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rballenger's review
3.0
Type of read: Commuter (listened to and from work)
What made me pick it up: Currently working through the works of Laurie Halse Anderson.
Overall rating: Not my favorite book by Laurie Halse Anderson, but I'm not mad I read it. There just wasn't a whole lot keeping me engaged on the book. I did like the ending though.
What made me pick it up: Currently working through the works of Laurie Halse Anderson.
Overall rating: Not my favorite book by Laurie Halse Anderson, but I'm not mad I read it. There just wasn't a whole lot keeping me engaged on the book. I did like the ending though.
book_concierge's review
4.0
Audio book performed by Emily Bergl
In 1793 an epidemic of yellow fever severely affected the population of Philadelphia, then the capital of the United States. Anderson crafts a very good work of historical fiction based on the actual events. The young heroine is Mattie Cook. Barely out of childhood, Mattie lives with her widowed mother and her grandfather above the family’s coffeehouse and grudgingly helps around the house and shop. But as disease spreads among the population, Mattie finds that she has to take on more and more responsibility, and use every ounce of her strength, resolve, ambition and determination to survive and thrive. Not everything goes her way and there is much hardship to endure, including illness and separation from her family.
I really like how Anderson has given us a strong heroine who survives by her wits and hard work. Matilda truly matures in the course of the novel, yet remains true to her basic personality.
The audio book is capably performed by Emily Bergl, whose voice brings 18th-century Philadelphia to life. Both the text and the audio versions include an appendix which outlines basic historical facts about the epidemic and history of the country in that time period.
In 1793 an epidemic of yellow fever severely affected the population of Philadelphia, then the capital of the United States. Anderson crafts a very good work of historical fiction based on the actual events. The young heroine is Mattie Cook. Barely out of childhood, Mattie lives with her widowed mother and her grandfather above the family’s coffeehouse and grudgingly helps around the house and shop. But as disease spreads among the population, Mattie finds that she has to take on more and more responsibility, and use every ounce of her strength, resolve, ambition and determination to survive and thrive. Not everything goes her way and there is much hardship to endure, including illness and separation from her family.
I really like how Anderson has given us a strong heroine who survives by her wits and hard work. Matilda truly matures in the course of the novel, yet remains true to her basic personality.
The audio book is capably performed by Emily Bergl, whose voice brings 18th-century Philadelphia to life. Both the text and the audio versions include an appendix which outlines basic historical facts about the epidemic and history of the country in that time period.
joonzeboo's review
4.0
Historical fiction is a new genre for me. I never liked social studies/history classes while growing up. Reading historical fiction is a good way for me to fill in gaps. This book was great - I learned a lot about the yellow fever epidemic. Timing couldn't be worse as we're experiencing COVID - many parallels were found.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
3.0
I had started reading this a while back. I usually finish books like this in a day or two but this one i didn’t finish til now because i had caught a sort of fever that stopped me from finishing it as quickly as i would do. The book was good, i enjoyed it. The only thing that bothered me is that my English teacher had a stack of copies of FEVER 1793 in her cabinet which made me worry because the books we have read so far in her class were some of the worst ratings i have ever had to give a book in my life. As i had said I enjoyed the book. The characters were ok, i didn’t really feel their emotions like i had in One of the Murphy’s. But that is my opinion. If you enjoyed this book. Great, if you didn’t enjoy i bet you had your reasons as well
iceangel32's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book. It has made me want to read more about the fever that hit so close to home so long ago. I love how Laurie does not sugar coat anything and keeps to the facts. This was a great historic read I am glad I got to.
lillieht_4's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
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
abeissel's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hawleymarch's review
adventurous
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
vegprincess's review
4.0
I think Laurie Halse Anderson is a wonderful author and I enjoyed this book. It's not my favorite of hers that I've read but it's good. I'm participating in #ReadKidsLit for the month of November, and I felt like reading some historical fiction, so this book was a good fit for my mood. I think the author did a good job of showing what Phildelphia was like during the Yellow Fever epidemic and I liked reading the appendix after finishing the book because it gave all kinds of factual information about the epidemic.