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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
5.0⭐The Fervor
I regret reading it too fast, but I will almost certainly reread it.
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I regret reading it too fast, but I will almost certainly reread it.
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3.5 stars to The Fervor, a historical horror/thriller about a very dark chapter in America’s history.
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I love Alma Katsu’s horror takes on historical events, so I was really excited to pick up this book. It was definitely a heavier read than her other horror books as it is about the Japanese Internment camps in the US during WWII and racism (and also speaks to how we haven’t come as far as we would like to think in that regards). How deeply she researched really shines in the story, as there are so many little details that vividly bring this story to life (she also has family members that experienced the camps that she was able to interview).
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Meiko and Aiko’s POV’s were my favourites in the book and their connection and bond was a highlight of the book. I honestly could have done without one of the other characters POV, as I felt it disjointed the book a bit. The POV of Arthur was disturbing, simply because it shows how easy it can be for some to be swayed to engage in racist behaviour and thoughts when they are steeped in that message, even if they subconsciously know better.
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I wanted to love this book more, but I wanted more from the supernatural horror aspect of it- don’t get me wrong, the horror humans can inflict on other is terrifying- but I wanted more of the Japanese folklore aspect of it. It also took me a while to get into it with the jumping POVs and the ending felt slightly rushed.
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With all that said, I would still recommend picking this one up, it’s an important part of history to acknowledge and learn more about and this book weaves a story that educates and entertains. Also, Alma is a great writer overall, and I’ve never been disappointed by any of her books that I’ve picked up.
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I love Alma Katsu’s horror takes on historical events, so I was really excited to pick up this book. It was definitely a heavier read than her other horror books as it is about the Japanese Internment camps in the US during WWII and racism (and also speaks to how we haven’t come as far as we would like to think in that regards). How deeply she researched really shines in the story, as there are so many little details that vividly bring this story to life (she also has family members that experienced the camps that she was able to interview).
•
Meiko and Aiko’s POV’s were my favourites in the book and their connection and bond was a highlight of the book. I honestly could have done without one of the other characters POV, as I felt it disjointed the book a bit. The POV of Arthur was disturbing, simply because it shows how easy it can be for some to be swayed to engage in racist behaviour and thoughts when they are steeped in that message, even if they subconsciously know better.
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I wanted to love this book more, but I wanted more from the supernatural horror aspect of it- don’t get me wrong, the horror humans can inflict on other is terrifying- but I wanted more of the Japanese folklore aspect of it. It also took me a while to get into it with the jumping POVs and the ending felt slightly rushed.
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With all that said, I would still recommend picking this one up, it’s an important part of history to acknowledge and learn more about and this book weaves a story that educates and entertains. Also, Alma is a great writer overall, and I’ve never been disappointed by any of her books that I’ve picked up.
I haven't read a book as quickly as this one since [b:Mexican Gothic|53152636|Mexican Gothic|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1607462569l/53152636._SY75_.jpg|73647361]. They aren't similar at all, except that they both grabbed me and I couldn't stop reading.
The Fervor takes on a part of the United States' shameful, racist past: The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Katsu does not shy away from comparing internment to the treatment of Jews by the Nazis, or to point out that America's behavior was equally atrocious to that of the bad guys. As an alternate history, The Fervor includes sf and horror elements (beyond the historically accurate horrors) from Japanese folklore. As an arachnophobe, the Jorōgumo is one of the scariest monsters to me ever. It all combined to make a book I could not stop reading.
All Katsu's characters are incredibly well developed; even the one I wanted to hate was sympathetic and had a redemption arc (you'll guess who pretty quickly, I reckon). The story is told from many characters' points of view, slowly revealing the history of these characters' lives and their relationships to each other. I enjoyed how many of them were imperfect but doing their best.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of sf and horror, as well as historical fiction. If you love stories of yōkai or other monsters, you'll like this book. Of course, if you've read enough horror, you know the scariest thing isn't the monsters, but rather something else, like racism. The author's epilogue makes the direct point that this story is not just about the past, but also the present racism that allows for violence against Asians to be ignored.
I was provided an ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.
The Fervor takes on a part of the United States' shameful, racist past: The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Katsu does not shy away from comparing internment to the treatment of Jews by the Nazis, or to point out that America's behavior was equally atrocious to that of the bad guys. As an alternate history, The Fervor includes sf and horror elements (beyond the historically accurate horrors) from Japanese folklore. As an arachnophobe, the Jorōgumo is one of the scariest monsters to me ever. It all combined to make a book I could not stop reading.
All Katsu's characters are incredibly well developed; even the one I wanted to hate was sympathetic and had a redemption arc (you'll guess who pretty quickly, I reckon). The story is told from many characters' points of view, slowly revealing the history of these characters' lives and their relationships to each other. I enjoyed how many of them were imperfect but doing their best.
I would recommend this book to all lovers of sf and horror, as well as historical fiction. If you love stories of yōkai or other monsters, you'll like this book. Of course, if you've read enough horror, you know the scariest thing isn't the monsters, but rather something else, like racism. The author's epilogue makes the direct point that this story is not just about the past, but also the present racism that allows for violence against Asians to be ignored.
I was provided an ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Fervor is a solid work of historical fiction (it’s billed as a horror novel, but I’m hesitant to call it as such given how sparse the supernatural and horror elements are here) exploring the internment of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps during World War II, a viral outbreak, and a dash of government conspiracy for good measure. Alma Katsu uses this historical backdrop to explore white supremacy and violence against Asian-Americans, and despite being set in the waning days of WWII the social commentary is, sadly, as topical as ever given current-day Republican politics, Trumpism, and violence against Asians in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, racism in America is hardly anything new — hell, this country was founded on genocide and slavery, so white supremacy is pretty well baked in — but I was surprised to learn about the Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb attacks on US soil near the war’s end. I wasn’t aware of any such attacks prior to reading The Fervor, and am keen on learning more about them.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. This started as a pretty by-the-numbers mystery/horror but once the story's themes became a bit more developed, it packed a good punch. Our pov character list is blissfully shorter than The Hunger's and each of them were incredibly compelling. The afterword really delivers the second hit of the 1-2 combo, i was almost in tears on the bus ride home as I finished the book. I was skeptical of Katsu after The Hunger left me ironically hungry for something *more* and this is it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No