Book Review: Plague Thieves

By Caroline Fernandez 

4 stars 

Plague Thieves by Caroline Fernandez is an epic tale. The book revolves around Rose and her brother, Lem, as they navigate London in the hopes of surviving the Great Plague as newly orphaned siblings. Luckily, they have the Thieves Oil, which protects them from the plague. Unluckily, with everyone so desperate to get their hands on it, it's as much a curse as it is a blessing.  

I loved this book for many reasons, but perhaps the most influential was the way the setting was built and upheld. With the book being set in 1665, it was expectedly more challenging to imagine details than it would have been with a modern story. Everything was, however, described with extraordinary detail and made for a very realistic (and effortless) description and immersion.   

Another thing that elevated the reading experience for me of this book was the way it was narrated. Told from the first-person perspective of Rose, it allowed me to compare and contrast our lives. They were, of course, quite different, but I was still able to connect with her. This shows that the story was written quite cleverly, as really, what can I have in common with an orphaned child living during the Great Plague?   

However great this book is, it has been deprived of one star in this review due to its ending. I believe that the author rushed it. The whole novel was so immersive, but the ending missed this criterion. It finished off with events that were just listed, and this left me dissatisfied.   

Overall, this book is a great read, and I highly recommend it for historical fiction lovers and fantasy lovers. Especially those who'd like to give historical fiction a try but don't know where to start.   

Reviewed by Uliana as part of the Teen Reviewer, opens a new window program.

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