Fever Book Review

 Author: Lauren DeStefano. Release date: 2012. Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781442409071.

Annotation: After escaping from the clutches of Housemaster Vaughan, Rhine and Gabriel find themselves on the run, trying to get to Manhattan to find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. The pair doesn’t expect, however, that there might be more danger lurking in the real world, away from the confines of the Ashby mansion.

Personal thoughts: I absolutely loved Wither so I was super excited to get my hands on Fever! I think that, overall, Fever is a successful follow-up to the first novel, but I do have to say that I did enjoy Wither quite a bit more. The second novel is very dark, with very little levity even in the relationship between Gabriel and Rhine. I missed the luxury of the mansion and Rhine’s relationship with her sister-wives. There were some interesting new elements in Fever, however, that I found interesting, particularly Lilac and her relationship with her daughter, Maddie. I’m still a huge fan of this series and am looking forward to the third novel, though not with quite the same fervor as when I finished Wither.  

Plot summary: On the run after escaping the clutches of Housemaster Vaughan, Rhine and Gabriel soon discover that the outside world is far more dangerous than they ever could have imagined. Determined to return to Manhattan and reunite with her brother, Rhine and Gabriel are desperately seeking a way to travel from the Ashby mansion, and out of Housemaster Vaughan’s area of influence, in Florida, all the way up the coast to New York. After arriving in South Carolina, Rhine and Gabriel stumble upon a carnival-themed bordello, run by the ruthless Madame Soleski. Intrigued by Rhine’s beauty, Madame forces the pair to remain in her camp, surrounded by the young girls who draw business to the carnival, and the bodyguards who keep anyone from escaping. There, Rhine and Gabriel meet Lilac, one of Madame’s most intelligent girls, and her daughter Maddie, a malformed but observant little girl. Unwilling to trade the captivity of the Ashby mansion for that of Madame’s carnival, Rhine, Gabriel and Lilac plot a way to escape Madame’s clutches, and achieve their freedom once and for all.

Review:  This sequel to the best-selling novel, Wither, continues the Chemical Garden Trilogy as Rhine and Gabriel traverse the bleak landscape in author Lauren DeStefano’s dystopian America of the not-too-distant future. Fans of Wither will find that, although mention is made of characters from the previous novel, Fever is very different from the first installment in the trilogy. Gone are the ins-and-outs of life in the Ashby mansion, Rhine’s relationship with her sister wives, feelings for her husband, Linden, and budding romance for servant, Gabriel. Replacing them are the stark realities of prostitution, murder, and disease that existed all along outside the confines of Rhine’s life in the mansion. Fever delves much more into the nitty-gritty than Wither, and certain sides of various characters introduced in the first novel are revealed. The result is a whole new set of circumstances, far more intense than Rhine’s desire to simply escape her marriage to Linden and return to her brother. This makes Fever a successful, though slightly bleak, follow-up to the success of DeStefano’s first novel. The third and final installment in the Chemical Garden Trilogy is set to be released in 2013.

Genre: Science-Fiction

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Themes:  Dystopian, polygamy, disease, prostitution, captivity, love.  

Awards/Reviews:  Sequel to best-selling novel.   

Series Information: Second installment in The Chemical Garden trilogy. First installment, Wither released in 2011. Third installment to be released in 2013.

Discussion questions: 

-    Why do you think that Madame was so intrigued with Rhine?

-    Do you think that Gabriel had any regrets about leaving with Rhine? Why or why not?

-    Do you think Rhine had any regrets about leaving the Ashby mansion?

-     Why do you think Maddie wouldn’t speak?

-    Which novel did you like more: Wither or Fever? Why?

-     What would you like to see happen in the third and final novel in this trilogy?

Wither Book Review

Author: Lauren DeStefano. Release date: 2011. Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781442409064.

Annotation:  Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery’s world is ending: efforts to genetically engineer the perfect human race have created a virus that causes all of the children of the first generation of perfect humans to die, men at twenty-five years old, women at twenty. To avoid extinction, women are forced into polygamous relationships with wealthy men to conceive as many children as possible. Rhine is kidnapped from her home and forced to marry a man she has never met; but she won’t be held captive without a fight.  

Personal thoughts:  I absolutely loved this novel! I was sort of apathetic about picking it up, but once I read the first chapter I was hooked. What an excellent start to an original new series! I love to see what different authors do with the whole dystopian concept, and I think that DeStefano really proved her literary prowess with this novel. I cannot wait to pick up the second book as soon as it is released! This is a must-read!   

Plot summary: In sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery’s world, efforts to genetically engineer the perfect human race have created a terrible virus: all of the children of the first generation of the “master race” are destined to die early deaths; men at age twenty-five, women at age twenty. The virus has caused society to be pushed to the brink of anarchy. To avoid extinction, girls are forced into polygamous marriages to conceive as many children as possible. Teens as young as thirteen are rounded up by the dozens and sold to the highest bidder. Rhine has managed to survive on the streets of Manhattan with her twin brother, Rowan, but, unable to escape the fate of so many girls, finds herself kidnapped and living in the house of Vaughan Ashby and his son, twenty-year-old Linden. Along with two other girls, eighteen-year-old Jenna and thirteen-year-old Cecily, Rhine is abruptly married to Linden and living a glamorous life of captivity in the Ashby mansion. Determined to return to her brother, Rhine promises herself that she will find a way to escape the confines of her gilded prison.  But when the time comes, will Rhine be able to abandon the sister-wives she has come to love or the handsome servant, Gabriel, who she quickly finds herself falling for?

Review:  Debut author Lauren DeStefano’s first installment in her Chemical Garden trilogy proves within the first few pages to be a gripping, utterly original and thoroughly addicting masterpiece. DeStefano immediately immerses the reader in the horrors of Rhine’s world: society is on the brink of anarchy and girls are forced into lives of prostitution, kidnapping, and rape on a regular basis. The glitz and glamour of the mansion that Rhine finds herself living in creates an almost sickening juxtaposition with the reality of what is happening to Rhine and her sister-wives. The relationship between Linden Ashby’s three wives is arguably the crux of the story, although the romance between Rhine and her servant, Gabriel, and Rhine’s memories of her beloved twin-brother, Rowan, are also important plot elements. In creating such a vivid and complex story, DeStefano has really set the stage for a dystopian trilogy that will, in all likelihood, stay fresh through the following two novels. The sequel, Fever, is set to be released in February 2012. It will, no doubt, prove to be another wonderful installment in a very promising series equally enjoyable for teen and adult readers alike.

Genre: Science-Fiction

Reading level: Grade 8+

Similar titles: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.      

Themes:  Dystopian, marriage, polygamy, sisters, kidnapping, murder, captivity, love.

Awards/Reviews:  Positive reviews Booklist, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, Kirkus and School Library Journal.  

Series Information: First installment in Chemical Garden trilogy. Second novel, Fever, to be released in February 2012.

Discussion questions:

- Do you think that the future Rhine lives in could ever be possible? Why or why not?

- Who do you like better: Jenna or Cecily? Why?

- Do you think Linden is a bad person? Why or why not?

- What do you think Housemaster Vaughan was doing in the basement?

- If you were Rhine, would you try to escape? Why or why not?

- What would you like to see happen in the second novel, Fever?