SuitabookCode Orange
Caroline B. Cooney
- Reading
- Pause after the initial discovery to discuss how curiosity, risk and responsibility can interact. Afterwards, separate the fictional suspense from real-world health information rather than treating the plot as medical guidance.
- Themes
- Responsibility under pressure: Mitty begins as a carefree student trying to complete an Advanced Biology assignment, then faces fear about illness and possible danger to others. The reported character arc presents pressure as a possible catalyst for becoming more serious and responsible.
- Disease and public danger: An old envelope containing scabs linked to a 1902 smallpox epidemic becomes the focus of Mitty’s biology project and fears about infection and an outbreak. The story uses medical history and disease transmission as the basis for thriller suspense rather than presenting itself as a health guide.
- School pressure and relationships: Mitty risks being removed from Advanced Biology if he does not submit work, and his interest in Olivia is one reason the class matters to him. School expectations and attraction are present, but their wider significance and treatment are unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Be ready for sustained fear about infection, serious illness and the possibility of spreading disease. The story also includes references to terrorism, death, bodily symptoms and pressure surrounding school performance.