Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Chemical Garden series, book 2

Simon and Schuster, February 21, 2012

368 pages

Book Source: ARC copy provided by the publisher

*WARNING: If you haven't read Wither yet, I suggest you read no further. Spoilers ahead!

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.

-- Summary from Goodreads.com 

Judging by the cover...: My husband took one look at the cover and said, "That book looks extremely emo." And he's right, of course. But the entire book feels emotional and hopeless, therefore it works. Even the props tie in. My only question: What happened to the Mandy Moore look-alike model they used for Wither's cover?

Favorite Elements:

• Maddie - For such a small child, she's certainly endured more than her fair share of hardship, yet she manages to keep her wits about her and enjoy the small stuff.
• Madame's Heated Ground - Life would be a whole lot easier if we could heat the ground just like they do at Madame's. No coats and bare feet in winter? Yes, please!
• The Edge of My Seat - It's a well known fact that once you pick up DeStefano's books, you CAN. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. The only way to get it out of your hands is by surgically removing it.

Overall: A-
The story picks up right where Wither left off, with Rhine and Gabriel running away from the mansion, and does not stop. Even though they are away from Vaughn, there's still danger no matter where they look. It's another roller coaster adventure that refuses to let the heart-pounding action quit.

While she's keeping you wired with action, DeStefano is also enveloping you in rich detail. Her descriptions are so plush, you'll imagine that you're smelling the sea and the incense right along with Rhine. 

Recommendation: I had heard rumors that ARC copies of the book were being given away at the Simon and Schuster booth at this year's ALA Midwinter. I thought that I was so close, yet so far away, until I found out I could purchase an exhibit pass. And so, on the last day of the conference, I made my way to the booth and asked if they had any left. 

The answer was no. 

BUT THEN I found out they were giving away books, but you had to stand in a line and wait. I was third in line. They had one copy left. And the school librarian in front of me had her eyes on it, too. 

What's the point of this story, you ask? This is what I would go through to get a copy of this book, even though it was set to release in one month's time. I offered that librarian my soul, and she let me have it. Bonus: I got to keep my soul! 

While you may not have to offer your soul for this book (you could actually purchase it with money instead), it is necessary to go out and get. So preorder or put your name on the waiting list now.