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    Fever
    Fever
    Fever
    Audiobook9 hours

    Fever

    Written by Lauren DeStefano

    Narrated by Angela Lin

    3.5/5

    ()

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    About this audiobook

    Lauren DeStefano's Wither was called a "thought-provoking debut, reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale" by Kirkus Reviews. Its chilling follow-up, Fever continues 16-year-old Rhine's tale-set in a dark future in which men and women die by age 25, and young girls are sold into marriage to keep the population growing. Rhine has finally escaped her marriage. But what hope can the outside world offer when death looms ever closer?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 21, 2012
    ISBN9781464029165
    Author

    Lauren DeStefano

    Lauren DeStefano is the author of The Internment Chronicles and The Chemical Garden trilogy, which includes Wither, Fever, and Sever. She earned her BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut. Visit her at LaurenDeStefano.com.

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    Reviews for Fever

    3.5/5

    397 ratings69 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 1/5
      I was hoping I would enjoy this much better than the first book - unfortunately, I didn't. Granted, there is descriptive writing and intense moments that leave you feeling helpless and frustrated. However, most of the characters seemed very flat and underdeveloped to me. We learn more about Housemaster Vaughn and what he is up to, but I really had to force myself to finish this.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed Fever so much more than Wither. I put off reading it for so long because I only liked the first book (three stars). I really liked this one. However, I didn’t love it and I’m not sure why. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it. I can’t wait for the next book. I really need to pick it up. I hope it’s just as good as Fever.
    • 4/5
      I liked the book. Probably as much as the first book. The dystopia premise is an interesting concept and I’ve liked Rhine since her first scene. She’s strong and independent. I thought both she and Gabriel grow a lot in this book. There is also a chance to see more of the world these two characters live in. In the first book Wither we only see the mansion. Now we can see what is really going on. We don’t see much, but we see more than we’ve seen so far. I’ve seen some reviews say that the book seems to be the weak middle book, that not much happens until the last fifty pages, but I disagree. The ending was by far the most intense scene in the book but I think the rest helped with character development. Sure things could have happened differently and come out really powerfully. But that’s why it’s a four star not a five star. I thought as a story it was very interesting. I read it all in one day so that should say something. I’m looking forward to the next and last book!
    • 2/5
      ...not really sure what happened here.

      After I finished Wither, I knew the first thing I needed to do was to read Fever...actually, the first thing I wanted to do was go to bed, since it was late at night. But once I woke up, I knew I would have to read Fever.

      Fever takes place right after Wither ends and somehow, it just didn't do anything for me. My problems with Rhine were intensified in this novel and while I could forgive and overlook her behaviour before, I just couldn't do it here.

      The main reason was, some of the stuff just didn't make sense at all.

      Rhine wants to do something, but someone else ends up helping her. No, not really helping her. They actually do everything and Rhine just has to listen to them. This is fine with me though. What bothered me was the lack of sex. Hear me out.

      In Wither, she never consummated her marriage with Linden, which I always had a problem with. He has sex with Cecily and Jenna, but not Rhine. Why? He respects her wishes, which was great. He's a good guy, but it still didn't make sense.

      In Fever, Rhine is captured and placed in a prostitution ring. You think she's going to have sex, because her job is to have sex or be beaten, but it doesn't happen. Why? With Linden, I get that he's a good guy and wants to respect her. But Madame. She beats little kids, her girls, and drugs them. She doesn't seem like the type to just say, "It's okay Rhine. No sex pour vous."

      I know you may be thinking something weird about me, but before I say anything more, let me just mention that I'm not a sex fiend or want to see Rhine get it on.

      I don't.

      But in both of those scenarios, Rhine having sex is something that is expected to happen, especially with how this world is. Instead, both Linden and Madame let her go. Linden has sex with his other wives, Madame gets the other girls to have sex with the paying customers, and Rhine thinks of ways to escape.

      I dunno, it didn't make sense to me.

      Anyways, let's talk about romance. Gabriel seems like the main guy, except he really doesn't do much in Fever. I feel bad, because even though I liked Linden more than him in the first novel, I excepted him to have a greater role in Fever. This sadly doesn't happen. Nothing happens to him and at the end of everything, he's not even in the picture anymore.

      I think by biggest problem with Fever is that it truly felt like a middle book. Wither was excellent and Fever, nothing happens. They run, get captured, get drugged up, run away, get sick, find a good place, get captured, cliffhanger......joy. Seeing the world and realizing that it wasn't as good as she remembered would have added some conflict between Rhine and Gabriel. Seeing how horrible the world is, would add more conflict in this book. Gabriel doing something would have added conflict in this book. Gatherers, who should be on the streets, looking for young girls and see the girls get captured, would add more conflict to this book.

      I just wanted something more and sadly, I didn't get it. That being said, I do have high hopes for the next novel in this series. Once it comes out, I'm definitely picking it up and seeing how this trilogy ends. Can't wait!
    • 5/5
      Totally absorbing. It has been some time since I read the first book and while the details are dim the images remain bright in my mind. I found it easy jumping into book two and talk of events in book one quickly brought the details back to mind. Rhine and Gabriel are the focus characters in this book, though several characters from book one return and a handful of strange and quirky new characters are introduced. This is what I refer to as the "escape" or "search" part of a trilogy. The entire book is devoted to the journey of their escape, heading back to Rhine's home, and her search for her brother. A page-turning plot with surprising events, I was immersed for the entire read. I especially found the latter half of the book with the experiments and hallucinations very creepy and well written.
    • 4/5
      Oh, this book. This was another kick in the teeth, but it was so eye opening. We went from the first book where all harshness was outside (if it wasn't the terrible mystery-threat going on in the basement) to the up close and personal view of what it is like to live in this world when you aren't being controlled, captured and cared for.

      It's rough and tumble. It's amazing. The love story still shines through, along with the complex emotions the main character has for everyone she's with, she leaves behind, she finds herself with. I am very much looking forward to seeing how this story comes together for an ending.
    • 3/5
      Teen fiction; dystopian adventure (for girls). I think the model on the cover has too much eye makeup, but other than that: fantastic. DeStefano's second installation to the chemical garden trilogy does not disappoint with interesting developments to the plot continued from #1--these are best read as a series, definitely not as a standalone. Looking forward to #3.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed Fever so much more than Wither. I put off reading it for so long because I only liked the first book (three stars). I really liked this one. However, I didn’t love it and I’m not sure why. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it. I can’t wait for the next book. I really need to pick it up. I hope it’s just as good as Fever.
    • 4/5
      I didn't love this quite as much as I loved the first novel. To be honest it felt kind of choppy to me, especially when what's-his-face's dad showed up randomly. Everything is explained as to how he knows where she is but still. . . what took him so long? It's also really depressing because the chemistry between Rhine and Gabriel seems to have fizzled out to me. I'm excited to see how this all wraps up and I really hope that a cure is found!
    • 2/5
      READ IN DUTCH

      Can I just say how much I hate this cover. The colours are awful and then there's the model in that very weird and unattractive pose. I can't think of a reason why anyone would choose a cover like that...



      The book wasn't so good either. We've now left the 'safety' of the house to travel the country, which will only work properly if you create a world thoroughly. Otherwise it does just feels flat and uninteresting. And why would Manhattan be so much safer than were she is now? Manhattan is were she got abducted in the first place!



      For me, this really was one of the second-in-a-trilogy books, that are here mainly to fill the gap between books one and three, and the author's pocket of course. Because I think, if you haven't got enough story for three books, just make it a duology!
    • 5/5
      In the follow-up to Wither, Rhine and Gabriel find themselves on a beach. They aren't sure how far they've made it from Housemaster Vaughn. After seeing a circle of lights, they decide to follow them. Their lives are changed by this. Rhine and Gabriel are forced to be the new attraction at this carnival. The only thing that keeps the two of them going is Rhine's determination to find her brother, Rowan. They also must make sure not to be found by Vaughn.


      I absolutely loved this book. It was dark and had me on an emotional roller coaster. Vaughn is the perfect bad guy. I despise him. It seems like his hold on Rhine will never by broken. I don't think I've ever met a character as sinister or devoid of emotion.


      Rhine and Gabriel go through so many trials that Rhine begins to wonder if leaving the mansion was a good idea. Gabriel didn't realize how dangerous the world outside of the walls he was brought up in. Even though they've gone through hell during their escape he doesn't regret it. He is happy that he left with Rhine.


      I think my favorite part of the book is at the end. I'm not going to give away any spoilers with who or what the situation is, but it is intense! This series is definitely one of my top reads, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it just as much.


      5/5 stars :D
    • 5/5
      I’ve been away from the mansion for some time and had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed the first book of The Chemical Garden-trilogy.The plot wasn’t as strong as I had hoped it would be. But the overall eerie feeling I got – as if some creepy clown was constantly watching my ever move, did a lot! Being always on the run, made this quite a pageturner!
    • 2/5
      So basically this entire book is the main characters on drug-trips, going through drug-withdrawal or sick in one form or another and puking their guts up. The whole book is written in a weird haze which means most of the time the reader does not get a very clear picture of what is going on.

      I still have no idea what happened with the whole Madame's birdcage thing. Did Rhine and Gabriel have sex? I only felt the vibe that they made out in various states of undress (maybe), but if that was the case I don't understand why the men coming for prostitutes would pay to watch some kids make out. However, if Rhine and Gabriel did indeed have sex for strangers to watch, which would make more sense in context, why didn't we ever hear Rhine's thoughts about this and trying to deal with it?

      The writing is also confusing at times, by which I mean I literally did not know what was going on. When Rhine and Gabriel escape Madame's and run off they see a sign for a fortune teller. Several pages of description follow in which they journey through fields and talk about being tired and in pain. Then they reach a door and it opens to a woman who is a fortune teller. After going back I realized that no time had actually passed between them seeing the sign and knocking on the door, it was just bad writing that made it seems like a whole span of time had passed. This kind of thing happens several times throughout the book.

      Uhg. One of the biggest problems with this book is that nothing really happens. Ever. I'm super glad I now know what kind of chips the characters ate but I sure would like some plot to go along with that once in a while.

      I also feel like Rhine lost every spark of spunk and tenacity she had in Wither. Was she the strongest character ever in Wither? No, but she at least seemed a bit rebellious and had some life to her. It seems to all have gone out the window in Fever and she resorts to literally laying around, whining, feeling sorry for herself, crying a lot and getting everyone else to take care of her.

      I'm not even going to get into Maddie except to say it was a gross caricature of a child with special needs. DeStefano basically wrote in a pointless spider-dog-monkey child who is treated mostly like a pet and yet is smarter then both of the main characters in regards to survival.

      Basically this book let me down on many levels and I'm really going to have to decide once the third book comes out it it'll even be worth my time to read it.
    • 3/5
      Fever picks up right where Wither drops off. Gabriel and Rhine are on the run. They find themselves at a macabre carnival full of things to fear. It felt like a filler book to me. The new characters made more sense after reading the third book, but at the time many of them feel random and over-the-top. I also felt like Rhine and Gabriel’s relationship was always tenuous at best. Fever made me feel even less invested in it somehow. I felt like the whole book could have been a few extra chapters at the end of Wither and the beginning of Sever. BOTTOM LINE: The trilogy was just what I wanted, fast reads with enthralling plots. There are definitely pieces that feel like they come straight from another dystopian trilogy, like the constant primping of the girls by attendants (Hunger Games) or the brother who becomes a supporter of the villains’ plans (Divergent), but overall I was entertained. I didn’t like them enough to ever re-read them. The characters were often too wooden, the plot too predictable, but they are great for a reading break when you need one.
    • 4/5
      Despite the cliffhanger ending of the last novel, it took me a little while to get into this sequel. However, about mid-way through, the action really picked up and I sped my way to the end. Rhine's adventures (and misadventures) after escaping the mansion only to attempt to make her way back to a life and a brother that might not be waiting for her are often heartbreaking, as is much of the dystopian future she inhabits. A good read and I'm ready for the conclusion to this series (I really want to know if they find a cure to the virus) as soon as I can get my hands on it!
    • 3/5
      Knowing there's another book makes some of what happens here not as suspenseful as it could have been.
    • 5/5
      It is two o’clock in the morning and I can’t go to sleep yet because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK. WHY do you do this with the cliffhangers, DeStefano?! At least you gave Rhine one small bright spot in her life there at the end, considering all we’ve seen of her is terrible circumstances and less than desirable choices. But still! That’s where you’re going to end the book? When we last saw Rhine, she had escaped the mansion and creepy, sinister father-in-law Vaughn with attendant Gabriel for company. You’d think maybe Rhine would catch some sort of a break and that something good would come out of this rediscovered “freedom.” But, as is the trend, she doesn’t catch any breaks and her life gets about a billion times worse. Let’s talk about Gabriel. When she’s sick and practically dying, Gabriel’s there to try to take care of her. At other times in the book he was there to protect her and be there for her in her moments of weakness. But I’m still not convinced on these two together. And I understand that he was angry because his relatively untroubled life is in shambles now that he’s left the only life he knew after Rhine talked up the outside world and it didn’t deliver (in the least). I just don’t feel like they have a real love connection. They’re ASTOUNDING friends! But more than that? I don’t see it. You know how I said the last book was chilling and creepy? Multiply that by about 80 and you get the intensity and disturbing genius that is this installment. I could feel Rhine’s depression and despondency. I could feel her fear and panic at the thought of Vaughn and his experiments. My heart racing, breathing haggard. FEELS. There was more heartbreak and lost hope and terror and creepily unsettling aspects to this story than I know what to do with. There was little emphasis on romantic relationships, yet I was still held in a vise grip and inundated with feels. This is one series I am at a complete loss as to what I think is going to happen, because everything surpasses any conclusions I attempt to draw. RATING: 4.5
    • 3/5
      This series is pretty depressing, but for some reason I can't stop. Its intriging trying to figure out what is going to happen to the characters next. I am listening to the audio version of this series and the narrarator does a good job of showing emotion. This is the second book and I sort of wish I had stopped after the first. It feels like "A Series of Unfortunate Events" for a teen crowd. But the author is very descriptive. I am going to finish this series and be done with it. If you like dystopian for the bleakness of it all this might be your series, but if you like happy books I wouldn't suggest this one.
    • 4/5
      Last year’s Wither caught my attention; and I’ve been eager to read the sequel for ages now. Wither introduced the bleak future world where young adults are doomed to die much too soon, and our heroine Rhine is taken to be a sister wife for breeding purposes. Fever once again pushes boundaries and delves deeper into the abyss when we get to see the realities of the outside world. This atmospheric installment is gloomier than ever as two of the characters take on an emotional and physically grueling quest. The lavish writing and twists and turns kept my attention even though I sometimes felt drugged-out by Rhine’s headspace. And while I prefer the cover of Wither to Fever, the model’s pose and the accessories on the cover very much fit the mood of the book.

      In the middle installment, Rhine and Gabriel go off in search of Rhine’s brother while trying to elude housemaster Vaughn. Rhine is left to ponder if she made the right choice, while she and Gabriel face challenge after challenge. Although I missed the sister wife dynamic and the characters in the mansion, the new setting freshens up the series with new drama, and allows us to get to know Gabriel a little better.

      I found the book absorbing, although the situations and dark tone had me taking frequent reading breaks. Lauren DeStefano’s writing is descriptive and lovely and paints a vivid picture of the harsh world. Middle books can sometimes seem like a stalling tactic before the finale, but there were enough reveals and action in this sequel to keep me satisfied. Just when things would start to calm down for Rhine, a new threat would emerge. I left the book feeling that some of the pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together but yet still very much in the dark, if that makes sense. The last 50 or so pages had me riveted to the page.

      Rhine becomes an even stronger character through all the trials and tribulations she faces. And even though I was not always a huge fan of Gabriel in Wither, I warmed up to him a little more this time around. Characters new and old appear in Fever, and I’m curious to see if they will intersect in the final installment.

      It’s difficult to talk about this book without revealing any spoilers so I have to be vague, but I’ll venture to say if you enjoyed Wither you will like Fever as well. It’s one of my favorite dystopian romance series and I wasn’t disappointed with this sequel. It left me with an appetite to re-read Wither, which I’m likely to do before the last book of the series (title TBA) drops in April 2013.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      I went ahead and gave this one 3 stars but it was really a close call. 2 stars was definitely where I was at times reading this installment. Its just getting kinda stupid and I'm having a hard time staying interested. Still....I wanna know how things go so I will continue.
    • 3/5
      Pro: I like this book
      Con: I hate this book

      Pro: This book is a continuation of book 1.
      Con: This book is a continuation of book 1?

      Pro: The last 30 pages or so of this book are 5 star worthy.
      Con: You have to trudge through 300 pages that make you question is you are reading about the same characters.

      Book 2 picks up where book 1 leaves off, but honestly it felt like they could be two completely different worlds.

      I will read book 3 but only because the last 30 pages of this novel finally brought the world crashing down. I really hope that the wandering and characters introduced in book 2 come full circle and this was not filler to hit the magical YA trilogy.
    • 3/5
      This review is also posted on Mommy's Reading Break

      After the ending of Wither, I was very anxious to see what would happen to Rhine and Gabriel. I really liked the beginning. It picked up very soon after the ending of Wither, and they’re running from the boat they stole as people are trying to tow it to shore. They are in an unknown place, and they need to find somewhere to go. They see lights in the distance and head for them. From there, they are back in captivity; this time in a “carnival” that actually serves as a “red-light district” or brothel.

      While the carnival was supposed to be disturbing and dangerous, I actually found that whole portion of the book underwhelming. It wasn’t completely boring, but I just wasn’t very interested in it. I was glad that the carnival section was much shorter than I thought it would be. Their escape had some suspense, but from there, the pace was slow again, as they were just on the run. Again, there was some suspense, but I felt like nothing much happened.

      I found a lot of Fever frustrating. While I understand that Rhine really wanted her freedom, I was left wondering through most of Fever if she was regretting that decision. Being out in the real world was torturous for her and Gabriel, and dangerous as well. I think she conveniently forgot that part when she wanted to escape. Also, I found Gabriel and Rhine to be incredibly frustrating as well. They often seemed to get angry or irritated with each other, but they never addressed it. They just ignored their issues, and it just annoyed me.

      Honestly, I was mostly disappointed in Fever. And I am not alone. Brittany at Book Addict’s Guide actually mentioned Fever in her Second in a Series Slump post. I was really nervous that Fever was going to leave me not even wanting to read Sever, the final installment, but the last 60ish pages redeemed it for me. I thought that they were great, even though there was a severe creepiness to them. It also ended on a very Insurgent-esque cliffhanger, which has me dying for the final installment! (Though published March 10th, this review was actually written on March 5th, and as of then, I’m still waiting on Sever from the library!)

      Overall, I thought that Fever was so-so, but the last 60 or so pages, and the last page specifically, added an extra star for me. It’s not the greatest book ever, but I think it’s worth slogging through to get to Sever. (Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind if I’m disappointed in Sever.)
    • 2/5
      Not thrilled, they got away to end up right back where they started...Wah Wah
    • 3/5
      This book was just so blah. I did like the ending even if she ended up right back where she started.
    • 3/5
      "Is your name even Rhine?"—LindenWith a promising and utterly amazing first book, The Chemical Garden series had totally made it from the book that I had overlooked to one of my seemingly potential book I really had to check out. Although the cover was not all that amazing, and in my opinion—honestly—was not really appealing, either, the amazing concept and the curiosity from reading the first book was enough to make me buy and read this book.Fever told us the continuation of Wither, with Rhine and Gabriel ran away from Vaughn's mansion, finally free and need to survive. But when life took a sudden turn, and they both found themselves trapped in a scarlet district full of secrets—Gabriel was drugged and Rhine was a step away from being sold—they must once again worked together found their way out. But when Vaughn came and Rhine realized that she was never truly free, what choice would she ultimately made? The story of this book was overall flat and didn't leave any strong impression on me.Sure the beginning was great, and connected well with the first book. But throughout the story, one thing I couldn't helped but notice was that it was all felt way too plot-driven. The character's personality wasn't really played out, and didn't make any effect on the story line either. There were so many things going on, and it sometimes felt that the plot-point was being thrown in just for the sake of the stories, and it all felt way too coincidental and not in any way natural.The ending however, was where I think the story really began. This book was ended in a cliffhanger, and I think it was perfect to pique our curiosity and make us wanted to read the next one.The character, as I mentioned above, was a bit weak compared to the first book. What really made me fall in love with this series was its strong and unique characters, not ordinary and not freaky either, but at the same time felt really flesh and bone. This time, however, it was a bit let down.Rhine Ellery—portrayed as a tough, smart, and really likable girl on the first book—unfortunately became a bit bland on this book. She was just too typical, with no interesting new traits or surprising act or whatever. It seemed like she just stayed on the safe borderline, and it was, truthfully, boring.Gabriel, as our other main character, was even more boring than Rhine. He didn't have any specific traits that made it easy for readers to identify him, and he didn't have any background story either. All the readers knew was that he was an orphan and that's the end. I mean, you can throw me an orphan, a middle-age woman, or anything. But if you didn't describe his life behind the 'orphan' status, how could the readers sympathize and connect with him?His personality was also far far away from unique and memorable, with him just being the nice guy who was always there for Rhine. Er, seriously?And also, the chemistry between Rhine and Gabriel was nonexistent as well. It was quite okay for me that they didn't turn into a suddenly lovey-dovey couple, all kissing and hugging, and I love Lauren DeStefano for that. But still, I couldn't feel the romantic feeling—or any special feeling at all, like friendship, partnership, or whatever—between them.The thing that I'm not really fond of this book was really its character. No, they're not annoying, or no, they're not irritating as well. And maybe, that was just exactly the problem. The characters were all too busy occupying the 'just nice and ordinary' borders it became boring to read. And honestly, I had no idea what should I write regarding the characters, simply because they were just all too flat and felt all the same, and overall didn't leave any special impression.And still the same problem from the first book, Vaughn Ashby in this book was still black-and-white and way too irritating.Overall, I think Fever was not really a great book to be read. The first book of the series, however, I found was brilliant. This whole series actually sounds promising, but this book just didn't hit with me.If you love to read dystopian fiction with an elements of sci-fi, you could try out this series, although be warned that its second book was a bit disappointing, I personally think.
    • 4/5
      I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m rating this a 4 stars, but extremely close to 4.5 because of the ending. This is one messed up dystopian society and I can’t get enough. Amy and I reviewed the first book in the series, Wither, here. Fever picks up right where the first one left off; Rhine and Gabriel have just escaped the mansion where Rhine was forced to marry Linden, and Gabriel was as a servant (neither by choice). They think they are free from their prison, but almost immediately thrust from that nightmare into the next.

      Once they are out of the mansion controlled by Vaughn, Rhine’s father in law, they get snatched up and trapped into an equally horrid situation with Madame. As terrible as it is, they put on brave faces knowing it is the only way to survive; they do not give up hope of breaking free and leaving the camp with Madame to get back to Manhattan, Rhine’s original home before she was kidnapped. Their goal is to find her brother, Rowan, which is what this novel is about.

      I had the actual book when I read Fever, not an e-version. I have to say, I could not stop looking at the cover. I was fascinated with it. Rhine looks less glamorous here than the first book, but that is for a reason. And then, all the little things in the picture mean something. Sometimes books are just pretty covers that don’t really fit the book….well this one is very pretty AND fits the book so well! Loved that!

      I adore, adore, adore Rhine. Not only is her name so very cool, so is she. Her situation is awful, desperate and terrifying, yet she keeps her chin up, determined to find her brother and a way out of Madame’s camp. Gabriel, one of Rhine’s attendants from the first novel, Wither, is loyal to her to a fault. While there is a romantic interest and some stolen kisses, the two don’t have time to focus on their romance since they have to fight for survival.

      I knew that as I read this book, Rhine and Gabriel had to take this journey together….it had to be done, but I honestly couldn’t wait for Rhine to be reunited with Linden. I liked Gabriel a lot, but not in a romantic sense. I just couldn’t feel the chemistry. However, I know from Rhine’s time with Linden there absolutely was chemistry, even though they might not have known it themselves since Rhine wouldn’t give in to such notions because she felt forced into the marriage.

      I understand this book laid more ground work for the final installment in the trilogy, so I was willing to read through it, but it didn’t evoke the same emotion out of me as the first one. I think that is because of the chemistry of Rhine and Linden…and Linden wasn’t present for this. I think it all goes back to the fact that I need romance in my novels. The ending of this book was fabulous and I absolutely shuddered at one point (can’t say because it would spoil!) but it moved very quickly and I can’t wait for things to happen in the 3rd book, Sever, due out in the spring of 2013. If you love dystopian novels this series is a must for your list!
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Chemical Garden series. The fast pace established in Wither (the first book) continued in this novel. This book describes the difficulty that the main character has in looking for her twin brother, and the adventures she experiences during it.
    • 4/5
      After escaping the mansion, Rhine and Gabriel struggle to get to New York City, where Rhine hopes to reunite with her twin brother. The outside world, however, proves to be even more treacherous than the one they escaped. This was a pretty good sequel to "Wither" in that the story line showed definite progression and Rhine's character was fleshed out more, which is not always the case with sequels. DeStefano's writing also improved with "Fever" and I'm excited to see how the Chemical Garden Trilogy will end.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this second book in the series. Plot twists and turns and a build up for the next book.