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archaicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
This is my first book by Alma Katsu, and while I felt The Fervor was a bit repetitive and dragged on at times, I still enjoyed what the author was trying to accomplish. Meiko and her daughter Aiko are being held at a Japanese internment camp in Minidoka Idaho while her husband is off fighting the war as a pilot. Things are horrific at the camp but everyone there does their best to be what they call “good Japanese” in hopes of laying low and being spared the cruelty that the racist white peoples are capable of.
Despite being amicable, Meiko and Aiko are soon torn apart as a strange illness rampages through the camp, and it is soon revealed that this outbreak is not an accident. Katsu does an excellent job of tying in history and fantasy, while still managing to comment on the dangers of nationalism and white supremacy. It’s devastating to see what Meiko and Aiko are forced to deal with simply because they are Japanese, and even more devastating to know that this kind of racism is still around. That people today are following disgusting rhetoric like this in todays age. If you don’t understand why terms like “kung fu flu” and other derogatory terms for Covid spread by the disease that is Trump are problematic and disgusting, then pick up this book and you’ll see why.
While I do wish this was more supernatural and had more Yokai or Japanese lore, I do love that Katsu wrote a book that’s not only historical, but interesting, and provides a marginalized perspective.
I look forward to reading more by Alma Katsu in the future
Despite being amicable, Meiko and Aiko are soon torn apart as a strange illness rampages through the camp, and it is soon revealed that this outbreak is not an accident. Katsu does an excellent job of tying in history and fantasy, while still managing to comment on the dangers of nationalism and white supremacy. It’s devastating to see what Meiko and Aiko are forced to deal with simply because they are Japanese, and even more devastating to know that this kind of racism is still around. That people today are following disgusting rhetoric like this in todays age. If you don’t understand why terms like “kung fu flu” and other derogatory terms for Covid spread by the disease that is Trump are problematic and disgusting, then pick up this book and you’ll see why.
While I do wish this was more supernatural and had more Yokai or Japanese lore, I do love that Katsu wrote a book that’s not only historical, but interesting, and provides a marginalized perspective.
I look forward to reading more by Alma Katsu in the future
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
chloeaber's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: War, Hate crime, and Racism
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: Suicide, Infidelity, and War
Minor: Miscarriage, Gore, and Medical content
ripxw's review against another edition
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: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Child death, and Death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and War
ohhthehorrors's review against another edition
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: Confinement, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Child death, Sexism, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Antisemitism, Suicide, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, and Xenophobia
beersbooksandbooos's review against another edition
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, Xenophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, War, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Murder, and Violence
rachelunabridged's review against another edition
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, Racism, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Miscarriage
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