The Fever (novel)

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The Fever
TheFeverMeganAbbot.jpg
1st edition
Author Megan Abbott
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Crime fiction; bildungsromans
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date
June 17, 2014
Media typePrint (paperback and hardback)
Pages307
ISBN 9780316231053
1st ed hardcover
OCLC 860757048
813/.6
LC Class PS3601.B37 F48 2014

The Fever is a novel by American writer Megan Abbott first published in 2014 by Little, Brown and Company. It is Abbott's seventh novel.

Contents

Abbott was inspired to write the novel by the 2012 LeRoy, New York Mass hysteria case. [1]

Plot

Deenie Nash is a diligent student with a close-knit family: her brother, Eli, is a hockey star and her father is a popular teacher. But when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in the middle of class, the Nash family's seeming stability dissolves into chaos.

Soon more local girls start to experience bizarre symptoms, leaving health officials puzzled and parents in an uproar. As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families, and the town's fragile idea of security.

Reception

The Fever was generally well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist, [2] Kirkus Reviews, [3] and Library Journal . [4] Booklist called the book "a powerful portrait of community, with interesting echoes of The Crucible ." [2] Kirkus wrote, "Nothing should be taken at face value in this jealousy- and hormone-soaked world except that Abbott is certainly our very best guide." [3] Library Journal said The Fever was Abbott's best novel to date.

The New York Times described Abbott as "a skilled storyteller," and The Fever as "a gripping and unsettling novel." [5]

Publishers Weekly wrote, "Abbott’s adolescents are close to pitch-perfect with their sudden switches between childlike vulnerability and calculating maturity," though mentioned "the narrative lacks in depth." [6] Ultimately, they called the novel "a gripping story fueled by the razor-sharp treachery, jealousy, hormones, and insecurities of teenage girls." [6]

Entertainment Weekly gave the book a B+ grade. [7]

Awards for The Fever
YearAwardResultRef.
2014Strand Critics AwardBest NovelNominated
2015 ITW Thriller Award NovelWon [8]

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References

  1. ↑ Brown, David W. "Writing of Rage and the Teenage Girl". The Atlantic . Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Graff, Keir (May 1, 2014). "The Fever". Booklist. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "The Fever". Kirkus Reviews. May 7, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ French, Liz (July 18, 2014). "The Fever". Library Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  5. ↑ Tennant-Moore, Hannah (June 27, 2014). "The Awakening 'The Fever,' by Megan Abbott". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "The Fever by Megan Abbott". Publishers Weekly. April 28, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ LEE, STEPHAN. "The Fever". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Megan Abbott". Stop, You're Killing Me!. Retrieved August 4, 2022.

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