The Fever by Megan Abbott

The Fever

by Megan Abbott

Her hands flying up, she grabbed her throat, her body jolting to one side.

Then, in one swoop, her desk overturned, clattering to the floor.

And with it Lise. Her head twisting, slamming into the tiles, her bright red face turned up, mouth teeming with froth.

"Lise," sighed Mrs. Chalmers, too far in front to see. "What is your problem?"

The Nashes are a close-knit family. Tom, a popular teacher, is father to the handsome, roguish Eli and his younger sister Deenie, serious and sweet. But their seeming stability is thrown into chaos when two of Deenie's friends become violently ill, and rumours of a dangerous outbreak sweep through the whole community.

As hysteria swells and as more girls succumb, tightly held secrets emerge that threaten to unravel the world Tom has built for his kids, and destroy friendships, families, and the town's fragile idea of security.

The Fever is a chilling story about guilt, family secrets, and the lethal power of desire.

Reviewed by jamiereadthis on

4 of 5 stars

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Megan Abbott does it again. It’s the natural world and the human relationships that invoke the most paranoia. Parts of this affected my heart rate. You Will Know Me did the mystery better, sticking to one POV, but this one is less about plot and more about the collective psyche of a small town. If the plot gets irrational, it’s because the people get irrational. And that’s all too plausible.

The chapters are short, the sentences are clipped and relentless, upping the pulse. But far more effective to me: the fact it comes down to the air, the water, the parents and best friends and brothers. Dismantle that feeling of safety, of home, and the world starts to feel like it’s spinning out of control.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said. The eternal parent lie, a hustle.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 August, 2017: Finished reading
  • 13 August, 2017: Reviewed