Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano
What: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
Who: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
When: 2012
How: Borrowed from library.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago – surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous – and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion…by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price – now that she has more to lose than ever.
Fever begins directly after Wither ends. Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, and Vaughn’s clutches, and are determined to live out the rest of their short lives together; with Rhine’s brother, Rowan. That is, until they are held against their will by a seemingly mad woman who goes by the name Madame, and who runs a carnival of prostitutes.
Madame is convinced that Rhine is her next star, and will keep her at the carnival whatever the cost.
With time running out for both Rhine and Gabriel, the two must find a way out of the carnival, and a way to Manhattan; where, hopefully, Rhine’s brother is still waiting for her return.
I liked Fever. I like it when books in a series begin directly after the end of the previous one. I don’t have to guess what has happened; what has been said; or what has been done. Granted, I did not like Fever better than Wither. Wither has this surreal edge to it; with Rhine in the mansion as Linden’s bride; the curious going-ons of the household; and Rhine and Linden’s relationship.
That being said, Fever was a really good book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love the fact that it is written in first person present tense, as it gives me so much more insight into what’s going on in Rhine’s world. I feel like I am a spectator-friend sitting quietly in a corner of her brain; hoping and praying for her happy ending.
I love The Chemical Garden Trilogy and have Sever waiting for me right now.
© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.
The covers for this series are all so unusual. I haven’t read Wither yet, despite all of the positive reviews, but maybe when I have a smaller TBR pile. :-)
I adored the cover of the first one, and the second and third ones are lovely, I think :)
You should definitely read it when you have a smaller pile (I know how you feel). It’s an interesting read :)
I’ll have to check this series out sometime soon. I love dystopia’s! First person present is my favorite – it almost always pulls me immediately into the story and I feel like I’m right there when everything’s going down. Hope you enjoy book 3! :)
You definitely should! It’s not your average dystopia, but it’s definitely enjoyable!
It’s my favourite too :)
I have already read it, actually! (These are reviews from earlier this year) My review for Sever will be up soon :)