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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Now that the shock factor of Wither has worn off, Fever had a lot to live up to. Don’t get me wrong, I like Wither. I gave it four stars. But the majority of the interest it draws is due to the shocking and disturbing plot of young girls being married off into polygamous marriages. So now that we’ve kind of “seen that, read it”, Fever had to stand on it’s own.
I think it did a good job in all the places where Wither lacked. It has a lot more action and running around, which for some reason I’m really drawn to in books. I think because it allows you to see the world within the book from other perspectives instead of having tunnel vision where we only see what’s going on in one part of the world. So that was definitely a plus and something I was hoping for from this book.
But what the book didn’t give me is…more! I want a war or something to happen in this world. It needs to happen. Despite the conspicuous, and strangely specific, ages that these people die at, they should not be treated like they are. I was hoping for more of a revolution going down in Fever, and we definitely didn’t get that. We did get sparks, but nothing full out. Rhine is fighting for her own life, but I want a bigger picture here.
Overall, the book is good, but not great. It’ll keep you turning the page, and we get some interesting developments regarding Vaughn’s crack-pot scientific theories, but other than that I was a little disappointed. We also hardly got any Rhine/Gabriel time and that’s another thing I wanted.
I still like the series and I’m still intrigued by the world DeStefano has created, but I’m hoping that with the last book in the trilogy some big revolutionary stuff happens. Because if everyone ends up where they started off when the series began, then what’s the point of telling a story about it?
I think it did a good job in all the places where Wither lacked. It has a lot more action and running around, which for some reason I’m really drawn to in books. I think because it allows you to see the world within the book from other perspectives instead of having tunnel vision where we only see what’s going on in one part of the world. So that was definitely a plus and something I was hoping for from this book.
But what the book didn’t give me is…more! I want a war or something to happen in this world. It needs to happen. Despite the conspicuous, and strangely specific, ages that these people die at, they should not be treated like they are. I was hoping for more of a revolution going down in Fever, and we definitely didn’t get that. We did get sparks, but nothing full out. Rhine is fighting for her own life, but I want a bigger picture here.
Overall, the book is good, but not great. It’ll keep you turning the page, and we get some interesting developments regarding Vaughn’s crack-pot scientific theories, but other than that I was a little disappointed. We also hardly got any Rhine/Gabriel time and that’s another thing I wanted.
I still like the series and I’m still intrigued by the world DeStefano has created, but I’m hoping that with the last book in the trilogy some big revolutionary stuff happens. Because if everyone ends up where they started off when the series began, then what’s the point of telling a story about it?
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
I feel a little lost after finishing ‘Fever’. The book had so much potential to explore the dangerous world that Lauren DeStefano has created and I feel like it fell flat a little bit. I was a little disappointed with the pace and order of plot; it didn’t grab me at the start of the book, took quite a while to move anywhere and little progress was actually made. If it wasn’t for the last 50 or so pages, ‘Fever’ wouldn’t have impressed me much.
We were presented with an alternative life in ‘Wither’ – a luxury lifestyle that started with kidnapping and forces marriage and ended with lazy days in a mansion; all while being teased with Rhine’s memories of the outside world. In ‘Fever’ we get a taste of that life, many times over. Scarlet Districts, selling your body in tented communities; First Generation families that have lost hope due to lost children; destroyed towns that are nothing like the freedom Rhine described. This book is like looking through a mirror – we’re seeing everything we ever wondered about Rhine’s world. It’s a confronting world and described so well. You can’t help cringing at the lifestyles people are put through and feel emotionally drained imagining living that way yourself. But unfortunately it didn’t hold my interest as much as I wanted it to.
The book had a slow start. I feel like the order of events happens at the wrong times. It’s not that the plot points and revelations were bad, but where they were placed in the story meant there was such a big gap between interesting and shocking moments that made you want to keep reading and discovering the outside world, that I found myself struggling to want to keep reading. There is one such scene that happens mid-way through the book, which I believe would have made a better start. It would have turned the book upside-down and made me desperate to find out what happens next that I would have sat through a tap endlessly dripping for hours just to see where it leads. But, and there’s always a ‘but’; it came too little too late. By the time we had our Shock-Horror revelation it didn’t lead us anywhere.
Part of my biggest problem with this book was Rhine. She fought so hard in ‘Wither’ to escape the confines of being a Sister Bride and then, thrown into equally horrible situations outside of the mansion, she decides to just go with the flow. There’s no spark, no urgency to get out of trouble. I expected her need to find Rowan would make her struggle and fight, but instead we’re taken on a long journey before Rowan really becomes the main focus and a lot of what we see doesn’t go very far. It’s very flat.
I’m a person who really likes a bit of romance in a story. It’s not necessary for me to enjoy a book, but I do like to smile when the girl falls for the guy. But I feel really detached from the potential partners in this story. Linden was missing for most of the book, so you can’t build off the relationship that was present in the first book, and despite both Gabriel and Rhine claiming they want each other, to me, there was little evidence of their connection. I felt more of a connection with Silas, a side character who was “living in the moment” with girls in the back shed because he actually had a bit of a personality and was aware of what was going on with Rhine. Gabriel and Linden both seem sort of oblivious to her thoughts and emotions.
The end of the book did have its interesting moments and I will say it’s the saviour of the story. Vaughn and his evil scientist ways play a big part in the end and I would have loved to have seen more of his plans and experiments; but what we’re given definitely satisfies my need for secretive and mysterious plot twists.
Despite my issues with the book, I’m glad I read it and I do want to see what happens to Rhine and the rest of the gang, but I probably won’t rush out to buy book #3 for release day.
3.5/5 stars
We were presented with an alternative life in ‘Wither’ – a luxury lifestyle that started with kidnapping and forces marriage and ended with lazy days in a mansion; all while being teased with Rhine’s memories of the outside world. In ‘Fever’ we get a taste of that life, many times over. Scarlet Districts, selling your body in tented communities; First Generation families that have lost hope due to lost children; destroyed towns that are nothing like the freedom Rhine described. This book is like looking through a mirror – we’re seeing everything we ever wondered about Rhine’s world. It’s a confronting world and described so well. You can’t help cringing at the lifestyles people are put through and feel emotionally drained imagining living that way yourself. But unfortunately it didn’t hold my interest as much as I wanted it to.
The book had a slow start. I feel like the order of events happens at the wrong times. It’s not that the plot points and revelations were bad, but where they were placed in the story meant there was such a big gap between interesting and shocking moments that made you want to keep reading and discovering the outside world, that I found myself struggling to want to keep reading. There is one such scene that happens mid-way through the book, which I believe would have made a better start. It would have turned the book upside-down and made me desperate to find out what happens next that I would have sat through a tap endlessly dripping for hours just to see where it leads. But, and there’s always a ‘but’; it came too little too late. By the time we had our Shock-Horror revelation it didn’t lead us anywhere.
Part of my biggest problem with this book was Rhine. She fought so hard in ‘Wither’ to escape the confines of being a Sister Bride and then, thrown into equally horrible situations outside of the mansion, she decides to just go with the flow. There’s no spark, no urgency to get out of trouble. I expected her need to find Rowan would make her struggle and fight, but instead we’re taken on a long journey before Rowan really becomes the main focus and a lot of what we see doesn’t go very far. It’s very flat.
I’m a person who really likes a bit of romance in a story. It’s not necessary for me to enjoy a book, but I do like to smile when the girl falls for the guy. But I feel really detached from the potential partners in this story. Linden was missing for most of the book, so you can’t build off the relationship that was present in the first book, and despite both Gabriel and Rhine claiming they want each other, to me, there was little evidence of their connection. I felt more of a connection with Silas, a side character who was “living in the moment” with girls in the back shed because he actually had a bit of a personality and was aware of what was going on with Rhine. Gabriel and Linden both seem sort of oblivious to her thoughts and emotions.
The end of the book did have its interesting moments and I will say it’s the saviour of the story. Vaughn and his evil scientist ways play a big part in the end and I would have loved to have seen more of his plans and experiments; but what we’re given definitely satisfies my need for secretive and mysterious plot twists.
Despite my issues with the book, I’m glad I read it and I do want to see what happens to Rhine and the rest of the gang, but I probably won’t rush out to buy book #3 for release day.
3.5/5 stars
Gorgeous cover! I really like it and have liked it since it's reveal. I've heard some people say it looks "fan-made"... a) what's wrong with it being fan-made? b) even if it was, kudos to the fan because it's eye catching for sure! And everything, right down to the last detail plays a crucial part in the book.
For starters, if you haven't read Wither yet, stop reading this and read that instead! Seriously, it's a great book. Right where Wither's awesomeness ends, Fever's begins! It picks up with Rhine and Gabriel and their journey to "freedom". I quote freedom because to Rhine that's what it is, but to Gabriel, it's something completely new and different. For Rhine, her escape is freedom from her husband, her sister wives and more importantly, freedom from her father in law, Vaughn. But for Gabriel, the escape is something he believed he wanted with Rhine. Though as the story goes on, we can see how things and feelings change.
As Fever progresses, we expreience the thrill of running away. And for Rhine and Gabriel it's not just thrilling. It's a never ending journey of escape...run...hide...escape...run...hide. So for them, it's not easy. Unfortunately, on their escape to Manhattan, they run into a circus of prositutes run by a mad women. The two of them have to endure things that are unimaginable all while trying to escape yet again. During this time, enemies are made, but more importantly, friends are made. One friend made among them is Maddie, a young malformed mute (DeStefano's character description - not mine) ,who is more than just that. Maddie is such a great character, and it was nice to see another character with such importance be introduced. Rhine, the main character has changed since Wither. Not changed so much I guess, as grown. With all that she has gone through, and the moping she did at "home" with her husband, she has had to grow up, and toughen up and be the fearless girl Gabriel pictured. Gabriel has changed since Wither too, he used to be the quiet, respectable house worker. Now on the run with Rhine, he's seen things he's never seen and had to toughen up too. He heard Rhine talking about Manhattan, New York and how wonderful it was there. Rhine also always talked about Rowan and how things would be once she was home with him, so Gabriel has this preconcieved notion and boy, is he wrong. You can definitely see the toll it's taken on Gabriel, all of this escaping and troubles they encounter.
DeStefano's dystopian world is not one that I would ever want to live in. The world she writes about it crazy, really. Women and men only living to 20 and 25, the women being "Gathered" and sold into polygamus relationships, and everything else in this world is a little unbelievable, but the way DeStefano writes is enough to make it a good story. The ideas are so far-strecthed, but the actual writing isn't. Plot lines, characters, and the fast pace make Fever a great installment to The Chemical Gardens series, and I cannot wait for book #3.
For starters, if you haven't read Wither yet, stop reading this and read that instead! Seriously, it's a great book. Right where Wither's awesomeness ends, Fever's begins! It picks up with Rhine and Gabriel and their journey to "freedom". I quote freedom because to Rhine that's what it is, but to Gabriel, it's something completely new and different. For Rhine, her escape is freedom from her husband, her sister wives and more importantly, freedom from her father in law, Vaughn. But for Gabriel, the escape is something he believed he wanted with Rhine. Though as the story goes on, we can see how things and feelings change.
As Fever progresses, we expreience the thrill of running away. And for Rhine and Gabriel it's not just thrilling. It's a never ending journey of escape...run...hide...escape...run...hide. So for them, it's not easy. Unfortunately, on their escape to Manhattan, they run into a circus of prositutes run by a mad women. The two of them have to endure things that are unimaginable all while trying to escape yet again. During this time, enemies are made, but more importantly, friends are made. One friend made among them is Maddie, a young malformed mute (DeStefano's character description - not mine) ,who is more than just that. Maddie is such a great character, and it was nice to see another character with such importance be introduced. Rhine, the main character has changed since Wither. Not changed so much I guess, as grown. With all that she has gone through, and the moping she did at "home" with her husband, she has had to grow up, and toughen up and be the fearless girl Gabriel pictured. Gabriel has changed since Wither too, he used to be the quiet, respectable house worker. Now on the run with Rhine, he's seen things he's never seen and had to toughen up too. He heard Rhine talking about Manhattan, New York and how wonderful it was there. Rhine also always talked about Rowan and how things would be once she was home with him, so Gabriel has this preconcieved notion and boy, is he wrong. You can definitely see the toll it's taken on Gabriel, all of this escaping and troubles they encounter.
DeStefano's dystopian world is not one that I would ever want to live in. The world she writes about it crazy, really. Women and men only living to 20 and 25, the women being "Gathered" and sold into polygamus relationships, and everything else in this world is a little unbelievable, but the way DeStefano writes is enough to make it a good story. The ideas are so far-strecthed, but the actual writing isn't. Plot lines, characters, and the fast pace make Fever a great installment to The Chemical Gardens series, and I cannot wait for book #3.
Not as compelling as the first one, but still good enough that I will read the last one.
I'm an absolute masochist so I couldn't resist seeing if this book was as crap as the previous one. If you want to witness my rage over the previous novel, which is the most infuriating book I've read since Twilight, check it out here.
Because Gabriel and Rhine escape the mansion and we don't have to witness awkward forced interactions with Linden everyday, this book is a little less crap than its predecessor. The book tracks Gabriel and Rhine as they escape the mansion, wind up working in an evil brothel carnival, return to New York to find Rowan, and end up back at the mansion under blackmail by Vaughn.
While I admit that the book is a little less crap than the first one, I still wouldn't say it was a good book by any means. The brothel carnival was utterly ridiculous. Rhine and Gabriel wander too close to a carnival to even bother running away, and are forced into servitude by a crazy lady whose hired guns have apparently never entertained the thought of turning on her. Gabriel gets hooked on drugs and they're forced to put on peepshows for the local cashed up bogans, which just proves that when you think this series is crappy and ludicrious, it gets even crappier and more ludicrous.
While I was confused as to who Silas was for the longest time (brother/cousin/lover/friend), the orphanage scenes actually managed to stir some emotion in me. It was heartbreaking delivering Maddie to her grandmother and learning that Lilac/Grace had been gathered so young and sold into prostitution. However, I still felt that too much of the focus was placed on how Silas felt about the ordeal, when Claire must have been suffering unimaginable pain in effectively losing a child.
And I will concede that the story picked up when Vaughn captured Rhine and subjected her to months of medical torture in the basement. I never guessed that Rhine's flu-like symptoms were the result of withdrawal from medication, let alone medication delivered through the June Beans! Though I don't understand what Rhine's genetic mosaicism is or how it could play a role in developing a vaccine, I was interested by the concept of building up a virus immunity the same way in which the flu vaccine is delivered.
I mentioned in my review of the previous book that Vaughn was a crappy half-arsed villain, but he really stepped up his game in this novel. He made me sick to my stomach the way he treated Rhine as a test subject rather than a human being, beating her down with medication and inhumane experiments simply because she was both different and difficult. I also disliked Linden a little less when I realised that he truly had no clue about Vaughn's extracurricular activities in the basement. While I still think he's a thickheaded pig who is totally devoid of personality, it's a little preferable to thinking he just gave his wife over for experiments.
I could've cried with joy when Rhine told Linden what a monster his father is, but I was frustrated that she still didn't tell him the truth about how she came to be at the mansion! No matter how much Linden wanted to give his father the benefit of the doubt, surely killing teenage girls in cold blood in the back of a van is inexcusable, no?
I'm glad we finally got a glimpse of what Rowan has been up to. I hadn't formulated any theories as to where he'd gone, but I certainly didn't expect him to have adopted the anti-science mentality that killed his parents! I'm hoping that Rhine manages to unite with Rowan, show him the error of his ways, and they can live a life of rainbows and smiles back at the mansion with a dead Vaughn, dead Linden and healthy Gabriel.
Overall: While this book was less shitty than its predecessor, I still wouldn't recommend that anybody touch this series unless they also like to spend their afternoons casually self-flagellating with a spiked whip. The story picks up and some characters start to come into their own, but you'll still finish the book so frustrated that you want to scream and punch the nearest inanimate object. Instead of straight up rage at the crappy male lead, crappy protagonist and crappy universe, I now rage about the crappy male lead, crappy protagonist and despicable villain.
Because Gabriel and Rhine escape the mansion and we don't have to witness awkward forced interactions with Linden everyday, this book is a little less crap than its predecessor. The book tracks Gabriel and Rhine as they escape the mansion, wind up working in an evil brothel carnival, return to New York to find Rowan, and end up back at the mansion under blackmail by Vaughn.
While I admit that the book is a little less crap than the first one, I still wouldn't say it was a good book by any means. The brothel carnival was utterly ridiculous. Rhine and Gabriel wander too close to a carnival to even bother running away, and are forced into servitude by a crazy lady whose hired guns have apparently never entertained the thought of turning on her. Gabriel gets hooked on drugs and they're forced to put on peepshows for the local cashed up bogans, which just proves that when you think this series is crappy and ludicrious, it gets even crappier and more ludicrous.
While I was confused as to who Silas was for the longest time (brother/cousin/lover/friend), the orphanage scenes actually managed to stir some emotion in me. It was heartbreaking delivering Maddie to her grandmother and learning that Lilac/Grace had been gathered so young and sold into prostitution. However, I still felt that too much of the focus was placed on how Silas felt about the ordeal, when Claire must have been suffering unimaginable pain in effectively losing a child.
And I will concede that the story picked up when Vaughn captured Rhine and subjected her to months of medical torture in the basement. I never guessed that Rhine's flu-like symptoms were the result of withdrawal from medication, let alone medication delivered through the June Beans! Though I don't understand what Rhine's genetic mosaicism is or how it could play a role in developing a vaccine, I was interested by the concept of building up a virus immunity the same way in which the flu vaccine is delivered.
I mentioned in my review of the previous book that Vaughn was a crappy half-arsed villain, but he really stepped up his game in this novel. He made me sick to my stomach the way he treated Rhine as a test subject rather than a human being, beating her down with medication and inhumane experiments simply because she was both different and difficult. I also disliked Linden a little less when I realised that he truly had no clue about Vaughn's extracurricular activities in the basement. While I still think he's a thickheaded pig who is totally devoid of personality, it's a little preferable to thinking he just gave his wife over for experiments.
I could've cried with joy when Rhine told Linden what a monster his father is, but I was frustrated that she still didn't tell him the truth about how she came to be at the mansion! No matter how much Linden wanted to give his father the benefit of the doubt, surely killing teenage girls in cold blood in the back of a van is inexcusable, no?
I'm glad we finally got a glimpse of what Rowan has been up to. I hadn't formulated any theories as to where he'd gone, but I certainly didn't expect him to have adopted the anti-science mentality that killed his parents! I'm hoping that Rhine manages to unite with Rowan, show him the error of his ways, and they can live a life of rainbows and smiles back at the mansion with a dead Vaughn, dead Linden and healthy Gabriel.
Overall: While this book was less shitty than its predecessor, I still wouldn't recommend that anybody touch this series unless they also like to spend their afternoons casually self-flagellating with a spiked whip. The story picks up and some characters start to come into their own, but you'll still finish the book so frustrated that you want to scream and punch the nearest inanimate object. Instead of straight up rage at the crappy male lead, crappy protagonist and crappy universe, I now rage about the crappy male lead, crappy protagonist and despicable villain.
Original review at Gabic Reads
The general idea: I've escaped my forced marriage, only to be captured by a carnival.
Thoughts upon seeing the cover art: Is she high? And why is there a horse?
It made me feel: Don't trust carnies
Romance: Really strained anywhere it comes from.
Highlight: Maddie. She's adorable
Read it if you like: Carnivals, candy, doctor visits
The general idea: I've escaped my forced marriage, only to be captured by a carnival.
Thoughts upon seeing the cover art: Is she high? And why is there a horse?
It made me feel: Don't trust carnies
Romance: Really strained anywhere it comes from.
Highlight: Maddie. She's adorable
Read it if you like: Carnivals, candy, doctor visits
I thought this was a very interesting book. I wasn't surprised that she didn't find her brother but other than that it was good. I thought that something would've happened between Rhine and Silas but nothing ever did which made me kind of disappointed. I really like her and Linden not her and Gabriel but that's just me. I think my overall favorite scene was when they stayed with Annabelle and Rhine had her palms read. I like Wither the best out of the two but this one was pretty good. If she ends up with anybody I would rather have it be Linden but Gabriel is also perfect for her.
Yes, there IS a reason as to why Rhine looks like she's in unbelievable agony here. No, she's not high. And, no, it's not because there are red ants crawling all over her body. She's sick. Very. But no, not as sick as she looks.
So I'll admit I wasn't really looking forward to this book. Wither was just painful. Really, I bet I looked like Rhine in Fever when I was reading Wither. My eyeballs felt too big for their sockets and my head hurt like a bitch. And I decidedly DID NOT like Gabriel.The only thing hot about that boy is his name.
Do I like the world DeStefano made? Yes. Why? It's not a very creative reason, no. But it is what it is and right now it's different.
So I'll admit I wasn't really looking forward to this book. Wither was just painful. Really, I bet I looked like Rhine in Fever when I was reading Wither. My eyeballs felt too big for their sockets and my head hurt like a bitch. And I decidedly DID NOT like Gabriel.The only thing hot about that boy is his name.
Do I like the world DeStefano made? Yes. Why? It's not a very creative reason, no. But it is what it is and right now it's different.
Review Post: http://totallybookalicious.blogspot.com/2012/03/fever-chemical-garden-trilogy-2-by.html
Fever is book 2 in The Chemical Garden Trilogy and after reading Wither I was super excited to get my hands on Fever. However, even though overall I did enjoy the book it just wasn't up to the same standards as Wither.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped! They are on the run trying to reach Manhatten where Rhine hopes her brother Rowen. However, it's not all smooth sailing. They end up being trapped in a carnival where girls are forced into prosititution. Trying to find a way to escape proves to be very difficult especially with Vaughn on their tale who is hell bent on getting Rhine back to mansion.
Now, I did enjoy this book for the most part. The beginning was very exciting and thrilling but it seems to slow down alot in the middle and doesn't pick up again until the last 60 or so pages. I didn't really like Rhine in this one. In Wither I was unsure about her but this one I just didn't like her. At times she comes across really selfish and her relationship with Gabriel just isn't believable to me.
Fever really feels like a filler book. Wither was amazing and this just felt like a set up book for the final book which I honestly think will be better because the ending to Fever was OMG, Epic! I did not see that coming. The last 60 odd pages where so good but the slow and at times very boring middle let the book down for me. I am really excited for the final book because I hope Linden will have a bigger role in it. As we don't really see much of him in this one. And I do like him. I know alot of people don't but there is just something about him that draws me to him.
Lauren DeStefano has created a very unique and thrilling story that is dark and at times very depressing but it works for this. I hope book 3 renews my faith in this trilogy. And I do recommend reading Fever if you have read Wither. And if you haven't read Wither then go now!!
Fever is book 2 in The Chemical Garden Trilogy and after reading Wither I was super excited to get my hands on Fever. However, even though overall I did enjoy the book it just wasn't up to the same standards as Wither.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped! They are on the run trying to reach Manhatten where Rhine hopes her brother Rowen. However, it's not all smooth sailing. They end up being trapped in a carnival where girls are forced into prosititution. Trying to find a way to escape proves to be very difficult especially with Vaughn on their tale who is hell bent on getting Rhine back to mansion.
Now, I did enjoy this book for the most part. The beginning was very exciting and thrilling but it seems to slow down alot in the middle and doesn't pick up again until the last 60 or so pages. I didn't really like Rhine in this one. In Wither I was unsure about her but this one I just didn't like her. At times she comes across really selfish and her relationship with Gabriel just isn't believable to me.
Fever really feels like a filler book. Wither was amazing and this just felt like a set up book for the final book which I honestly think will be better because the ending to Fever was OMG, Epic! I did not see that coming. The last 60 odd pages where so good but the slow and at times very boring middle let the book down for me. I am really excited for the final book because I hope Linden will have a bigger role in it. As we don't really see much of him in this one. And I do like him. I know alot of people don't but there is just something about him that draws me to him.
Lauren DeStefano has created a very unique and thrilling story that is dark and at times very depressing but it works for this. I hope book 3 renews my faith in this trilogy. And I do recommend reading Fever if you have read Wither. And if you haven't read Wither then go now!!