Book of the Week for November 24-November 30

The Fever by Megan Abbott

Why it’s interesting:

We all know how much I like fiction based on real life.  The Fever: A Novel was loosely inspired by a mysterious outbreak in LeRoy, New York. Megan write an article about it for Huffington Post and there’s more information about it on her website. After reading (and loving) Dare Me, I’ve had this book on my To-Read list for a while (I almost bought it based off this interview) and just got the email from the library on Saturday that my digital copy was waiting.

I haven’t done much else this weekend besides read.

It’s addicting. The pacing is phenomenal, the characters development is far beyond what Abbott did in Dare Me (and, again, I loved that book) but with very little exposition. It’s incredibly hard to put down. I usually read while I dry my hair in the mornings and I couldn’t today because I knew if I did I wouldn’t stop and I wouldn’t get anything done today. I’m looking forward to the kids’ bedtime tonight so I can finish it.

The blurb:

The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community.

The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie’s best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.

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.

A chilling story about guilt, family secrets and the lethal power of desire, THE FEVER affirms Megan Abbott’s reputation as “one of the most exciting and original voices of her generation.”*

*Laura Lippman

If you like this, you might also like:

Dare Me.  I don’t know how I heard about this book, or whether it’s inspired by anything real, but it was my first introduction to Abbott’s work and it’s also masterfully written.