PLUS -
* Explanations about the village of Eyam and the story of the Plague there are really detailed and well told.
* The descriptions of the plague symptoms are great - kids will love the gory side of this story.
* It's not just another historical fiction retelling. What would happen if the plague resurfaced now?
* There are some interesting underlying themes about honesty and friendship.

MINUS -
* There's a twist at the end that I wasn't sure I really liked. It links to a more minor part of the plot which I'd forgotten about so it took me a while to work out what was going on.

OVERALL -
* A good read, which would suit readers aged 9 and over. The two parts of the plot set in the past and present would appeal even to those who don't like 'straight' historical fiction. ( )

A fantastic book with an ending that will leave you shocked and stunned!

Set in modern times, this story tells a tale of a modern day outbreak of the Plague! It flashes back to the outbreak of the Plague in Eyam and describes the horror and evastation of the Plague really well.

This is really a tale of morals and how bad deeds will always be punished......

A worthwhile read....my year 7 pupils at school are addicted!!! ( )

3 friends go on an excursion to a village called Eyam which was once cut off by the plague. Seth and his twin Kim, and their friend Wes hear the story of the couple Rowland and Emmott who were separated when Eyam cut itself off from the outside world so no-one else nearby would catch the Black Death. Unfortunately Emmott contracted the plague and died and when the village finally opened Rowland discovered the horrible truth as to why his beloved had stopped waving to him six months previously. Seth is horrified when Kim and Wes try to make a quick buck by stealing some coins from a fountain in the village. Even worse, they replicate this by then taking money intended for a hospital from a fountain in a shopping centre. Wes and Kim discover a strange lead stone inscribed "Emmott, true love always R.I.P., R.T. "amongst the Eyam village coins that seems to burn when they touch it. Seth has a bad feeling about it, and when both his friends come down with a mysterious illness that causes swelling black lumps he knows that this token is cursed and he must return it.