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A review by rachelunabridged
The Fervor by Alma Katsu
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, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Miscarriage