Early Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Synopsis:
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.

Review
After reading Wither I was dying to see, 'What happens next??!!" So here we go! Fever didn't let me down :) I have to say that it did take me awhile to adjust to the fact that it wasn't taking place in the mansion (obviously, duh. I know.) But there was something so gripping about the juxtaposition of that beautiful, comfortable place riddled with death, corruption and lies.

BUT, truth be told, when Rhine and Gabriel find themselves out in the real world once again, that sour-note-on-the-piano feeling is still there. From the second those two wash up on the beach they find themselves right in the thick of things. I kept thinking that if I were Gabriel I would be so mad at Rhine. And I kept thinking that Rhine might have really made a poor choice in leaving all the comforts of her lovely mansion behind for the 'freedom' she so badly wanted. But I think that's the point! What price would you pay to be free? Or would you settle for chains just because they're comfortable and easy? I'm definitely not as strong as Rhine. That's why I love her character. She might waver in her mind and have uncertainties, but she never falters when it comes right down to it.

Such a great (GREAT) book! The plot was pretty much amazing . . . I won't give a single thing away, but the last quarter of the book is seriously messed up. In a good way. And DeStefano's writing style and descriptions are boss. Absolutely spectacular. It makes me want to describe things and people in my life that way too. I'll keep dreaming on that one ;)


Publication Date: February 21, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, (Awesome)
Source: Thanks to Simon & Schuster Publishing for making this title available at ALA.