to the fact that she is a New Yorker.
There are so many talking points in this book that I feel it would make a great book for a 8th or 9th grade English Classes, or even science for that matter.
June 11, 2014
This book might have been the most boring thing I have ever read in my life. This book was not for me at all, it might just be me, I might not get it but I honestly think this was the worst thing I've ever read in my life.
I rated this book a one, because it dragged on the whole time, I didn't know what was happening, and the author kept switching the story throughout the whole book. At first it wasn't that bad, but then I read the second chapter, and I cant explain the boredom I went through after that.
I rated this book a one, because it dragged on the whole time, I didn't know what was happening, and the author kept switching the story throughout the whole book. At first it wasn't that bad, but then I read the second chapter, and I cant explain the boredom I went through after that.
March 13, 2011
Elements and Style: Caroline uses great first perspective but in the book changes who it's coming from for a bit. It fits well with modern day time and creates a thick details to support main events. You have to pay attention to lots of little parts in the story. This story really was a great thriller and I just couldn't stop reading it.
Characterization: The starting of this book Caroline creates slacker for her main character and you don't find him interesting. But then later in the story when Mitty starts to think he has smallpox you can see that his character changing into a harder thinker and he becomes real interesting. By the end of the book I found that Mitty was a totally different character and someone I might want to be.
Plot: This book starts off with Mitty Blake a rich high school slacker procrastinating on a biology project on infectious diseases. So he starts looking for books on his topic which is smallpox and he finds an envelope with some old smallpox scabs that he touches and breaths in. The book then describes how he is thinking and realizes he might have smallpox. So Mitty goes online and posts questions about smallpox and how to treat it. He gets some messages back from different people and one wants to schedule a interview with him because they are currently in the same city as him which is Manhattan, New York. He is found by the person and is about to go in the car with them when he freaks out and starts running away but then he rethinks about it and turns around gets in the car and is hit over the head with a hard object knocking him out. He finds himself in a warehouse basement and has to outsmart his captors and then get out of the warehouse. When he does he turns out he doesn't have smallpox because the scabs where to old so the virus had already died. Though he did have to go to the hospital because of of the wounds his kidnappers had given him.
Characterization: The starting of this book Caroline creates slacker for her main character and you don't find him interesting. But then later in the story when Mitty starts to think he has smallpox you can see that his character changing into a harder thinker and he becomes real interesting. By the end of the book I found that Mitty was a totally different character and someone I might want to be.
Plot: This book starts off with Mitty Blake a rich high school slacker procrastinating on a biology project on infectious diseases. So he starts looking for books on his topic which is smallpox and he finds an envelope with some old smallpox scabs that he touches and breaths in. The book then describes how he is thinking and realizes he might have smallpox. So Mitty goes online and posts questions about smallpox and how to treat it. He gets some messages back from different people and one wants to schedule a interview with him because they are currently in the same city as him which is Manhattan, New York. He is found by the person and is about to go in the car with them when he freaks out and starts running away but then he rethinks about it and turns around gets in the car and is hit over the head with a hard object knocking him out. He finds himself in a warehouse basement and has to outsmart his captors and then get out of the warehouse. When he does he turns out he doesn't have smallpox because the scabs where to old so the virus had already died. Though he did have to go to the hospital because of of the wounds his kidnappers had given him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2019
It's really great and I wish that there is more books like this!
February 12, 2019
This was probably the most boring book that I have read this year. The ending was super trash.
February 10, 2015
I expected to like this book a lot more than I did. I greatly enjoyed the Face on the Milk Carton series and I'm something of an infectious disease enthusiast, so Code Orange should have been the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, I was severely unimpressed.
Mitty, the book's main character, is an unlikeable slacker. He hates school, doesn't listen to teachers, thinks books are a waste of time, and believes that dropping out of high school and listening to a lot of music will earn him a career as a music reviewer. I realize that Cooney was aiming for the reluctant reader demographic with Mitty, but I think she took it too far. It's hard to care about a kid who's stupid enough to inhale biological material he found in a book on infectious diseases. In fact, by the end of the first chapter, I was hoping he'd meet a grisly end.
After exposing Mitty to smallpox, Cooney has two weeks to kill before he would start showing symptoms. The uninformed need to realize that they should be horrified on Mitty's behalf, so Cooney fills the first half of the book with his advanced biology report (how he got into advanced biology is a mystery). The prose mostly consists of Mitty reading passages of more informative books and paraphrasing them in forced teenager-ese. His teacher loves it, but the facts are so incredibly basic that a kid could learn more from skimming the smallpox Wikipedia page. Given how much 'research' he does into smallpox, Mitty takes FOREVER to realize that he may have doomed himself.
Once Mitty realizes he could have Smallpox and that the possible consequences for the world would be devastating, there's a brief period of soul searching where he wonders what to do. Cooney takes this opportunity to draw parallels between Mitty and Typhoid Mary, and for me, this was the best, most honest, and most unique part of the book. Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long, and the final third of the book is given over to a run-of-the-mill kidnapping plot featuring the usual cliches: useless authorities and thickwitted criminals who are outsmarted by their underage prisoner.
Code Orange is a quick read and it's not uninformative if you're completely unaware of the existence of smallpox. The target audience (reluctant male readers) might like it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who reads widely.
Mitty, the book's main character, is an unlikeable slacker. He hates school, doesn't listen to teachers, thinks books are a waste of time, and believes that dropping out of high school and listening to a lot of music will earn him a career as a music reviewer. I realize that Cooney was aiming for the reluctant reader demographic with Mitty, but I think she took it too far. It's hard to care about a kid who's stupid enough to inhale biological material he found in a book on infectious diseases. In fact, by the end of the first chapter, I was hoping he'd meet a grisly end.
After exposing Mitty to smallpox, Cooney has two weeks to kill before he would start showing symptoms. The uninformed need to realize that they should be horrified on Mitty's behalf, so Cooney fills the first half of the book with his advanced biology report (how he got into advanced biology is a mystery). The prose mostly consists of Mitty reading passages of more informative books and paraphrasing them in forced teenager-ese. His teacher loves it, but the facts are so incredibly basic that a kid could learn more from skimming the smallpox Wikipedia page. Given how much 'research' he does into smallpox, Mitty takes FOREVER to realize that he may have doomed himself.
Once Mitty realizes he could have Smallpox and that the possible consequences for the world would be devastating, there's a brief period of soul searching where he wonders what to do. Cooney takes this opportunity to draw parallels between Mitty and Typhoid Mary, and for me, this was the best, most honest, and most unique part of the book. Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long, and the final third of the book is given over to a run-of-the-mill kidnapping plot featuring the usual cliches: useless authorities and thickwitted criminals who are outsmarted by their underage prisoner.
Code Orange is a quick read and it's not uninformative if you're completely unaware of the existence of smallpox. The target audience (reluctant male readers) might like it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who reads widely.
June 7, 2023
I was actually thinking about 20 pages from the end, wouldn’t it be funny if he actually doesn’t have smallpox? I was kind of confused where the book was going at first because it seemed like a kid writing a book report and freaking himself out over nothing. Once it picked up I did really enjoy it even if it really took a left turn to the theme of smallpox is bad to bioterrorism is really bad. I honestly want to know what country the terrorists were from, and also how they thought they were going to “dance on the streets� without obtaining smallpox..? Also what about the black scab? The darker one that Mitty didn’t crush, and could it have still carried smallpox, or was it the other worse version of smallpox he mentioned. I did really enjoy this book and probably learned some stuff.
February 19, 2019
it had a BIG cliff hanger and i want know what will happen next.
February 20, 2019
It was pretty good! Very exciting and can be hard to put down! It has that important feel to it.
February 7, 2008
Code Orange was an exciting book. I think this would be novel that would capture the interest of readers from grades sixth through ninth. The main character in Code Orange is Mitty Blake, an affluent New York City teen who cares more about socializing and listening to music than achieving academic success at his private prep school. All this changes when Mitty becomes engrossed in a project on infectious diseases. Mitty decides to do his project on smallpox when he discovers a sampling of smallpox sores in an old medical text that his mother found at an estate sale. During his study of smallpox he begins to be afraid that he could have contracted the virus from the sores. His life beings to spiral out of control because he fears that he is bringing back this devastating epidemic. While looking for answers online he attracts the attention of a group of bioterrorists, who kidnap him and wait to see if he contracts the virus. While the plot of this novel is extremely hard to believe, it captures your attention in such a way that you are willing to go along with the seemingly implausible events. I thought it was fun and exciting to read, and I learned a lot about the history of smallpox and broadened my knowledge of viruses in general.
The primary use of this book would be to encourage reluctant readers. If the librarian were to do a quick book talk on this book, it would be hard to keep on the shelf. While girls would definitely enjoy this book, it would also be very appealing to male readers. The main character is a young man, and there is an exciting fight scene when Mitty tries to flee from the terrorists. Also, because of the solid facts that run throughout the story, it would be a way for a biology teacher to create more interest around a unit on viruses. If the teacher read a bit of a chapter at the beginning or end of class it could help spark some interesting discussion about viruses and bioterrorism.
Code Orange was a bit frightening because the descriptions of the horrors of smallpox were quite accurate, and there is some violent content at the end of the story. Despite these elements, I do think it would be appropriate for the age that it was intended. This book was well reviewed, and across the board all reviewers agreed that this was an engaging, “page turner�. The reviewer from Booklist thought that the topic of this book was at times “profoundly disturbing� and would be a book that readers “wouldn’t soon forget�.
The primary use of this book would be to encourage reluctant readers. If the librarian were to do a quick book talk on this book, it would be hard to keep on the shelf. While girls would definitely enjoy this book, it would also be very appealing to male readers. The main character is a young man, and there is an exciting fight scene when Mitty tries to flee from the terrorists. Also, because of the solid facts that run throughout the story, it would be a way for a biology teacher to create more interest around a unit on viruses. If the teacher read a bit of a chapter at the beginning or end of class it could help spark some interesting discussion about viruses and bioterrorism.
Code Orange was a bit frightening because the descriptions of the horrors of smallpox were quite accurate, and there is some violent content at the end of the story. Despite these elements, I do think it would be appropriate for the age that it was intended. This book was well reviewed, and across the board all reviewers agreed that this was an engaging, “page turner�. The reviewer from Booklist thought that the topic of this book was at times “profoundly disturbing� and would be a book that readers “wouldn’t soon forget�.
February 3, 2009
Code Orange is an exciting story filled with adventure, thrill, and horrid desises.
It is about a boy named Mitty Blake. A high school student who would rather listen to music opposed to school work. So, one day, Mitty’s biology teacher gives the class a project on infectuis desises. Mitty goes to Conneticut every weekend and so this time he goes to his place and finds these books. He finds a book on viorla majora. He opens it up and finds these scabs. He accidentally crumples them up and puts them back and wips his nose. He goes about doing his project and gets into a bit of a fix. Then it happens.
This realistic fiction novel is a great book by Caroline B. Cloonie the author of Face on the Milk Carton. I would recommend this book to middle school students who like adventure and suspense.
It is about a boy named Mitty Blake. A high school student who would rather listen to music opposed to school work. So, one day, Mitty’s biology teacher gives the class a project on infectuis desises. Mitty goes to Conneticut every weekend and so this time he goes to his place and finds these books. He finds a book on viorla majora. He opens it up and finds these scabs. He accidentally crumples them up and puts them back and wips his nose. He goes about doing his project and gets into a bit of a fix. Then it happens.
This realistic fiction novel is a great book by Caroline B. Cloonie the author of Face on the Milk Carton. I would recommend this book to middle school students who like adventure and suspense.
July 27, 2015
I was looking for a good mystery book for my middle schoolers with lots of forensics. Well, this book had lots of information about diseases, but not the mystery I had hoped it would be. It took a while to get exciting, but when it was all "said and done," it was a pretty good story.
April 19, 2019
great really good theme. There are no bad guys dancing in the street. how savage he was killing the 4 people. Oops....
overall really good book loved the ending
overall really good book loved the ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2020
Personal Response:
Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney was a very exciting book to read. Every part of the book has something to keep the reader´s interest. I believe Mitty is a brave teenager. Because even with having the mindset that he might end up contracting the smallpox, he never freaks out about it and doesn´t tell his family or friends about it.
Plot:
Mitty Blake is a regular teenage boy who goes to a private school in Manhattan. While researching his disease, smallpox, for his Biology class, he comes across an envelope in a book about the history of smallpox. He opens it to find that they contain scabs. He sneezes and breathes in the scab. He finds out they’re from the infectious disease smallpox. Throughout the rest of the book, Mitty is starting to think that he is having symptoms of smallpox and decides to send out emails to doctors, asking if a hundred-year-old scab of smallpox could still be infectious. Little does he know, one doctor sent the email to the FBI, and another person was part of a bioterrorist group in the city. The bioterrorist group kidnaps him. He eventually finds a way to escape. He realizes there is no way that he could have the smallpox in the first place.
Characterization:
The protagonist of the book is Mitty Blake. He believes that he has the disease smallpox, and throughout the book, he debates whether to contact the CDC to try to cure himself or to run away so he won’t be able to infect anyone. He turns into a character who is unselfish and tries to protect others throughout the story.
Mitty´s high school crush, Olivia, comes into play through the story being the book’s antagonist. She is a very caring and loyal person. Mitty forces himself to act like he doesn´t like her towards the end because he doesn´t want to give her the smallpox virus. She turns very depressed and sad at the end of the book because of this turn of events.
Setting:
This book takes place in modern-day Manhattan, New York. Mitty goes to school at St. Raphael´s private school in Manhattan. This book takes place in the present time. The time period is significant because even with the technology we have now, a disease like the smallpox could still spread very easily.
Thematic Connections:
The theme of this book is patriotism and heroism. Mitty knew that if he has smallpox it will quickly spread throughout Manhattan, so he takes himself away from civilization and risks his life to make sure other people don´t get sick. Throughout the book, his character slowly develops more into a person who cares more for the well-being of others rather than just caring for himself.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to high school students because it is hard to understand in some parts. There were only some hard words to understand in the book. Both boys and girls would enjoy this book. This book is good for people that are into mystery and adventure.
Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney was a very exciting book to read. Every part of the book has something to keep the reader´s interest. I believe Mitty is a brave teenager. Because even with having the mindset that he might end up contracting the smallpox, he never freaks out about it and doesn´t tell his family or friends about it.
Plot:
Mitty Blake is a regular teenage boy who goes to a private school in Manhattan. While researching his disease, smallpox, for his Biology class, he comes across an envelope in a book about the history of smallpox. He opens it to find that they contain scabs. He sneezes and breathes in the scab. He finds out they’re from the infectious disease smallpox. Throughout the rest of the book, Mitty is starting to think that he is having symptoms of smallpox and decides to send out emails to doctors, asking if a hundred-year-old scab of smallpox could still be infectious. Little does he know, one doctor sent the email to the FBI, and another person was part of a bioterrorist group in the city. The bioterrorist group kidnaps him. He eventually finds a way to escape. He realizes there is no way that he could have the smallpox in the first place.
Characterization:
The protagonist of the book is Mitty Blake. He believes that he has the disease smallpox, and throughout the book, he debates whether to contact the CDC to try to cure himself or to run away so he won’t be able to infect anyone. He turns into a character who is unselfish and tries to protect others throughout the story.
Mitty´s high school crush, Olivia, comes into play through the story being the book’s antagonist. She is a very caring and loyal person. Mitty forces himself to act like he doesn´t like her towards the end because he doesn´t want to give her the smallpox virus. She turns very depressed and sad at the end of the book because of this turn of events.
Setting:
This book takes place in modern-day Manhattan, New York. Mitty goes to school at St. Raphael´s private school in Manhattan. This book takes place in the present time. The time period is significant because even with the technology we have now, a disease like the smallpox could still spread very easily.
Thematic Connections:
The theme of this book is patriotism and heroism. Mitty knew that if he has smallpox it will quickly spread throughout Manhattan, so he takes himself away from civilization and risks his life to make sure other people don´t get sick. Throughout the book, his character slowly develops more into a person who cares more for the well-being of others rather than just caring for himself.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to high school students because it is hard to understand in some parts. There were only some hard words to understand in the book. Both boys and girls would enjoy this book. This book is good for people that are into mystery and adventure.
February 27, 2018
In Code Orange, the author describes a neighborhood in which is located in a “Rich New York�. The main character, Mitty Blake, tells the story in his point of view, but then the author cuts into third-person, going beyond what Mitty might be going through, while hiding his identity at the same time. I think this is an interesting concept, creating an episodic environment. When I first started to read the book, it felt like climax would never come, some unnecessary details here and there, creating a longer passage which kind of tunes me out of what is happening. Even though it is fiction, it is realistic, so it would appear normal with nothing too extraordinary. About halfway through the book, we find the problem, where the ancient scabs that contain smallpox cells completely change the direction of the story. I think that the development of tension throughout the whole story is way too slow and creates boredom, which is what I felt throughout some of the chapters. In my opinion, the book doesn’t have enough interesting details that lead up to the main problem, and there are way too many unnecessary details which distract the reader into thinking they might lead somewhere. I also think that Mitty’s friends and their personalities are way too vague, not creating much of a character when they are later interviewed by undercover agencies such as the FBI. This is an important part of the book, as they need to know where Mitty might’ve possibly went, not knowing where. The development of plot is somewhat predictable, as we know where diseases lead to (sickness). However, there are scenarios which I admit will never think of (towards the end). The stylistic features of this book kind of remind me of a cliche disease outbreak, like zombie invasions, except there is always anticipation and no real risk of death. The ending was very anticlimactic, and all of this anticipation lead up to nothing. All of Mitty’s problems were for nothing, and nothing crazy actually happened. Authority was involved, but it was a false alarm that attracted many people for no reason.
In the end, I would somewhat recommend this book [â…—]
I would, because the idea of a smallpox spread can be very worrisome, and this scenario is possible if the conditions are just right in real life. I wouldn’t, because of the wording and what pathway the author want us to take, which can be hard to follow.
In the end, I would somewhat recommend this book [â…—]
I would, because the idea of a smallpox spread can be very worrisome, and this scenario is possible if the conditions are just right in real life. I wouldn’t, because of the wording and what pathway the author want us to take, which can be hard to follow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2024
Set in NYC. 224 pp. I really enjoyed this story. Unique premise - a teenage boy finds lesions from the 1902 smallpox epidemic. What he goes through, how it impacts his friends and family, will-he-or-won't-he-get-smallpox... all of these elements blended together for a thought-provoking and immensely readable novel.
by
by
January 21, 2023
I picked this book up in a clearance bin at Barnes and Noble a few years back and stuck it on a bookshelf to be forgotten. I had liked Caroline B Cooney books as a teen and thought maybe I’d read it sometime. It’s been sitting on a shelf in my house for at least 5 years and I finally decided to read it.
This book follows Mitty, a high school student from NY, who for a biology assignment must choose an infectious disease to research. He chooses smallpox and during his research finds in an old medical book an envelope with old smallpox scabs. So then he wonders is there still live virus on those? Is he infected? Will he start a global smallpox pandemic?
It was an interesting read, at a time when the world is on the tail end of the Covid pandemic. Definitely more geared for teens but I still appreciated it as an adult.
This book follows Mitty, a high school student from NY, who for a biology assignment must choose an infectious disease to research. He chooses smallpox and during his research finds in an old medical book an envelope with old smallpox scabs. So then he wonders is there still live virus on those? Is he infected? Will he start a global smallpox pandemic?
It was an interesting read, at a time when the world is on the tail end of the Covid pandemic. Definitely more geared for teens but I still appreciated it as an adult.
January 22, 2023
This book was given to me to read by my 13 year old son when I asked him for a YA that was a quick read that would give my brain a break from year-end business world crap.
The beginning of Code Orange is really good and the characters are well developed; Cooney definitely captured the spirit of young teens and all the non-developed frontal cortex decisions they make. Honestly, they were getting annoying - just like the young teens in my real life tend to do at times.
Towards the middle of the book, it gets a bit muddy. The context is still there, and it does play into the story, but a integral point of the story felt rushed. It would have made more sense to expand on it a bit. Additionally, the ending fell flat for me. I felt that with the build up, there would have been more emotion and finality among the characters.
Overall, the book is short, <200 pages, but the pace is slow. Didn't give my brain the kind of break I was looking for, and didn't hold my interest well.
The beginning of Code Orange is really good and the characters are well developed; Cooney definitely captured the spirit of young teens and all the non-developed frontal cortex decisions they make. Honestly, they were getting annoying - just like the young teens in my real life tend to do at times.
Towards the middle of the book, it gets a bit muddy. The context is still there, and it does play into the story, but a integral point of the story felt rushed. It would have made more sense to expand on it a bit. Additionally, the ending fell flat for me. I felt that with the build up, there would have been more emotion and finality among the characters.
Overall, the book is short, <200 pages, but the pace is slow. Didn't give my brain the kind of break I was looking for, and didn't hold my interest well.
November 17, 2018
Very nice n short book, with huge build up to the climax, however the ending wan very sharp... still quite nice...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2021
A very odd book and writing style
June 8, 2024
Wow! Wasn’t expecting that one! That was definitely a sci-fi page turner. And when I thought I knew what would happen next…boy, was I wrong.
October 15, 2020
Onvan : Code Orange - Nevisande : Caroline B. Cooney - ISBN : 0385732597 - ISBN13 : 9780385732598 - Dar 200 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2005
January 28, 2020
Overall, the book was good. It's got lots of factual information on smallpox. The main character's situation is fairly realistic.
March 24, 2025
I think Caroline did a good job of not stereotyping "the terrorists" as any cultural group, which could have seriously ruined this novel. They were wild though. Also Mitty killed like 4 people and everyone just pretends he didn't? Wild.
I also love covering books that when I show my friends they go "OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THAT BOOK" which is a super standard response to a Cooney book as well lol
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The prolific author, Caroline B. Cooney is best known for her suspenseful YA books, most notably her 1990 novel, . A lifelong learner, when Cooney turned fifty, she moved to Manhattan for school, inspiring the setting for today’s spotlight Code Orange. Cooney’s novel takes place in 2004, a time when the city is still marred by the tragedy of the September 11th attacks, but recovering. Exploring through the eyes of a native New Yorker who feels an immense sense of pride and civic duty, we see how a child’s psyche can be unmistakably shaken by threats on his home, especially when he believes he is the key to the terrorist’s next attack.
A biology assignment. An old book. An envelope. Scabs turning to dust. Before Mitty Blake can realize what’s happening, he’s possibly infected with one of the world’s oldest and most deadly diseases. Smallpox! Just days ago, Mitty was a laid-back teenager, who didn’t care about schoolwork or history. And now he’s fighting for his life, afraid that he is about to subject New York City and the world to an outbreak that could leave millions dead in its wake, especially if the wrong people were to find out his secret.
Cooney writes in a young teen voice that’s not only realistic but fun! Despite the weight of the world on his shoulders, Mitty is funny, charming, and a little self-deprecating. What makes Code Orange stand out from other YA thrillers, is that commitment to well-researched science. Not only does Cooney include a bibliography at the end, but her work was commended by the as an “Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12�. The reader learns all about smallpox and effective ways to research alongside Mitty as he goes on his adventure. Written in 2005, Code Orange is surprisingly still relevant. Mitty’s fear of quarantine and what viruses can do to the body gives an interesting reflection to the COVID-19 pandemic that would come almost 15 years later. And like in the novel, the CDC is still on guard for threats of Students and Adult Book Club Groups can compare how Cooney described the spread of the disease through New York City against how it happened in real-time, and discuss what has and hasn’t changed in the past 20 years regarding how we handle illness, internet safety, and the duty to our home.
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I also love covering books that when I show my friends they go "OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THAT BOOK" which is a super standard response to a Cooney book as well lol
---
The prolific author, Caroline B. Cooney is best known for her suspenseful YA books, most notably her 1990 novel, . A lifelong learner, when Cooney turned fifty, she moved to Manhattan for school, inspiring the setting for today’s spotlight Code Orange. Cooney’s novel takes place in 2004, a time when the city is still marred by the tragedy of the September 11th attacks, but recovering. Exploring through the eyes of a native New Yorker who feels an immense sense of pride and civic duty, we see how a child’s psyche can be unmistakably shaken by threats on his home, especially when he believes he is the key to the terrorist’s next attack.
A biology assignment. An old book. An envelope. Scabs turning to dust. Before Mitty Blake can realize what’s happening, he’s possibly infected with one of the world’s oldest and most deadly diseases. Smallpox! Just days ago, Mitty was a laid-back teenager, who didn’t care about schoolwork or history. And now he’s fighting for his life, afraid that he is about to subject New York City and the world to an outbreak that could leave millions dead in its wake, especially if the wrong people were to find out his secret.
“The city would go through hell, all because Mitty Blake had done his homework for a change.�
- Caroline B. Cooney
Cooney writes in a young teen voice that’s not only realistic but fun! Despite the weight of the world on his shoulders, Mitty is funny, charming, and a little self-deprecating. What makes Code Orange stand out from other YA thrillers, is that commitment to well-researched science. Not only does Cooney include a bibliography at the end, but her work was commended by the as an “Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12�. The reader learns all about smallpox and effective ways to research alongside Mitty as he goes on his adventure. Written in 2005, Code Orange is surprisingly still relevant. Mitty’s fear of quarantine and what viruses can do to the body gives an interesting reflection to the COVID-19 pandemic that would come almost 15 years later. And like in the novel, the CDC is still on guard for threats of Students and Adult Book Club Groups can compare how Cooney described the spread of the disease through New York City against how it happened in real-time, and discuss what has and hasn’t changed in the past 20 years regarding how we handle illness, internet safety, and the duty to our home.
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January 29, 2019
When Mitchell Blake inhales 100 year old smallpox dust, things in his life take a turn for the worse. In the realistic fiction book Code Orange, by Caroline B. Cloony, junior year high school boy Mitchell Blake (Mitty) accidentally inhales small pox scab dust. After a few days, Mitty worries he could infect the entire population of modern day New York. After emailing his worries to online forums, he finds out an email of his is forwarded to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). After that, people saying that they are the CDC kidnap him and plan to use him as a biological weapon. Even with all this going on, Mitty never gives up. In this book, Mitty's internal conflict is character versus self, due to the fact that he is in conflict with himself about whether he has smallpox or not, and if so what should he do about it. In Code Orange Mitty has an external conflict of character versus society. He is conflict about whether he should tell the CDC about the smallpox scabs or not. Eventually when the CDC get the email, they come looking for him.
I thought that this book was a quick and fun read. I liked it because it was interesting and was related to the unit I am currently studying in science class. It also had a interesting plot that made me want to keep reading. I would recommend this book to students in middle school because it is about that reading level. I also recommend this to them because elementary students wouldn’t understand some of it, and older students would think it is too kiddish.
I thought that this book was a quick and fun read. I liked it because it was interesting and was related to the unit I am currently studying in science class. It also had a interesting plot that made me want to keep reading. I would recommend this book to students in middle school because it is about that reading level. I also recommend this to them because elementary students wouldn’t understand some of it, and older students would think it is too kiddish.
June 21, 2008
Who knew a required term paper would result in a bioterrorism threat, a possible re-emergence of smallpox and being taken hostage by thugs who want to destroy New York City. Mitty Blake, once again, leaves research for his biology paper until the last minute. He can't get to the library, the bookstores are closed and he can't use the internet as a resource. Surreptitiously, he finds old biology books in his mother's office. Books that were bought as part on an estate sale to be used as decorative pieces in a new office. Inside one of these books he finds a small yellow envelope marked, "scabs-VM epidemic, 1902, Boston". Great! He has just hit upon his topic for his research paper. Smallpox. As the days go on and Mitty does more research, he begins to think that the scab dust from the envelope may have infected him with smallpox, a disease that was eradicated in the previous century. He innocently sends out emails to scientists who may know of the scabs potency. His parents are clueless to his worries, potential infection or research, but are quickly enlightened when the FBI and CDC show up on their doorsteps. What happens as a result is much more than Mitty has bargained for: kidnapping, bioterrorism, and a city on the brink of disaster.
This is a book that will have you on the edge of your seat. I could not put it down as I began to 'live' with the effects of a scourge that wiped out thousands in the late 1800's up until it was eradicated. A thriller extraordinaire.
This is a book that will have you on the edge of your seat. I could not put it down as I began to 'live' with the effects of a scourge that wiped out thousands in the late 1800's up until it was eradicated. A thriller extraordinaire.
September 3, 2014
Andrew F. Per 3
Code Orange is a fictional piece written by Caroline B. Cooney. I think that this book is great for young teens, but is too graphic for anyone younger. For example in the book the main character gruesomely describes what happens when you get smallpox. I also think that the book is too easy for anyone older than 14. I think Cooneyt's inspiration for the book was to show how people act if they think they are seriously ill or dying. For example the first thing the character did was go online to find out what was wrong. Then he sent emails to people who were acting like the government but actually are bioterrorists.
I chose this book because the synopsis was extremely suspenseful and left me wanting to read more. After reading about 50 pages into the book, it was not what I expected. Up until this part, the author was talking about the main characters personal life and was not very interesting. As the book went on, it started to get better but not to the standard that I thought it would be from the synopsis. After finishing the book, I was relieved that it was over but not happy about the ending because the whole story was a lie. What I mean by this is that Mitty never had Smallpox in the first place. Finally, I would not recomend it to anyone
Code Orange is a fictional piece written by Caroline B. Cooney. I think that this book is great for young teens, but is too graphic for anyone younger. For example in the book the main character gruesomely describes what happens when you get smallpox. I also think that the book is too easy for anyone older than 14. I think Cooneyt's inspiration for the book was to show how people act if they think they are seriously ill or dying. For example the first thing the character did was go online to find out what was wrong. Then he sent emails to people who were acting like the government but actually are bioterrorists.
I chose this book because the synopsis was extremely suspenseful and left me wanting to read more. After reading about 50 pages into the book, it was not what I expected. Up until this part, the author was talking about the main characters personal life and was not very interesting. As the book went on, it started to get better but not to the standard that I thought it would be from the synopsis. After finishing the book, I was relieved that it was over but not happy about the ending because the whole story was a lie. What I mean by this is that Mitty never had Smallpox in the first place. Finally, I would not recomend it to anyone
February 17, 2016
I read this because my step-son (who HAD to read it as part of his pre-ap summer program) said he identified quite a bit with the main character, Mitty.
If I were not deeply interested in my step son, I doubt I would have made it past the first 15 pages.
The sentence by sentence writing is fair but the story structure and devices are the lamest I have seen in many years. The main character (I hate to call a 16 yr old "protagonist" -- seems rude) is roughtly drawn. His two sidekicks (boy and girl) when confronted by FBI agents suddenly can comprehend international warfare on a personal scale. Mitty is cast as a parent-loving spoiled slacker who later magically knows a tremendous amount about one-shower gas water heaters, old gas furnaces (this was reported as an upgrade from coal -- how old could it be?), and carbon monoxide.
The topic is great. Good for 13 yr olds to appreciate, get their heads around. Too bad the "wrap" is twenty-year-old cling free.
To make this required reading for Advance Placement English implies the writing itself is good.
No way. Had this been brought to my writers group, they would have trashed the pages into oblivion.
If I were not deeply interested in my step son, I doubt I would have made it past the first 15 pages.
The sentence by sentence writing is fair but the story structure and devices are the lamest I have seen in many years. The main character (I hate to call a 16 yr old "protagonist" -- seems rude) is roughtly drawn. His two sidekicks (boy and girl) when confronted by FBI agents suddenly can comprehend international warfare on a personal scale. Mitty is cast as a parent-loving spoiled slacker who later magically knows a tremendous amount about one-shower gas water heaters, old gas furnaces (this was reported as an upgrade from coal -- how old could it be?), and carbon monoxide.
The topic is great. Good for 13 yr olds to appreciate, get their heads around. Too bad the "wrap" is twenty-year-old cling free.
To make this required reading for Advance Placement English implies the writing itself is good.
No way. Had this been brought to my writers group, they would have trashed the pages into oblivion.
March 2, 2009
Mitty has only one reason to pay attention to his classwork: Olivia; a classmate who shares a mutual interest in him. Usually, Mitty laughs zones out to teacher lectures (in favor of listening to his i-Pod) and laughs off assignments. Things change when his biology teacher assigns a paper about infectious diseases. Mitty comes across a 100 year-old book containing a mysterious envelope which, it turns out, is holding samples of scabs from the 1902 smallpox epidemic. When Mitty comes to terms with the seriousness of his discovery and realizes his handling of the scabs has put him, his city, his country and the world at risk, he frantically searches for a creative solution before he becomes infamous as the source of the deadly problem. But with the CDC, the FBI and terrorists hot on his trail, will he be able to keep himself together long enough to keep himself and the people around him alive? Code Orange ranks in my Top 10 reads of this school year. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys exciting, suspenseful page-turners! (195 pages)
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