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grumpachu's review against another edition
4.0
Finally! A well written, unique young adult novel that doesn't fall hazard to predictable boy/girl romance or silly unbelievable plot twists. Instead we get a unique universe set in a future London (the first book of the Fever Crumb trilogy is a prequel to another series which I'm looking forward to reading as well), an engaging plot, interesting family dynamics and a teenage female protagonist that I actually like. Also, Noodle Poodle.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
cheermio's review against another edition
4.0
Delightful. Fever Crumb's story in a dystopic, post-apocalyptic London is excellent. Her heritage and growth as she transitions from childhood bubble to adult aware of the world and her place in it is well told. Characters abound but are not confusing and even though I might have wished some of them were more fleshed-out--just so I could understand their (generally horrible and selfish) actions even more, it was still fully realized characters and plot with continuous pacing and a well delivered end.
dairyqueen84's review against another edition
5.0
The far future world was well imagined. Populated with characters with great depth, especially Fever.
figureskatingbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly got very confused and I really don’t care about Fever’s story. Whoops
luffy79's review against another edition
2.0
So this is this steampunk of which they mention...this is a new genre for me. I was delighted, at the beginning with the ease, the fluency, and intuitiveness of the words. I thought we have here a winner. But this type of book needed a few strong twists. Instead, we get predictable plots, lazy devices which are excuses for shifting this and that character around without much invention(no pun). I have the two sequels of this trilogy ready to be read. But this book relied too much on a parables like preach. The book supports themes. Like childhood, innocence, coming of age, responsibility, history, legacy, genetics etc. For this book to turn on its head(again, no pun), it had to be just a bunch of original and exciting things that simply happened. Instead, it's not.
edgeworth's review against another edition
3.0
Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I have something of a love affair with Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series.There's obviously a fair degree of nostalgia involved, but I do honestly believe that his sprawling, swashbuckling, creative adventure series is one of the best young adult series every written, combining high adventure with a level of character development rarely seen in YA fiction (or any kind of science fiction or adventure fiction, for that matter).
So I approached Fever Crumb fairly secure in the knowledge that it wasn't going to be as good, because nothing could live up to that (see also: Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive). Taking place a thousand years before the events of the Mortal Engines series, Fever Crumb is set in the squalid ruins of the once great city of London, where a primitive society lives amongst ancient buildings and landmarks. Formerly ruled by the Scriven, a race of genetically mutated humans, the novel begins fourteen years after the Scriven were overthrown and (supposedly) wiped out. Fever, an orphan girl, is being raised by a society of engineers living inside the hollowed-out head of a statue of the Scrivens' toppled king.
Shades of the Mortal Engines future can be seen throughout the book. London is threatened by nomad hordes to the north, who travel about in hordes of moving citadels and "traction castles." This builds towards the novel's finale, which clearly sets out the legend of the foundation of London as the first Traction City. Most importantly, the nomad hordes operate the cyborg Stalkers that are still going into battle in the wars of the Mortal Engines series, and Fever Crumb is in part an origin tale of a returning character. (Since the book takes place a thousand years in the past, readers of Mortal Engines should be able to guess which one.) I wasn't sure how I felt about this; his origins didn't really need to be explored, although Reeve handles it well, and it does lead to one of the character's most touching moments.
I can't find the exact quote, but Reeve mentioned somewhere on his blog that the Fever Crumb series probably wouldn't appeal to those who loved the Mortal Engines series for its big-screen drama, mayhem and explosions. That's not the only reason I loved the series, but it's true that Fever Crumb is generally a quieter, more muted story. It has a number of semi-comical scenes which suggest that it's either aimed at younger readers, or that Reeve is indulging in his childish side. (And some of those names made me cringe - B@ttersea and Ox-fart Circus? Really?) There are still a handful of strong moments where you can see the old Reeve shining through, like when the statue's head collapses or when, as I mentioned before, we have a poignant moment with an old character. But on the whole, this isn't anywhere as good as Mortal Engines, on both character and plot terms.
It's still a good book. Philip Reeve is one of the era's finest writers of young adult fiction, and Fever Crumb is is a much better book than 95% of it cohorts. It's absolutely not a book anyone should read before the Mortal Engines series, and it's not as good, but I have heard that it picks up later in its own series. I'll be reading A Web of Air, the sequel, before long.
So I approached Fever Crumb fairly secure in the knowledge that it wasn't going to be as good, because nothing could live up to that (see also: Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive). Taking place a thousand years before the events of the Mortal Engines series, Fever Crumb is set in the squalid ruins of the once great city of London, where a primitive society lives amongst ancient buildings and landmarks. Formerly ruled by the Scriven, a race of genetically mutated humans, the novel begins fourteen years after the Scriven were overthrown and (supposedly) wiped out. Fever, an orphan girl, is being raised by a society of engineers living inside the hollowed-out head of a statue of the Scrivens' toppled king.
Shades of the Mortal Engines future can be seen throughout the book. London is threatened by nomad hordes to the north, who travel about in hordes of moving citadels and "traction castles." This builds towards the novel's finale, which clearly sets out the legend of the foundation of London as the first Traction City. Most importantly, the nomad hordes operate the cyborg Stalkers that are still going into battle in the wars of the Mortal Engines series, and Fever Crumb is in part an origin tale of a returning character. (Since the book takes place a thousand years in the past, readers of Mortal Engines should be able to guess which one.) I wasn't sure how I felt about this; his origins didn't really need to be explored, although Reeve handles it well, and it does lead to one of the character's most touching moments.
I can't find the exact quote, but Reeve mentioned somewhere on his blog that the Fever Crumb series probably wouldn't appeal to those who loved the Mortal Engines series for its big-screen drama, mayhem and explosions. That's not the only reason I loved the series, but it's true that Fever Crumb is generally a quieter, more muted story. It has a number of semi-comical scenes which suggest that it's either aimed at younger readers, or that Reeve is indulging in his childish side. (And some of those names made me cringe - B@ttersea and Ox-fart Circus? Really?) There are still a handful of strong moments where you can see the old Reeve shining through, like when the statue's head collapses or when, as I mentioned before, we have a poignant moment with an old character. But on the whole, this isn't anywhere as good as Mortal Engines, on both character and plot terms.
It's still a good book. Philip Reeve is one of the era's finest writers of young adult fiction, and Fever Crumb is is a much better book than 95% of it cohorts. It's absolutely not a book anyone should read before the Mortal Engines series, and it's not as good, but I have heard that it picks up later in its own series. I'll be reading A Web of Air, the sequel, before long.
kslhersam's review against another edition
2.0
Finally finished this book that I started a few months ago. Obviously it didn't grab me and was a bit boring so I kept picking up other books. I did finish it though since I got it free for an early review.
The main girl is named Fever Crumb and she lives with a bunch of engineers in London; one of them being her adopted dad. They don't believe in showing emotions and they dress plainly and shave their heads (including Fever). Then Fever gets recruited to become an assistant somewhere else and suddenly people are after her and London is under attack.
It may sound exciting, but it was slow-paced and the descriptions were lacking. I had a hard time picturing the city and the different people.
The main girl is named Fever Crumb and she lives with a bunch of engineers in London; one of them being her adopted dad. They don't believe in showing emotions and they dress plainly and shave their heads (including Fever). Then Fever gets recruited to become an assistant somewhere else and suddenly people are after her and London is under attack.
It may sound exciting, but it was slow-paced and the descriptions were lacking. I had a hard time picturing the city and the different people.
njlbo1's review against another edition
3.0
I was excited to read this after I won it in a book give-away. I enjoyed it more in the beginning but found myself looking forward to unraveling some of the mysteries of Fever Crumb. Then, once the mysteries started rapidly unraveling, I found the story...I don't know how to describe it--"uncomfortable" is the word that comes to mind. I can't quite put my finger on why. The futuristic, post-technology world reminded me a little of City of Embers. All in all, I liked it but didn't love it. It was well-written; I think it just wasn't my cup of tea.
fyrier's review against another edition
5.0
I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. I've enjoyed it as much as the Mortal Engines books, it's the perfect compliment, explaining some part of the plot and history of the world while introducing new characters, with such depth and visions it's impossible not to like them.
I'll probably reread the book, as it's so packed with information and the story is so entangled it became difficult to follow at times. I love how unsure everything is with this author, I learned from the Mortal Engines that everything could happened at any time, but this book takes it to the next level. I love how well the story builds up and leads to a sequence of events while maintaining this uncertainty. I also fell in love with the way the characters are written. I've said it before, but it amazes me how every character counts, even the secondary or background characters are so well thought, with histories of their own and a sense of purpose that I've seen lack in other stories.
Last of the year (and decade) but the best so far.
I'll probably reread the book, as it's so packed with information and the story is so entangled it became difficult to follow at times. I love how unsure everything is with this author, I learned from the Mortal Engines that everything could happened at any time, but this book takes it to the next level. I love how well the story builds up and leads to a sequence of events while maintaining this uncertainty. I also fell in love with the way the characters are written. I've said it before, but it amazes me how every character counts, even the secondary or background characters are so well thought, with histories of their own and a sense of purpose that I've seen lack in other stories.
Last of the year (and decade) but the best so far.