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jodiesbookishposts's review against another edition
2.0
What a let down! I’m hoping that it is just a mid-series slump and that the final Chemical Gardens book will pack a punch.
amachonis's review
4.0
I wouldn't really say that I was sad that Rhine and Gabriel made it out of the mansion in book 1 (Wither), but I was sad about leaving the story behind there. I couldn't stop reading about the sadistic things that Vaughn was doing in the basement and the drama on the wives' floor. I was really wondering if Gabriel would find freedom worth it on the outside because I knew they would struggle. Though I found Madame pretty interesting, I hated the entire part of the book where they were in her red light district. They were drugged and made to do things against their will, and when Vaughn showed up, their escape was surprising in the sense that it wasn't very realistic. I did really enjoy Rhine's reading with the psychic, who knew about Rowan. When Rhine got to New York, I'm glad she was able to get Maddie, Lilac (or Grace's) child to her grandmother and safety. Rhine's home was destroyed, so that was a big letdown for her. I thought, though, since it had been a year, she should have been more prepared for something so catastrophic. I enjoyed the character of Silas in the orphanage and for a fleeting moment thought there would be a fling between him and Rhine. All this time, Gabriel has been more of a caregiver than a lover. He's devoted to Rhine especially when she falls ill. It seems Jenna warned him to take care of her since she realized Rhine was being experimented on as she was. Luckily, Rhine didn't decline as fast as Jenna did. The end of the book was riveting. Rhine goes with Vaughn willingly after she realizes how sick she's become. He reveals a lot to her -- that he was the one who made her sick with the candies she loved, how he killed Jenna (just a confirmation, really), and how he found her: a tracking device in her thigh. For a period of time (weeks? months?) she is put through test after test and kept heavily drugged. She sees her former domestic Deirdre and Cecily also finds out she is back. Cecily makes a big mistake in not telling Linden, who is still in his bubble of oblivion and holographs. Vaughn has lied to her and said that Linden disowned her (I never believed that since Linden is so tenderhearted. She may have broken his heart, but he's not a monster like his father.) Rhine is taken to a hospital where she begins to recover. The curtain is pulled back from Linden's eyes, though he doesn't 100% believe everything yet. There is a moving scene between husband and former wife at the end of the book. I immediately started the 3rd book upon finishing the 2nd -- the ending was just that good. So, even though I didn't love a lot of the book, overall is was well-written. Once you read the 3rd book, you appreciate things you didn't know about when you first read them....
l4uren_11's review
5.0
OH MY GOSH!! I rarely give books 5 stars but THIS BOOK WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!! Rhine was perfect. The romance perfect. The suspense was perfect! I loved EVERY minute of this book! This book was 100% better than the first! Oh my gosh!! Can the author please be my best friend?! I've been needing a book like this. Rhine was such a perfect character. And I loved that she never wined unless it was the right time. No stupid kissing spots no crying because her feelings got hurt. Just, OH MY GOSH. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! *CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME SCREAMING?!*
alyssaht's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book...I really did...but didn't. Didn't move the story along enough. Some information about the broader society that wasn't revealed in the first book but not enough to make it worth reading the book. Not enough revelation about how society got where it is in the book. Too much time in the main character's head...Grrr. I am invested enough that I will still read the final book in the trilogy...I just hope that one is better. Should my judgement of a book be influenced by the age of the author?? I still really like the premise of this trilogy...things just don't move along like they should.
literaryanna's review
5.0
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: Literary Exploration
When Sasha from Sash and Em let me borrow Fever last month I was ecstatic! I absolutely loved Wither, and the cliffhanger ending had me craving more of Rhine and Gabriel. In the sequel to Wither, DeStefano shows us the world outside of Linden’s mansion and has Rhine and Gabriel fighting for their lives. I absolutely loved where DeStefano took the story, it was heart-breaking, thrilling, and an amazing adventure.
Fever follows Rhine and Gabriel as they escape from the mansion, only to run into some new villains. The ringmistress who runs the carnival where Rhine and Gabriel are now trapped is a horrifying woman who pimps out young girls to the local men. As Rhine and Gabriel try to figure out how to escape they run into more than one problem. Their relationship definitely develops into something more than it was in Wither which I really enjoyed reading about.
The story is incredibly fast paced, with lots of action going on at all times. Fever turned out to be a really quick read because I just couldn’t put it down. DeStefano had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book, and of course it ended with another cliffhanger! As always, her writing is impeccable and poetic, flowing naturally and elegantly. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Overall, I loved Fever more than Wither and I'm so glad it didn't turn out to be one of those "bridge" sequels that just sort of carries the characters and plot from book one to book three. I completely immersed myself in the story, unable to tear myself away. The characters are as gorgeous and heartbreaking as ever, and the story is magically written. If you loved Wither you’re going to want to get your hands on this one as soon as you can.
When Sasha from Sash and Em let me borrow Fever last month I was ecstatic! I absolutely loved Wither, and the cliffhanger ending had me craving more of Rhine and Gabriel. In the sequel to Wither, DeStefano shows us the world outside of Linden’s mansion and has Rhine and Gabriel fighting for their lives. I absolutely loved where DeStefano took the story, it was heart-breaking, thrilling, and an amazing adventure.
Fever follows Rhine and Gabriel as they escape from the mansion, only to run into some new villains. The ringmistress who runs the carnival where Rhine and Gabriel are now trapped is a horrifying woman who pimps out young girls to the local men. As Rhine and Gabriel try to figure out how to escape they run into more than one problem. Their relationship definitely develops into something more than it was in Wither which I really enjoyed reading about.
The story is incredibly fast paced, with lots of action going on at all times. Fever turned out to be a really quick read because I just couldn’t put it down. DeStefano had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book, and of course it ended with another cliffhanger! As always, her writing is impeccable and poetic, flowing naturally and elegantly. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Overall, I loved Fever more than Wither and I'm so glad it didn't turn out to be one of those "bridge" sequels that just sort of carries the characters and plot from book one to book three. I completely immersed myself in the story, unable to tear myself away. The characters are as gorgeous and heartbreaking as ever, and the story is magically written. If you loved Wither you’re going to want to get your hands on this one as soon as you can.
cleah's review
5.0
Wow. Talk about a novel that has me in it's grips! I think I barely came up for air while reading this book, staying up late into the night the finish it. Not that I was surprised, since I loved Wither so much.
First of all, this book picked up right where the last one left off, and it took me no time at all to catch up. This is what a good series should feel like. That even though it has been roughly a year since I read the first book, I can jump right back into the story again without feeling lost at all.
Oh, how nice it was to be back with Rhine and Gabriel! Quite harrowing at times, but these two characters are so sweet together. And I absolutely loved Madame's carnival. Lauren DeStefano truly excels at world building, capable of describing whole scenes with a few choice adjectives. Color, smell, and taste are her favorite ways to describe the scenes, and I found them to be extra vivid from such sensory words. Just be warned not to read this book while eating! Sickness is a main theme in the story, and it gave me the stomach rolly-pollies on more than one occasion. But I think it takes a lot for a story to revolve around illness and still be interesting enough for the reading to stay enraptured in the plot.
The characters are so fantastic, as well. Rhine is so fortunate to meet the people she does while on her journey. Lilac and Maddie at the carnival are just two of so many lovely folks along the way. Then of course there is the horrifying Vaughn, who makes my blood run cold. The characters, the descriptions, the whole world in general... all of this make the Chemical Garden series so amazing. As long as the book was open in my hands, it literally felt like I disolved into the story. Stunning and beautiful.
One last thing to mention is the cliffhanger ending. How could you, Lauren? I must have the next book, like, now!!
First of all, this book picked up right where the last one left off, and it took me no time at all to catch up. This is what a good series should feel like. That even though it has been roughly a year since I read the first book, I can jump right back into the story again without feeling lost at all.
Oh, how nice it was to be back with Rhine and Gabriel! Quite harrowing at times, but these two characters are so sweet together. And I absolutely loved Madame's carnival. Lauren DeStefano truly excels at world building, capable of describing whole scenes with a few choice adjectives. Color, smell, and taste are her favorite ways to describe the scenes, and I found them to be extra vivid from such sensory words. Just be warned not to read this book while eating! Sickness is a main theme in the story, and it gave me the stomach rolly-pollies on more than one occasion. But I think it takes a lot for a story to revolve around illness and still be interesting enough for the reading to stay enraptured in the plot.
The characters are so fantastic, as well. Rhine is so fortunate to meet the people she does while on her journey. Lilac and Maddie at the carnival are just two of so many lovely folks along the way. Then of course there is the horrifying Vaughn, who makes my blood run cold. The characters, the descriptions, the whole world in general... all of this make the Chemical Garden series so amazing. As long as the book was open in my hands, it literally felt like I disolved into the story. Stunning and beautiful.
One last thing to mention is the cliffhanger ending. How could you, Lauren? I must have the next book, like, now!!
bethorne's review
3.0
This is a good follow up to a book that I really didn't love. I rated Wither poorly because I hated the premise, but Fever is well written and grabs you in.
aneeqah's review
3.0
My thoughts are so mixed with this one. I need some time to process it before I write a review.
Full review to come...
Full review to come...
taylormendoza19's review
2.0
Fever, like the first book, Wither, is simply... ok. The plot is still enjoyable, the characters still one-dimensional and somewhat boring, just overall meh. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad. HOWEVER, the science used (or lack of) still gets on my nerves...
Science doesn't cater to a specific age, and it still baffles me that people in this universe die at an EXACT, PRECISE age. If anything, it would have been 18-22 for girls, and 22-27 for guys. Also, why is the age limit different for girls than for boys? This was not explained.
Also, how is it that North America still only exists without Earth being thrown off its axis?
I don't know guys, I'd love to love this book, but the characters (especially Gabriel) are just so flat and boring. The only characters I actually care about are Silas, Linden, and Cecily. It's just plain sad that I have NO INTEREST IN THE MAIN CHARACTER WHATSOEVER.
However, while Lauren DeStefano's writing style may be enjoyable and beautiful to some, I found it rather annoying, but that's just my preference.
However, thanks to that amazing cliffhanger, I will be buying the last book, Sever.
Science doesn't cater to a specific age, and it still baffles me that people in this universe die at an EXACT, PRECISE age. If anything, it would have been 18-22 for girls, and 22-27 for guys. Also, why is the age limit different for girls than for boys? This was not explained.
Also, how is it that North America still only exists without Earth being thrown off its axis?
I don't know guys, I'd love to love this book, but the characters (especially Gabriel) are just so flat and boring. The only characters I actually care about are Silas, Linden, and Cecily. It's just plain sad that I have NO INTEREST IN THE MAIN CHARACTER WHATSOEVER.
However, while Lauren DeStefano's writing style may be enjoyable and beautiful to some, I found it rather annoying, but that's just my preference.
However, thanks to that amazing cliffhanger, I will be buying the last book, Sever.
invidia20's review against another edition
4.0
At the beginning of the book, I was really annoyed at Rhine. She and Gabriel barely managed to escape the mansion, and she somehow managed to get them in trouble again. But it wasn't really her fault, and I shouldn't have been so upset with her. Because after spending the entire first book wishing for freedom, she finally managed to get it, even if not for long.
It was hard for me to read about Gabriel in this book. He suffered a lot, and he didn't deserve it. But he wasn't the only one who suffered, because Rhine had payed for her escape with more than just her freedom. I had a surgery last year. They took me to the operation room, and told be to count back from ten. I was gone after about five seconds. And then I woke up, and I had no clue where I was, or what's going on around me. I saw people, I heard voices, and I was gone after a minute or so, back to dreamland. I woke up a few times later, and every time I tried to focus on reality, on what was real, but it was so hard, because my body just wanted to go back to sleep. So I went through this for about a day or two, and Rhine suffered that for months.
The writing was great, just like the first book. And I think I fell in love with Rhine even more after I finished reading this book.
It was hard for me to read about Gabriel in this book. He suffered a lot, and he didn't deserve it.
Spoiler
He got addicted to drugs, and it wasn't that easy for him to recover from his addiction.Spoiler
Vaughn put her through things I don't wish to my worst enemy. He made her question what was real, and what's not. He made her wonder if she'll survive to see the sun again, and if he'll ever let her out of his basement of horrors.The writing was great, just like the first book. And I think I fell in love with Rhine even more after I finished reading this book.