Review - Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Fever (The Chemical Garden Trilogy book 2)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: March 1st 2012
Publishers: HarperCollins Aus
Available from: Amazon
Amazon UK
Book Depository
The NileSource: HarperCollins


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.

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Wither was one of my favourite books last year, especially in the dystopian genre, and I can say I loved Fever just as much. For me I think it may even surpass Wither. I was trapped in the pages, trying to read them as fast as I could. I was eager and apprehensive at the same time, wanting to know what happened to Rhine and Gabriel. No sooner have they escaped from the compound where they were living, only to be trapped once again. This time it's in a perverted type of carnival that is run by Madame Soleski. In this carnival there is no happiness. Madame collects girls and names them after colours. The girls provide the 'entertainment' to men who visit the carnival. We meet a host of characters while Rhine and Gabriel are forced to stay there, one of which is a deformed little girl, Maddie. She is definitely a great addition to the story and she provides a lot of the entertainment while reading. 

Fever does move rather slowly and this left me frustrated at times because I just wanted to find out what was going on. Just when you think they've escaped the worst something else happens, and this helped build up my emotions. I was constantly filled with despair, anger, and a feeling of hopelessness. It left me on the edge of my seat. Even though Rhine has escaped with Gabriel I'm not sure she knows about her feelings for him or Linden. I really admire Rhine and her strength. After all she's been through she still has a core of steel. She has been focused entirely on finding her brother, even with the many obstacles that are placed in her way. I love Gabriel, but he's a little weak, I want him to find his backbone! 

I don't know how to describe Lauren DeStefano's writing, besides beautiful. She has a way of describing things that always leaves me stunned. How can one person have so much talent? I can't wait for the third book. The ending left me with a sense of OMG, and I can't wait to see how Rhine's story ends.  

5/5