Virus by Diane Hoh (p278)

This is a book that I have read many times.  I bought this book when it first came out in 1996.  It is part of a six book series, but I usually just find myself rereading the first book in the series.  There is something I really enjoy about the characters.  They seem like real high schoolers to me.  There are some authors that don't seem to get what 17 and 18 year olds are really like.  This author seems to get it.

I like how this book keeps you guessing.  Yes, there are times that the author includes foreshadowing to let you know what is going to happen in the future, but there are also times that you get totally blindsided by what happens.

I think the theme of this book is that no matter how old you are or what you think you may or may not know, you have value and are useful in intense situations.  This is shown throughout the book when different high school characters step up and help with a variety of medical disasters.