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Plague Journal
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Plot Summary of Plague Journal
"Nathaniel Delaney, an outspoken critic of a ruthless totalitarian government, spends five harrowing days trying to elude the police pursuing him. He criticized his local school's Social Engineering course that taught explicit sex-ed to his grade-school children. Using public pressure, he forced the school to excuse his children and the children of other concerned parents. The classes had been questioning the children if their fathers ever sexually molest them, even placing a hand on them. Delaney realizes this could be an attempt to brand him a child molester. He rushes to the school and finds his two children already detained by the principle, awaiting Social Services to assume custody. He "kidnaps" his children and flees into the mountains. Assisted by friends, he heads for his grandfather's cabin.

Police pursue by helicopter. One of his friends shoots the helicopter and is shot in return. Delaney leaves his two children with other friends, who will take them to the cabin, while he takes the wounded person to a doctor friend. The doctor betrays Delaney, who is arrested and imprisoned. His children escape. Delaney kept a journal, he named "Plague Journal," of his experiences. He hides the journal under his prison mattress. Years later, the corporal in charge of Delaney sends the journal to Delaney's family. The corporal had been transferred after Delaney's arrest and never again saw him. The corporal writes a journal entry saying, "Things have a strange way of disappearing lately, things and people." This gripping novel helps one realize what life might be like if our government becomes totalitarian.
"

Maurice A. Williams, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Plague Journal
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - near future
Political/social activism Yes
Plotlet: - surviving repressive dictatorship
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 40's-50's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
The Americas (not US): Yes

Style
Person - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards - written like a journal/diary/letters
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Plague Journal
Eclipse of the Sun by Michael D. O'Brien
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Secret by Eva Hoffman
The Horse Whisper by Nicholas Evans
The Breaking Point by Karen Ball


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