Scan barcode
xlizabeth's review
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“The Fervor” was a solid 4.5 for me, and I’ll be adding the rest of Alma Katsu’s historical horror to my TBR.
I’d recommend this to historical fiction fans wanting to dip their toes into horror, or horror fans not wanting blood & guts horror.
We follow a preacher (in Oregon dealing with loss), a reporter (crossing the country dealing with misogyny), and a mother and child (who are in a Japanese internment camp located in Idaho dealing with abuse). I was thrown off by these multiple storylines for a bit since I had surgery in the middle but I think this would be a 4.75 star read if I wasn’t rudely interrupted by my emergency appendectomy.
This is a social commentary horror story which is my favorite type of horror to read. Anti-Asian rhetoric is the true horror but Alma Katsu has added Japanese Yōkai (supernatural spirits) to elevate the storytelling. Be warned, if you’re scared of spiders I’d stay away from this one.
Written during a time when both white nationalism and a deadly virus are spreading, this is a truly terrifying read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy
captainroz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and War
Minor: Gore, Miscarriage, and Medical content
ripxreads's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and War
dirtwitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Miscarriage
ohhthehorrors's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War
nightmare_maven's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
History and horror go hand-in-hand and Alma Katsu always manages to blend them together expertly. The parallel between the historical events in the book and the past two years in the U.S. made this a deeply unsettling read. If you love horror - especially the way the genre holds a mirror up to societal and cultural fears - you'll eat this up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Miscarriage
beersbooksandbooos's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Before I write my review I want to thank Putnam books for giving me a finished copy of The Fervor.
It was the cover that first drew me in, then I read the synopsis, and I knew right then I would love the book. Last year I read The Hunger and that is when I fell in love with Alma Katus. She is also the one who got me to read more horrors. Her writing is beautiful, the story telling makes it hard to put down.
With The Fervor you could tell it as a little more personal than her other books and that is what I really liked about it. Growing up I didn’t learn about the internment camps in school, it wasn’t until I graduated and started to really get into history that I learned about them. It felt like it was something America wanted to forget. There is a quote that really made me stop and think, am I doing this?
“Maybe he was afraid of the hateful nature of his fellow whites-well he could afford to pretend it didn’t exist because he was white, too.”
The theme of this book still can be seen today with all the hate going on in America with all the anti-Asian racism.
Alma Katsu has a wonderful way of drawing you in and making you feel like you are watching the story unfold. I started not liking spiders but now I can’t even look at them the same. I would definitely check the CW/TW before you read this book. There is a scene in the book that hit me a little harder than I thought because I am going through it right now. I really do highly recommend this book to anyone who loves horror and history, it was a great blend of both. My heartbroke and healed with the characters, I got attached to them all. I will be reading a lot more from Alma Katsu.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
rachelunabridged's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I think I can safely say I'm a fan of Alma Katsu after this read. She's very talented at mixing fact with fiction in her stories, and I really dig her particular flavor of historical horror. I love the way she effortlessly combines supernatural horror with the ugly, realistic horror of human nature. While she grabs your attention with the more fantastical aspects of her story, she simultaneously guts you with acts of terror based on real-life events, in case you forget that sometimes the real monsters are other humans.
The Fervor follows the plight of Meiko, a Japanese-American woman, and her daughter Aiko, both of whom have been forced to relocate to an internment camp during World War II. Treated as enemies in their own home, they try to keep their heads down and survive the poor living conditions. Things take a turn when a mysterious illness spreads through the camp, and Meiko must do whatever it takes to save herself and her daughter.
I really enjoyed this read a lot. The combination of the nuanced exploration of the Japanese-American experience during WWII with Japanese mythology was so well done. I've always found Japanese mythology to be fascinating, and this book really scratched that itch for me.
I think I can safely say I'm a fan of Alma Katsu after this read. She's very talented at mixing fact with fiction in her stories, and I really dig her particular flavor of historical horror. I love the way she effortlessly combines supernatural horror with the ugly, realistic horror of human nature. While she grabs your attention with the more fantastical aspects of her story, she simultaneously guts you with acts of terror based on real-life events, in case you forget that sometimes the real monsters are other humans.
The Fervor follows the plight of Meiko, a Japanese-American woman, and her daughter Aiko, both of whom have been forced to relocate to an internment camp during World War II. Treated as enemies in their own home, they try to keep their heads down and survive the poor living conditions. Things take a turn when a mysterious illness spreads through the camp, and Meiko must do whatever it takes to save herself and her daughter.
I really enjoyed this read a lot. The combination of the nuanced exploration of the Japanese-American experience during WWII with Japanese mythology was so well done. I've always found Japanese mythology to be fascinating, and this book really scratched that itch for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Miscarriage