Fever: Review

Title: Fever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: February 2012
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 341
Goodreads Rating: 3.81 stars

Review: Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous, and worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

I read the first book in this series, Wither, a while back, and while I definitely enjoyed it, it didn't come across as particularly amazing to me. However, the ending of that book grabbed me enough to pick up FEVER, and I'm glad I did because I liked this sequel even more than the previous book, which is a rare thing to find! In particular, the plot line was more intriguing, with the characters finding themselves in increasingly suspenseful situations.

In addition to a more interesting plot, I thought that the character development was done better here as well. Rhine and Gabriel seemed to really flesh out in this book and thus became much easier to relate to. The situations they found themselves in had their emotions running high, naturally, but it felt more realistic and grabbing because I could feel for the protagonists more than before.

One thing that the author kept the same - in a perfectly good way! - was the writing. In the previous novel, the prose was gorgeous and lovely, and that didn't change in the slightest here. There were so many turns of phrase that I just had to repeat in my mind because they were so pretty, and I really think it added another dimension to the story as a whole.

All in all, FEVER was a wonderful sequel to Wither, complete with the same gorgeous writing but a more improved plot and cast of characters. The ending in particular was fantastic, leaving me on the edge of my seat and desperately in wait for the next book in the series. If you liked the first book, then you definitely have to pick up a copy of this one!

Original vs. Sequel

Recently, quite a few sequels have had their covers revealed in the blogosphere - some great and some, well, not so much. This post highlights four original books and their sequels.

First up is Wither and Fever by Lauren DeStefano.


I'm a big fan of Wither's cover. The model is beautiful, and her dress gives such a soft, airy feel to the cover that's perfectly complemented by the darker background and elegant title placement. Subtle details are pointed out by the circles and lines, like the interesting birdcage and her left hand. This is one of my favorite covers of 2011.

But then Fever? Not so much my favorite. The slinky gold dress is cool, but the model looks emo and the colors in general are garish. The green of the title, as well as the circles and lines, clashes with the gold/pink theme, and the extra elements (like the rocking hourse) aren't as intriguing as in the first cover.

Overall: Wither wins, by a long shot. The only positive thing I'd say is that having read the first book, I really want to pick up the second to find out what the heck happened to the protagonist given the dress and her surroundings.

Next is Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.


Although I generally like simple covers, Delirium is a little too simple for me. It's a neat idea to have the face behind the words and the flying birds are great symbolism, but this just isn't something that would really capture my attention.

Pandemonium is a pretty big improvement. What appear to be plants surrounding the model's face are intriguing, and I'm loving the warm, fiery tones, as well as the glowing title. (Plus, I'm a sucker for lower-case titles. I don't know why.) The only complaint I'd make is that it's a half-face model, which isn't really my taste.

Overall: Pandemonium wins, despite the half-face. Delirium's cover has an interesting concept, but it's just not for me.

Now we have Clarity and Perception by Kim Harrington.

Clarity was another one of my favorite covers of 2011. I just adore the simple background and light green-blue hues, and what they did to the model (especially her hair) was very neat. It's pleasing to look at, and the girl's expression does a lot to draw you in.


Unfortunately, I don't perceive Perception (sorry, I couldn't resist) to be the same. It resembles one of those old paperback thrillers, with the girl's face and the title. The rainbow colors in the background are cool though, as is the repeated (but darker) imagery of birds from the first book.

Overall: Clarity, all the way. It's sleek and modern, and Perception... is not.

Finally, we have Across the Universe and A Million Suns by Beth Revis.


Across the Universe's cover is unapologetically science-fiction, and I'm digging the awesome purple, red, and pink nebulae-things at the bottom. The top half isn't quite my favorite, because I always see a sideways hourglass instead of two people kissing, and their forms look kind of alien-like anyway.

Following the sci-fi theme of the first book, A Million Suns is just as cool, except with mainly blues and greens. I'm not a fan of that random big glare on the left, but I much prefer the people here to the ones on the previous cover. They look normal, and the hand-holding is sweet.

Overall: It's pretty close, but A Million Suns wins for not having alien-like sideways hourglasses.

What do you think of these covers? What are your favorites of each pairing?