The Chemical Garden trilogy continues and without a doubt it is better than ever! Now if you remember my review of Wither, I wasn't overly sold on this trilogy. Primarily because the hype monster built this book up to such outlandish proportions there was almost no way it could live up to its reputation. Because of this I went into Fever with my expectations lowered. I was happy to find that I enjoyed the story of Fever significantly more than that of Wither and noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the narrative and characters. For starters, I loved the conflict and imagery in this story significantly more than the last. Wither was limited to the world of Linden's mansion and while it was an interesting setting there was only so much it could do. Fever opens up a whole new world for the reader - exposing the reader to the dysoptian setting Rhine grew up and helping us learn more about what the world has become. This did more than just create a more dazzling world to read about, it also helped explain many of the motivations of the characters, which is something I'm always obsessed with. I also felt like Rhine has significantly grown as a character. In Wither I found her kind of flaky and always in need of saving. In Fever she was stronger. She took action for herself. She become a force to reckoned with and I finally felt myself bonding with her. Unfortunately, however, my feelings towards Gabriel remain the same. I find him a complete blank slate and he spends much of Fever out of the way. Further proving to me that he really doesn't need to be there. I still gave so many questions - particualrly about this virus. How does a virus target by age/gender? Is it really a virus in the traditional sense? etc etc. But I'm hoping questions like that are addressed in book three (which I am now eagerly awaiting). Just like Rhine, Lauren DeStefano has really grown with this book. She's had a chance to stretch her creative muscle and the results are something to be admired.

I was so excited to finally be able to read Fever, the second book in the Chemical Garden’s trilogy, by Lauren DeStefano. I had pre-ordered it from Amazon, but waited about a month or so after getting it before actually diving in. I was so worried that it would fall into the dreaded sequel book category — you know, those books that are part of a series and act like they’re part of a series, not really having anything going on? Yeah, you know those books. Luckily, Fever wasn’t one of those books. Fever starts off where Wither ended — Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the big house and the clutches of Housemaster Vaughn. Now, they’re in the real world, a world that Rhine waxed on about to Gabriel, but now a world that seems unlike what she expected them to enter. Determined to get to Manhattan to find Rhine’s brother, the two learn that freedom may not be all it’s cut out to be. I loved that this book started off with Rhine and Gabriel starting their escape. There wasn’t too much rehashing of what happened in Wither — I found that DeStefano incorporated parts of the first novel beautifully, not having long drawn-out passages describing what happened, but just little spurts now and then. I mean, if you’re going to read Fever, it’s assumed that you’ve read Wither, right? The writing was just how I expected it to be — perfect. The world that DeStefano describes is messy and terrifying. If you thought you were uncomfortable reading Wither, then you’re still going to be uncomfortable reading Fever. It’s amazing how the people have changed from what the world once was to this now-dystopian, chaotic, fend-for-yourself world. As a reader, you know it’s not real, but DeStefano writes in such a way that it feels real and you can’t help but really feel what Rhine and Gabriel are going through as they encounter each situation on their way to Manhattan. I did expect more romance in this book, but my gears have been turned slightly after finishing reading it — while I used to love Rhine and Gabriel, DeStefano’s ending made me turn away from that romance. Is the book supposed to be a romance book? No. I think Fever is more about trying to find that freedom within a world where freedom doesn’t exist anymore. And ultimately, even though I love romance, the series is about finding the cure to the disease that’s killing off people at such an early age. Sure, I hope there’s going to be some more romance in the next book, but DeStefano makes up for any lack of romance with a ton of crazy situations. Right when you think that Rhine and Gabriel are safe — they so aren’t. And the ending! I don’t want to spoil it for you, but the last quarter of the book did not turn out how I thought it was going to, which was great since I was thinking the novel would end a little too predictably. Of course, that’s not to say that the novel has no faults. I found it very dark and depressing. I mean, not a lot of good happens … at all. Like I said, when something good happens, something bad happens. I would say this novel is definitely darker than the first — at least in Wither, there was the relationship between Rhine and the other wives, which–at times–was positive, but in Fever, there’s just so much bad going on. I admit that I wanted to put it down at times to read something a little more upbeat! That being said, I still am really loving this series. Darkness or not. Not every novel can be light and fluffy and it’s great that DeStefano is exploring these darker topics. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next book, but I will definitely be sticking around for the ride.

I must start of this review by saying: I love Lauren Destefano's Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy) series! It's just overall spectacular, and while I'm reading her books I feel like she wrote this book series dedicated to me. It feels like I was belonged to read it. She is an incredible author, who writes with a great amount of detail, and she is able to write a book that is not only addictive and griping, but has the right balance of everything that a reader could ask for. I don't know what else really to say, the book was fantastic and I was definitely not disappointed with her follow up novel. (Rhine + Gabriel 4EVA!) Marvellous darling ;)

The second book was incredible! The first one i couldnt put it down & yet the second one was suspenceful & i wasnt able to put it down. Its totally amazing how Rhine & Gabriel were able to get far. Vaughn is definitely a complete villian that you want to slap or torture. I want the third one soon.

I received this Advance Reader's Copy for review from the publisher. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own. I started reading Fever immediately after finishing Wither. I literally put down Wither, pondered for a few moments about how it ended, and dove into Fever. I was expecting the adrenaline rush to be carried into this book. I have to say that I am a little disappointed that I wasn't as caught up in the momentum of the story as I was with Wither. Fever picks up right where Wither leaves off, with Rhine and Gabriel trying to find their way to Manhattan to find Rowan. They both are abducted by Madame Soleski, a lady who runs a carnival that includes a brothel. She is intelligent and realizes the financial potential of a beauty like Rhine with her heterochromic eyes. She keeps both Rhine and Gabriel drugged up so that they cannot escape. Rather than pimping her out as she does with her other girls, she sets up a sort of "peep show" where paying customers can watch Rhine and Gabriel together. I thought the whole carnival/brothel scene was just very bizarre, and I actually did not care much for this part of the story. I kept wondering when we were going to get on with the story! The story picked up a little bit of excitement when Vaughn tracked them down at the carnival, and then Rhine and Gabriel managed to escape from both Madame's and Vaughn's clutches but not without taking Maddie who is the daughter of one of Madame's girls. With child in tow, they are on the run again to get to Manhattan. The pace of the book did not pick for me until the last quarter of the book, when Vaughn tracks Rhine down for the second time. I found that the parts of the story that lagged were the ones without Vaughn! He is so deliciously evil that I just love to hate him! DeStefano did a bang-up job keeping me on the edge of my seat for the thrilling ride to the end of the book, but I was a little disappointed with how this second story in the series progressed. I was so excited for Rhine and Gabriel to begin their new lives and to see their relationship blossom, but that did not happen. I did not enjoy Fever as much as I did Wither, but I think that DeStefano got her groove back by the end of Fever. I hope that Vaughn figures prominently in the final installment of the trilogy, which is due to be released in April 2013. MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to review this book!

I was anticipating this novel's release as there were so mnay loose threads in the first novel, Wither. Some of those loose threads are addressed in Fever, but in short dosages. What I really wanted came at the end, and it didn't flow like I thought it would. The beginning of the novel starts off immediately after Rhine and Gabriel escaped the mansion in Florida. They've washed up somewhere in South Carolina. They have just realized they ran away without a real plan, but it doesn't matter to Rhine as she is finally free from Housemaster Vaughn and his nasty ways. You would think that not the main characters have escaped it would be all good, well it doesn't work like that. Rhine and Gabriel are captured, but not to be sold again, something much worse. Remember how in the first book it was either become a wife or a prostitute? Well, it's the latter option for now. The book went by really fast as there is much resistance and escaping throughout the entire novel. Rhine and Garbriel escape the prostitute camp and finally head up to Manhattan to find Rowan's brother, but Rhine's fears finally surface. If you thought you would finally get to meet Rowan, well you're dead wrong as he is nowhere to be found. But there are clues that are leading to his whereabouts. There really isn't much love in this book. Well, there wasn't much romance in the first book either as the love was bought or forced. But if you were rooting for Gabriel or Linden, there is enough of both of them for everyone to be happy. For me though, I wish there was more to do back at the mansion if Florida as I felt that there wasn't enough closure at the house. But the house's reappearance is not what I expected. I was really captivated by this book as I didn't even notice how fast I was reading and how the pages kept on disappearing. I didn't realize I was done when there wasn't anymore pages to flip. If you loved Wither, you will be sated with Fever.

Once again Lauren DeStefano has pulled me into this world with Rhine and her goal of getting back to New York to find her brother, Rowan. Fever was really good! I loved the writing of how the plot really developed right away. The journey of leaving Linden's mansion and then traveling with Gabriel to a new part of the world where he has not been as well it was heart-lawbreaking. It was way better than Wither because of the plot and how intense it was, and left me wanting more!! It starts off right after Rhine and Gabriel left the mansion, where we meet a whole new bunch of characters! This lady is in my opinion crazy (the leader of the "circus") and she holds Rhine and Gabriel hostage. She uses Rhine as entertainment and also to show off all her girls. In these scenes I saw the relationship grow between Rhine and Gabriel which I loved because I love him! We get to see things about these characters that we never saw in Wither. The adventure and the new developments were great! It was a steady paced story that I was turning the pages like crazy to know what will happen next!! The ending was like OMG another cliffhanger!! Lauren DeStefano is good with cliffhangers but this one was beyond good because the anticipation and the plot is growing, it has just begun and I am looking forward to book 3. Her writing was very well done and her style is beautiful! The characters were amazing as always and the story still sucked me in. Rhine is a brave heroine! If you loved Wither, be sure to pick this one up right away!

Fever by Lauren DeStefano is probably the darkest and most pessimistic book I have read in the last few years. Yet, DeStefano's captivating writing style is like a drug. It is impossible to stop reading and you always want more, even though the events of Fever don't offer the nicest of the reading experiences. Fever is absolutely a great read and I was hooked from the first to the last page. I praise DeStefano's writing and her masterful skill to make readers feel what her character's are going through.Yet, I do believe that readers have to be willing to put themselves through this emotionally and psychologically exhausting reading experience. Fever is a dark and depressing read that smashes to the ground Wither's glittery ending. So be prepared. Rhine and Gabriel's experience outside the walls of Linden's mansion is an Odyssey to reach Rhine's brother. Yet, the world outside is definitely not a safe place and I suffered with the series of events that the characters have to go through in in order to get what they want. Fever is certainly a very difficult book to review. This dark and cruel read is not easy to understand when we still don't have a sequel to justify the tragic events we read in Fever. So, here is a list with some of my feelings towards this "fever" that I certainly still need to be cured. Oh Hell Yeah! - Rhine and Gabriel are out of Linden's mansion. - Rhine is an excellent character and so strong to the point of stubborn. She is an idealist. She strongly believes in what she thinks. She doesn't give up. Her personality is so strong that makes her powerful. And best of all, she always take cares of the others. Rhine is selfless and does not show any weakness. - DeStefano's descriptions of drugs and fever symptoms can clearly be felt by the reader. - There is a lot more of Gabriel in Fever (though not in romantic terms) - New characters. Oh Hell No! - Psychologically exhausting and depressing. - Rhine's relationship with Gabriel deteriorates. This probably is due to all of the terrible events both characters have to go through. sniff! (Yet, this is like a double-edge sword. What now seems to take away the romance, could perfectly become a strong bond between the characters in the next book to come) - The plot is really dark. There wasn't even a moment I considered smiling. Sniff! Lauren DeStefano is definitely a brave writer. There are so many traumatizing experiences and I wonder how is she going to deal with all the psychological and emotional consequences that this book put our characters through. How is DeStefano going to heal Rhine and Gabriel from all of this? How is Rhine going to move forward from now on? What happens next? What about the cure? What about Gabriel? The ending just killed me!! This may sound like a negative review, but believe me it is not. The thing is that Fever is a negative book (and dark and cruel) Yet, Fever is, for me, a highly engaging read but is not an easy one to go through. Now, I feel free to consider myself a masochist (or an addict) because when I started this book, I wasn't able to stop! Fans of Wither should definitely be brave and dive into Fever as soon as it hits the shelves!

The Good Stuff Fabulous character development of Rhine, she has become a far more three dimensional character in this installment of the trilogy DeStefano's writing is beautiful, one could actually say lyrical or poetic Very dark but truly compelling The mood and landscape of the story feel so real you feel like you are part of the story (hence the mention in the not so good stuff section) New characters bring a lot to the story. Especially enjoyed and want more of Lilac, Silas, Maddie and Claire) The story moves along at a good pace, keeps you interested throughout with lots of twist and turns Was actually some humor which was unexpected due to storyline Nice fleshed out background of Rhine's parents and what has happened to their world Even-though this installment is quite dark, I didn't want to put the book down and the ending has me waiting very impatiently for the finale of the trilogy (don't even want to think how long I am going to have to wait) reminiscent of Atwood's Handmaid's Tale - which is a compliment as I think it is a brilliant book Story starts with a bang too got me hooked right away The Not So Good Stuff Gabriel was very whiny and I was extremely irritated with him, without putting a spoiler in, it does makes sense in terms of the plot, but I still found him weak It was very bleak and depressing and sort of put me in a down mood while reading (But as mentioned in the book sometimes things have to get worse to get better) I think I am the only one, but I really didn't like the cover Favorite Quotes/Passages "I think of Deirdre's small, capable hands making it for me; they were etched with bright blue veins-her soft skin the only indication of her youth. Those hands could turn bathwater to magic, or thread diamonds into her knitting. Precision was in everything she created. I think of her wide hazel eyes, the soft melody of her voice. I think of how I will never see her again." "My brother says the presidency is a useless tradition that might have once served a purpose but has become nothing but formality - something to give us hope that order will be restored one day." "In my captivity the outside world became twice as bright in my memories, and wonderful, and so deliciously tempting that I wanted him to be a part of it. I wanted him to know what life was beyond Vaughn's mansion. I was so swept up in these things that I forgot how cruel the world can be. How chaotic and dangerous." Who Should/Shouldn't Read If you enjoyed Wither you are going to enjoy Fever I recommend this for more mature YA readers (14+) due to subject matter I think you must read Whither first as you would be quite lost if you started with this installment of the trilogy -- there is enough to be able to make sense of the storyline, but you would be missing so much, I think it would effect your enjoyment Definitely for fans of Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic (Really someone has to explain to me what the difference is between the two terms) 4.25 Dewey's I received at the Ontario Blog Squad Tweet Up

Review first posted at http://unautrehistoire.blogspot.com/ When I read Wither early last year I was surprised with how much I liked the book. It was most definitely one of the best books I had read in 2011. I mentioned in my review that I wasn't a huge fan of dystopian novels, and I was leery of reading them because of the theme of hopelessness that seems to be an innate quality in dystopian novels. However, what Lauren DeStefano did with Wither and again with Fever was incredible. She made me love the genre. In case you're curious you can find my thoughts on Wither here. In saying that, I was very eager to read Fever when it came in the mail a few weeks ago. Wither ended on an ok note, but I knew that as soon as the sequel came out I was going to read it. I wanted to know what was to become of Rhine and Gabriel, also of Linden and the sister wives. If you've gone and read my review of Wither, you are aware that I am a huge fan of DeStefano's writing. I raved about how flawless her writing was and how easily I forgot that I was reading a novel that was intended for teenagers. That has not changed. Even with all the books I have read between Wither and Fever, DeStefano's writing is still as magnificent at it was in Wither and it continued to awe me in Fever. Fever picked up right where Wither ended. Gabriel and Rhine on the run from Housemaster Vaughn. However things don't go as they planned and they run into some interesting situations. What I really enjoyed about Fever was that the world building continued. Wither introduced us to a society where women die at 20 and men at 25. As a result of the low life expectancy, girls are not really safe, and Rhine is kidnapped and forced into a marriage with two other women. In Wither Rhine resides on one floor of a vast mansion. This is the world that we get to know in the first novel. Fever introduces us to the outside world, what society is like for the less privileged. For the people who are trying to live life as normally as possible. DeStefano does an amazing job in describing this new world, and finding a place for Rhine in it. As a reader we know that this is where Rhine came from, however this is the first time we get to see her in her natural habitat. I was impressed with how easily the story progressed from the mansion to the outside world. While I was reading Wither I wasn't all that convinced by the relationship between Rhine and Gabriel. I can't say that has changed for me much since finishing Fever. I still find Gabriel a weak character, and the chemistry between him and Rhine is non-existent for me. I felt more chemistry between Linden and Rhine and later Silas and Rhine. After reading Fever, I actually find Gabriel a little annoying.