Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Buy it on Amazon

Visit Lauren DeStefano's website

"We run, with water in our shoes and the smell of the ocean clinging to our frozen skin. I laugh, and Gabriel looks at me like I'm crazy, and we're both out of breath, but I'm able to say, 'We made it,' over the sound of distant sirens. Seagulls circle over us impassively. The sun is melting down into the horizon, setting it ablaze. I look back once, long enough to see men pulling our escape boat to shore. They'll be expecting passengers, but all they'll find are the empty wrappers from the packaged sweets we ate from the boat owner's stash. We abandoned ship before we reached the shore, and we felt for each other in the water and held our breath and hurried away from the commotion." -- Fever, Chapter 1

Fever is the sequel to Wither and is no less incredible than the first book in this trilogy. Rhine and Gabriel have managed to escape Housemaster Vaughn and now make their way to Manhattan and Rhine's twin brother, Rowan, hoping to find safety with him. But escaping from the house was not the only hardship they face. Vaughn is following them everywhere they go, and when Rhine begins to show symptoms of the virus at only seventeen years old, he may be the only one with an answer.

I just can not praise this author enough. Again, I could not put this book down. I finished it in about a day. The way DeStefano writes is so gripping, and so descriptive. It's been quite a while since I truly got lost in a book but I just fall right into this series whenever I pick it up. It literally pulls me in. The characters are realistic and believable, the plot engaging, and all of it just leaves me wanting more. DeStefano is very quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The cliffhanger at the end of this book left me excited and frustrated -- I didn't want it to end! As much as I want to devour the next book and find out what happens, I'm also very reluctant to leave DeStefano's world behind. Expect a review of the final book in the trilogy, Sever -- but how quickly that review will be posted will depend on how much I'm grieving over finishing this fantastic series ;)

5/5

DISCLOSURE: I borrowed this book from the library where I work and received no compensation for this review.

Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Buy it on Amazon

"I'm unsure why one trifling incident this afternoon has moved me to write to you. But since we've been separated, I may most miss coming home to deliver the narrative curiosities of my day, the way a cat might lay mice at your feet: the small, humble offerings that couples proffer after foraging in separate backyards. Were you still installed in my kitchen, slathering crunchy peanut butter on Branola though it was almost time for dinner, I'd no sooner have put down the bags, one leaking a clear viscous drool, than this little story would come tumbling out, even before I chided that we're having pasta tonight so would you please not eat that whole sandwich." -- We Need to Talk About Kevin, Chapter 1

We Need to Talk About Kevin is the story of Kevin Khatchadourian, a boy who murdered seven of his classmates, a teacher, and a cafeteria worker. The book is written from the perspective of his mother Eva, in the form of letters to her estranged husband and Kevin's father. She recounts the early days of their marriage, her pregnancy, and Kevin's childhood, slowly piecing together the life of "KK" the killer. Eva explains her ambivalence towards having children and the way that Kevin seemed to hate her from birth -- a hatred that she returned. As she reflects on both her and Kevin's interactions with each other, the reader is left to draw their own conclusion about Kevin: is he evil because his mother didn't love him, or is he unlovable because he is evil?

I loved this story, I honestly did. I loved the letter format and I loved the insight into Eva's mind as she looked back on her mistakes and wondered if she was responsible for how Kevin turned out. But that being said, I had a lot of trouble getting through the book. It's not that it wasn't enjoyable or well written; it was. But it didn't feel genuine to me. The language used didn't feel like someone writing to her estranged husband. I was very aware of the author's influence. When I read I like to be completely immersed in a book, and I really wasn't able to do that here. I commend the author for portraying such an emotionally-charged subject so well. And finding out just how much betrayal Eva faced from Kevin, exactly how much she was hurting, was a shock that I was actually happy to receive; it was a perfect touch. I'm glad I read the book. It's just not for me.

3/5

DISCLOSURE: I borrowed this book from the library where I work and received no compensation for this review.

In My Mailbox

Books from the library:

The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard

Fever by Lauren DeStefano (sequel to Wither)

Capital Punishment's Collateral Damage by Robert M. Bohm

What's in your mailbox this week?

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Buy it on Amazon

Visit Lauren DeStefano's website 

"I wait. They keep us in the dark for so long that we lose sense of our eyelids. We sleep huddled together like rats, staring out, and dream of our bodies swaying. I know when one of the girls reaches a wall. She begins to pound and scream -- there's metal in the sound -- but none of us help her. We've gone too long without speaking, and all we do is bury ourselves more into the dark." -- Wither, Chapter 1

Wither is the first book in the Chemical Garden trilogy, and the first novel author Lauren DeStefano has had published. And it does not disappoint. Wither is the story of 16-year-old Rhine Ellery, growing up in a dystopian future North America where an incurable virus kills all girls by age 20 and all boys by age 25. Rhine, like so many other girls, is kidnapped and sold as a bride to bear children and keep the human race going. Not only does she have to deal with the pain of being taken from her twin brother and being forced into a marriage with the kind but clueless Linden, she must forge a relationship with Linden's other wives and his father -- but who in the household is really trustworthy? And how can she escape?

I admit I have a bit of a weakness for dystopian settings, but that aside, Lauren DeStefano is one of the most talented authors I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Her writing style just grabbed me from the start. I had a lot of trouble putting this book down; I think I finished it in two days. The characters are very realistic -- they're very human. It is easy to understand their feelings and motives. Even Housemaster Vaughn, the villainous person that he is, played at my emotions in a way that's hard to describe accurately. He is horrifying and his actions are inexcusable, yet he's understandable. It takes a lot of talent to write a character like that. I want to know more about this future that DeStefano has envisioned and the people who live in it. I was not ready for the story to end and I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy, both of which are available now, as well as a short story prequel available for purchase as an ebook on DeStefano's website.

5/5

DISCLOSURE: I borrowed this book from the library where I work and received no compensation for this review.

In My Mailbox

All of my books this past week are from the library where I work, which is definitely good for my wallet.

Books from the library:

American Indian Education: A History  by Jon Reyhner and Jeanne Eder

Child to Soldier: Stories from Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army by Opiyo Oloya

Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences in World Religions by Christopher M. Moreman

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

And, though it's not a book, I did buy Doctor Who Series 1, and Doctor Who is always worth getting excited about:

Doctor Who Series 1

What's in your mailbox this week?

In My Mailbox

I have much fewer books this week than last week, but still a nice haul!

Books I bought:

Made to Crave Devotional by Lysa Terkeurst

Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones

Books from the library:

 

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Books I won:

 

The Cage by Ethan Cross (eBook, won from Freda's Voice)

I'm definitely happy with what I've got this week. What's in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox

My first In My Mailbox post on the new blog! How exciting! I just came back from my local library's book sale (not the one I work at) and oh my, I got a nice haul. Typically, I post cover images of each book. But because I got so many, I'm just going to post the title and author, with a link to purchase them on Amazon if you're interested.

The Busy Scrapper: Making the Most of Your Scrapbooking Time by Courtney Walsh

The Champion by Carla Capshaw

Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

The Complete Guide to America's National Parks, 1990-1991 Edition by the National Park Foundation

Mermaid Park by Beth Mayall

How to Live with a Neurotic Cat by Stephen Baker

Life 101: Everything We Wish We Had Learned in School -- But Didn't by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams

Do It! Let's Get Off Our Butts by John-Roger and Peter McWilliams

Fantastic! In addition to those books, I was also able to snag a couple discards from work. Most of the books we choose to discard get donated; but if they're in really bad shape they get recycled. I was given permission to take a few of the books designated to be recycled.

Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt

Anderson's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson

The Serpent Mound, Adams County, Ohio: Mystery of the Mound and Mystery of the Serpent: Various Theories of Effigy Mounds and the Mound Builders by E. O. Randall

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown

Fourteen books for $5 total in two days. Not bad! What's in your mailbox this week?