Book Spotlight: Fever (Chemical Garden Series, Book 2) by Lauren DeStefano

Good Day, Beardies!

School’s out for summer! I love my job, but after 2 weeks of our routine being turned on its head due to state testing, I am ready for a break. I’m usually in “relaxation” mode until July; that’s when I get the itch to start planning for the fall. Until then, I plan on working in my garden (my tomatoes are doing great!), cooking and baking (I’m taking the Wilton Cake Decorating course at Michael’s), getting started on wedding planning, and reading a ton of books!

Now that I have a little extra time, I can finish my Spotlights on Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden Series. I’m sure you are anxiously wondering what has happened to Rhine. Without further ado, here is Fever, the second installment in the Chemical Garden Series.

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Premise: 

When we last left Rhine, she had escaped from the house of husband Linden and his father, Vaughn, during the middle of a hurricane. She and Gabriel, a servant in the house, planned to run away together and eventually make it back to Manhattan and Rowan, Rhine’s brother. Several things waylay the lovebirds on their trip; including being almost immediately captured by a woman named “Madame” and placed on view in her carnival. Throughout the book, we wonder if Rhine will ever be reunited with her brother. There’s also the mystery of the fever she has developed. DeStefano  once again, gives her readers more of Rhine’s world.

Watch the Trailer:

Gems for Writers:
World-Building. In the first book in this series, Wither,  most all of the plot takes place inside the mansion of Vaughn, Linden’s father. In Fever, DeStefano gives us a view of the outside world and the devastation this disease has caused. Even though Rhine has escaped her “prison,” she is by no means safe. All the comforts of the world we know today are only available for the rich (basics of food, heat, and shelter). It’s a world where only the rich can receive medical care (and only if there is a threat of them dying). Most all doctors are so focused on finding a cure, however, that they don’t have the time or the resources to help those that are sick. It’s a world where there is the constant threat of being found by Gatherers or others seeking to make money off of you to survive.

Atmosphere. I know it’s cliché that often the second book or movie in a series is the dark, depressing one; Fever isn't an exception—and that's not a bad thing. Whereas in Wither, Rhine was living in luxury (married to a man she didn’t know), in Fever, Rhine is struggling to survive and make it. On her journey to find her brother, Rhine must overcome several obstacles—ones that leave the reader wondering if she'll make it. With the feeling that she will be found and experimented on by the sinister Doctor Vaughn, Rhine always has her eye on what’s behind her. DeStefano's impeccable characterizations—both in this and the first book—make the reader connect with Rhine; the reader is rooting for her to be reunited with Rowan.

Rating:

Conclusion: 

I give Fever a higher rating over the first book just for the fact that the action in this book greatly picks up the pace of the series. As with most series, the end leaves you wondering what will happen next. And we will find out what happens to Rhine when I post my next Spotlight on the finale of this trilogy in a couple weeks.


Until then, Happy Reading and Happy Scribing

***Fever (Chemical Garden Series #2) (2012) by Lauren DeStefano, is published and copyright by Simon & Schuster BFYR. It is available in stores, online (see above), and at your local public library.