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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Couldn't bring myself to finish this book. It was too crude and mature for me to handle. To each, their own.
This book took me a while to get through because I kept getting bored with it. It only managed to hook me again towards the last few chapters.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion and are trying to make their way to Manhattan to find Rhine’s brother. Along the way they run into some difficult, /interesting/ places and situations. Vaughn, Linden’s evil mad scientist father, is tracking them down, desperate to get Rhine back for his experiments.
The beginning was okay and ending was better, but the middle was dragging. I’ll probably read the last book just so I know how the story ends, but it won’t be anytime soon.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion and are trying to make their way to Manhattan to find Rhine’s brother. Along the way they run into some difficult, /interesting/ places and situations. Vaughn, Linden’s evil mad scientist father, is tracking them down, desperate to get Rhine back for his experiments.
The beginning was okay and ending was better, but the middle was dragging. I’ll probably read the last book just so I know how the story ends, but it won’t be anytime soon.
Not quite as good as the first one, but left with such a cliff hanger that I need to read the next one right now!!
This is the second book of the Chemical Gardens Trilogy.
After escaping Housemaster Vaughn's clutches, Gabriel and Rhine fall into a trap that keeps them trapped in a menagerie where the girls are used as sex workers to earn money for the ringmistress.
All Rhine wants is to escape Manhattan to find her brother Rowan. But will she be able too? And after a year away from her brother, it seems nothing will ever be the same.
I really enjoyed this story, but there were definitely elements that could be improved.
I loved the characters. Meeting Maddie, Lilac, Jared, Silas, and Clare. There were also other strange but wonderful characters like the fortune teller. Each of their personalities were striking and wonderful.
The pace of the story was much slower than I had anticipated. I did not expect the outcome of escaping the mansion at all. They seemed to fall from one haphazardous place to another. From the brothel, to the fortune teller, to the folks that owned the diner, and then some without ever actually amounting to much in terms of plot and progression. It was action but not action packed. But it also wasnt entirely boring either.
It was a strange combination. The romance is also slow between Rhine and Gabriel, with Gabriel seeming to resent their situation without ever actually saying so. I felt more chemistry between herself and Lindon even though it was a love-hate relationship. At least their relationship wasn't quiet as passive or benign as what we get with Gabriel.
The most interesting part is the ending. It really picks up the ante and things start coming together (or should i say falling apart) which makes you want to read on.
The book was nice with easy readability and an intriguing story-line. But there was just something missing from it that made it an amazing read.
After escaping Housemaster Vaughn's clutches, Gabriel and Rhine fall into a trap that keeps them trapped in a menagerie where the girls are used as sex workers to earn money for the ringmistress.
All Rhine wants is to escape Manhattan to find her brother Rowan. But will she be able too? And after a year away from her brother, it seems nothing will ever be the same.
I really enjoyed this story, but there were definitely elements that could be improved.
I loved the characters. Meeting Maddie, Lilac, Jared, Silas, and Clare. There were also other strange but wonderful characters like the fortune teller. Each of their personalities were striking and wonderful.
The pace of the story was much slower than I had anticipated. I did not expect the outcome of escaping the mansion at all. They seemed to fall from one haphazardous place to another. From the brothel, to the fortune teller, to the folks that owned the diner, and then some without ever actually amounting to much in terms of plot and progression. It was action but not action packed. But it also wasnt entirely boring either.
It was a strange combination. The romance is also slow between Rhine and Gabriel, with Gabriel seeming to resent their situation without ever actually saying so. I felt more chemistry between herself and Lindon even though it was a love-hate relationship. At least their relationship wasn't quiet as passive or benign as what we get with Gabriel.
The most interesting part is the ending. It really picks up the ante and things start coming together (or should i say falling apart) which makes you want to read on.
The book was nice with easy readability and an intriguing story-line. But there was just something missing from it that made it an amazing read.
Rhine and Gabriel are finally free of the mansion, trying to reach Manhattan and Rhine's brother Rowan. Not far into their run they encounter Madame Soleski and her "carnival". It's probably this part of the book that made me drop a star. Soleski with her false accent (DeStefano repeats the phrase in italics to 'emphasise' the accent, after the correct English is spoken which was jarring and I thought unnecessary), and Madame's ultimate power over much younger, stronger, and for some intelligent, group. It's a safety in numbers game.
I can't put my finger on what rubbed me up the wrong way with this sequel. Maybe it was the use of so many drugs? Rhine is always losing her freedom to a needle. Jab! And here we are... Again!
The best part of the book was the end, when some truths are finally delivered which sets up the last novel in the trilogy.
I really enjoyed Wither, whereas Fever was okay. I'll be reading Sever in the hopes it won't be drugged up finale.
I can't put my finger on what rubbed me up the wrong way with this sequel. Maybe it was the use of so many drugs? Rhine is always losing her freedom to a needle. Jab! And here we are... Again!
The best part of the book was the end, when some truths are finally delivered which sets up the last novel in the trilogy.
I really enjoyed Wither, whereas Fever was okay. I'll be reading Sever in the hopes it won't be drugged up finale.
I loved the first one, but this book was so....boring. Monotonous. Strange! (Even though I love this series) it won't stop me from reading the next one, though! :)
I may have to stop reading books that are part of a series that isn't complete. If you don't like ginormous cliffhangers, wait to read this.
I felt like the story didn't make a ton of progress in this book. Yes, Rhine and Gabriel get away but end up trading one prison for another (initially). The relationship between Gabriel and Rhine doesn't really go anywhere and in the end, I have a lot of questions of what happened to him after Rhine left with Vaughn. He was such an integral piece throughout the rest of the book that I feel a bit cheated. With that said, the book is from Rhine's perspective so I get it - she doesn't know either.
I'm glad that Linden was brought back into the story and it is clear that the relationship that he and Rhine had before she left is gone. He still cares for her but is clearly angry and hurt.
I won't even mention the major cliffhanger that the book wraps with. I felt like it was very abrupt and I hate not having any resolution because truly, there wasn't an end to any one of the pieces to this story.
I continue to enjoy the story but will be waiting impatiently for the next book of the series.
I felt like the story didn't make a ton of progress in this book. Yes, Rhine and Gabriel get away but end up trading one prison for another (initially). The relationship between Gabriel and Rhine doesn't really go anywhere and in the end, I have a lot of questions of what happened to him after Rhine left with Vaughn. He was such an integral piece throughout the rest of the book that I feel a bit cheated. With that said, the book is from Rhine's perspective so I get it - she doesn't know either.
I'm glad that Linden was brought back into the story and it is clear that the relationship that he and Rhine had before she left is gone. He still cares for her but is clearly angry and hurt.
I won't even mention the major cliffhanger that the book wraps with. I felt like it was very abrupt and I hate not having any resolution because truly, there wasn't an end to any one of the pieces to this story.
I continue to enjoy the story but will be waiting impatiently for the next book of the series.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Warning: This review contains spoilers pertaining to Wither, the first book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy.
As the second novel in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, Fever starts to tie up the loose ends from Lauren DeStefano’s first novel, Wither. The story picks up right after Rhine and Gabriel run away from Linden’s mansion and steal a boat. Though the two characters are happy to be free, they soon find themselves as unhappy as they were before as they try to find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Wither. Perhaps Fever doesn’t have Wither’s magic because Rhine has exchanged her fairy-tale life in the mansion for a gritty struggle for survival in the real world. Also, the characters’ depth has changed. We no longer see the family of developed characters that Rhine was forced into in Wither. Jenna is dead, and Cecily is still at the mansion with Linden and Vaughn. Yes, Rhine is the main character of the series, but she didn’t interest me quite as much as some of the other, quirkier characters in Wither. Some potentially interesting new characters appear in Fever, but they are not developed much and serve merely to differentiate one setting from another as Rhine and Gabriel travel north. Moreover, first Gabriel, then Rhine deal with illness throughout the book (hence the title), and much of the narration is a detailed stream-of-consciousness account (with lots of sentence fragments and not-quite-strained poetic imagery) of how sick and exhausted Rhine feels. Most of the action and the most interesting revelations are packed into the last 60 pages of this 341-page book, setting the stage for Sever, the final novel of the trilogy. I hope that Sever will return to Wither’s fast-paced drama and finally answer the many questions raised by Wither and Fever.
Verdict: Read this book if you enjoyed Wither and want to know what happens next, but don’t expect an exciting story. Don’t try to read this book if you didn’t enjoy Wither or haven’t read it yet.
As the second novel in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, Fever starts to tie up the loose ends from Lauren DeStefano’s first novel, Wither. The story picks up right after Rhine and Gabriel run away from Linden’s mansion and steal a boat. Though the two characters are happy to be free, they soon find themselves as unhappy as they were before as they try to find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Wither. Perhaps Fever doesn’t have Wither’s magic because Rhine has exchanged her fairy-tale life in the mansion for a gritty struggle for survival in the real world. Also, the characters’ depth has changed. We no longer see the family of developed characters that Rhine was forced into in Wither. Jenna is dead, and Cecily is still at the mansion with Linden and Vaughn. Yes, Rhine is the main character of the series, but she didn’t interest me quite as much as some of the other, quirkier characters in Wither. Some potentially interesting new characters appear in Fever, but they are not developed much and serve merely to differentiate one setting from another as Rhine and Gabriel travel north. Moreover, first Gabriel, then Rhine deal with illness throughout the book (hence the title), and much of the narration is a detailed stream-of-consciousness account (with lots of sentence fragments and not-quite-strained poetic imagery) of how sick and exhausted Rhine feels. Most of the action and the most interesting revelations are packed into the last 60 pages of this 341-page book, setting the stage for Sever, the final novel of the trilogy. I hope that Sever will return to Wither’s fast-paced drama and finally answer the many questions raised by Wither and Fever.
Verdict: Read this book if you enjoyed Wither and want to know what happens next, but don’t expect an exciting story. Don’t try to read this book if you didn’t enjoy Wither or haven’t read it yet.
Well, I have to admit, at first, I wasn’t as taken with this one as I was with Wither. In my review of Wither, I pointed out my issues with Rhine’s mindset – I mean, if you’re only going to live until you’re twenty, I see no problem personally with living in comfort. I see the value of choice, and yes, Housemater Vaughn is pretty messed up so far as villains go, but there seemed to be more advantages on the inside of the mansion than there would have been on the outside.
Once again, that was an issue in this book, and actually the first half of the book really does play on that. Rhine feels guilty for dragging Gabriel from the mansion, only to find themselves more or less fighting to keep themselves alive. Especially when they find themselves captive, as a sideshow, no less, in a creepy carnival.
The carnival itself shows another aspect of the world DeStefano has created, and shows the reader prostitution, though it’s almost portrayed as being the ‘nice’ side, if there is such a thing. How? Because whilst the Madame of the carnival seems to live in her own little world, she does at least seem to look after the girls living within it.
Following this, the twosome make an escape, and head back to Manhattan to Rowan, Rhine’s twin brother. Of course, this never runs smoothly, especially given that Vaughn clearly was not impressed with Rhine’s escape, and will do anything to get her back.
Whilst I’ve mentioned the fact that Rhine’s world-view seemed odd to me in the first book, at least it was explained in this one. The girl wants choice – and it’s actually understandable. And whilst living your meager twenty years out in comfort might be nice, at least the way Rhine has chosen to live, she gets to have her thrills and whatever as she chooses.
Really, I think the characters in this were much better portrayed, especially Rhine. She actually misses Linden and the lifestyle at times, and whilst I can see that this sense of the grass always being greener might annoy some people, it worked for me. Sometimes you really don’t know what you have until you’ve given it up, after all.
The only character I felt I wanted more from in this one was Gabriel. Admittedly, for a portion of the novel he’s more or less out of commission, but I wanted him to be more like he was in Wither.
However, overall, this was a fairly good follow-on to Wither, and I liked the fact that you see more of the world, and even the governmental system within it.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next one!
Once again, that was an issue in this book, and actually the first half of the book really does play on that. Rhine feels guilty for dragging Gabriel from the mansion, only to find themselves more or less fighting to keep themselves alive. Especially when they find themselves captive, as a sideshow, no less, in a creepy carnival.
The carnival itself shows another aspect of the world DeStefano has created, and shows the reader prostitution, though it’s almost portrayed as being the ‘nice’ side, if there is such a thing. How? Because whilst the Madame of the carnival seems to live in her own little world, she does at least seem to look after the girls living within it.
Following this, the twosome make an escape, and head back to Manhattan to Rowan, Rhine’s twin brother. Of course, this never runs smoothly, especially given that Vaughn clearly was not impressed with Rhine’s escape, and will do anything to get her back.
Whilst I’ve mentioned the fact that Rhine’s world-view seemed odd to me in the first book, at least it was explained in this one. The girl wants choice – and it’s actually understandable. And whilst living your meager twenty years out in comfort might be nice, at least the way Rhine has chosen to live, she gets to have her thrills and whatever as she chooses.
Really, I think the characters in this were much better portrayed, especially Rhine. She actually misses Linden and the lifestyle at times, and whilst I can see that this sense of the grass always being greener might annoy some people, it worked for me. Sometimes you really don’t know what you have until you’ve given it up, after all.
The only character I felt I wanted more from in this one was Gabriel. Admittedly, for a portion of the novel he’s more or less out of commission, but I wanted him to be more like he was in Wither.
However, overall, this was a fairly good follow-on to Wither, and I liked the fact that you see more of the world, and even the governmental system within it.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next one!