YA Friday: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Fever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Chemical Garden #2
Genre: Dystopian, post-apocalyptic, YA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2012
Source: Library
Read for: fun

**SPOILERS** for Book 1, Wither, are inevitable.

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped from Vaughan, and they are out in the world, free, for better or worse -- for a couple of hours. After stumbling on a twisted circus, Rhine and Gabriel find a whole new brand of captivity -- that of the scarlet districts, where dying girls exist only to bring momentary pleasure to a dying race. Gabriel, raised in the comfort of Vaughan's mansion, begins to question Rhine's decision to "escape" -- and Rhine too wonders if the reason she left, to find her brother, Rowan, has long since become beyond her reach.

I never realized how very dark and dismal this series was until my sister picked it up off the couch and began reading a paragraph out loud. For some reason, hearing the words somewhere other than my own mind was pretty shocking. However, it wasn't just the experience of hearing the words out loud -- Fever is definitely darker than Wither. 


While Housemaster Vaughan's totalitarian rule and creepy experiments were horrific, the drugged, hazy existence of the circus is also hellish. The ringmaster, as it were, is Madame, a woman who names all the girls that find her after colors and puts them in their respective tents. The girls have children, of course, and one of these is the deformed Maddie, who is rejected by Madame but who seems to know some secrets about the past. Ultimately, it is Maddie who help Rhine and Gabriel the most as they seek to escape the circus. And while the circus is probably the most twisted step on their journey, the book travels through several other areas before its shattering conclusion, all the while with Vaughan pursuing Gabriel and Rhine. The plot moved more quickly in Fever than in Wither, with more key events occurring. While I couldn't put Wither down, either, I definitely enjoyed the faster pace in Fever.


The character development was somewhat lacking for me. While Rhine is having new and dangerous experiences, she doesn't really change as a person. She still doggedly seeks after the same principles and goals. While many of these are good and worthwhile, I would expect her to develop more after all she experiences. Gabriel continues to be the quiet, somewhat blank presence he was in Wither -- sweet, romantic, but not especially interesting. He does have some dark moments in Fever, such as recovering from addiction to the drug Madame fed him in the circus, and flashes of annoyance at Rhine for convincing him to leave the relative comfort of the mansion, but overall he is muted without much change or personality. The only character that continues to shift and change is Cecily, Linden's youngest bride. Cecily can be foolish and is overly trusting of Vaughan, to the point of betraying Rhine multiple times, but as the book continues she finds her preconceptions challenged. I don't think she will ever truly move beyond her desire to be a bride and her level of comfort with what Rhine saw as imprisonment, but she definitely reveals new sides to her personality as Fever progresses.

DeStefano's writing continues to be lush and descriptive, with poignant images of both beauty and decay illustrating the strange worlds the characters inhabit. Occasionally, if I looked carefully at a metaphor or phrase, there were certain issues that didn't quite mesh. I should have written down examples, but unfortunately I already returned the book to the library. However, for the most part, the writing was just as powerful as it was in Wither. I think the real strength of this series is the disturbing, fantastical atmosphere DeStefano creates, and I think her most powerful tool is her ability to create powerful imagery, rather than characters or plot.

Fever is a dark, quick-paced sequel to Wither. While the characters do not seem to develop, instead simply struggling to achieve their goals, the pace is faster and many events transpire, leading Rhine to learn additional secrets about her world and the dark basement of Housemaster Vaughan. I am curious to see where the conclusion will lead.

3.5 stars

Warnings: Dark thematic material (including prostitution), drug use, violence, some language

YA Friday: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither
Series: The Chemical Garden Trilogy, #1
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre:YA, dystopian, fantasy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Source: Library
Read for: Fun

In a frenzy of genetic manipulation, trying to keep the world's population healthy, a fatal mistake is made. Now males die at the age of 25 and females die at the age of 20. Some are hopeless, thinking it is the fate of the human race to die out. Some are frantically experimenting and researching, hoping to find a cure. And some are joining polygamous marriages and reproducing before they wither (heh - get it). Rhine belongs to the latter camp, kidnapped against her will and now married to Linden with two other girls, Cecily and Jenna. Rhine lives a life of luxury with Linden - but is it worth the loss of her freedom?

Okay, two things about this book. First of all - lovely writing, intriguing characters, absorbing plot. Second of all - totally unrealistic. This is why I have this pegged as fantasy. Because there is no way that the disease would automatically affect people with age, the world is mysterious and vague (granted, most of the story takes place in Linden's mansion, in which there is little to no contact with the outside world). This isn't a book that you can think too hard about as far as world development and global repercussions go. My other issue about realistic-ness has to do with Rhine's standing in the house, and it involves a spoiler, so highlight over if you'd like to read it - I don't know how she would get to be the first wife if she didn't consummate her marriage with Linden. I understand why she didn't, and I'm glad she didn't - but I just don't understand how he would perceive her as his favorite and spend every night snuggling up to her with nothing ever progressing beyond that. 

However, if you can get past the cerebral issues, it is quite enjoyable, even alluring. First of all, Lauren DeStefano's writing is every bit as dazzling as that cover. Unfortunately, I returned the book without copying down any passages - none stood out to me in particular. However, the book as a whole was almost visual in its descriptions. Rhine moves from a bleak, desperate world into a world of color and privilege, with special gowns and makeup designed exclusively for her to allure her husband and countless gardens and pavilions surrounding Linden's home. The characters are also described exceptionally well - I have vivid mental images of all of them (Cecily is a young, short Amy Adams, in case you were wondering). I honestly think the reason I was so absorbed in this book was the magic of the writing, because honestly, there isn't always much going on. There is mystery and tension, but the book is about a group of girls that live in a house and don't leave. Obviously more than that happens, but with that premise we aren't always getting tons of action. Fortunately, DeStefano's writing prevents that from becoming a problem.

I also enjoyed the characters, for the most part. I loved Rhine's relationships with her sister-wives and the friendships that developed between them. I've always wondered how women in polygamous families could stand each other, but the tentative friendships that blossom into sisterhood are one of the most compelling aspects of this book. Rhine not only becomes close with her sister wives, she also has a special friendship with Linden's first wife, Rose, who at twenty, doesn't stick around for long. She also has a remarkable friendship with Linden, her naive but sweet husband. In fact, I grew to like Linden quite a bit. Because of his sheltered life, he doesn't always understand or perceive the unethical aspects of his lifestyle; however, he does everything he can to make his wives comfortable and happy. He is suffering from loss just like every other character in the book (grief is a difficult emotion to avoid when everyone dies in their twenties). I also liked Gabriel, but I noticed a slightly annoying trend that has also appeared in similar books. Whenever I read a YA book written in first person, for some reason I never get a clear picture of the love interest. It's as if they are blacked out by the narrator's emotions - I know just how that person feels about the character, but I feel like I can't get a clear picture of what the character is actually like. I liked Gabriel, don't get me wrong - but I felt as if I knew much more about Linden. Gabriel was still a mystery to me - even though I knew he liked boats and had lived his life in the mansion, I felt like I didn't know much about him. I'm hoping that his character is fleshed out more as the trilogy progresses.

So, what's the verdict? While this book was imperfect, I still truly enjoyed it. It was compelling and absorbing and swept me up into the story, allowing me to focus on little else until the book was finished. If you are willing to look past the things that don't quite mesh together, reading Wither should be a great experience for you.

4 stars

Warnings: Un-gory violence, marital sex (behind closed doors)