Review: The Fever by Megan Abbott

Title: The Fever
Author: Megan Abbott
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Publish Date: June 17, 2014
Source: I received a copy from the PR; however, this did not affect my review.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "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."

My Two Cents:

"The Fever" is a story of family and how strong those ties are and where their limit lies. It is also the story of paranoia and how it can do unbelievable things to people, especially in groups. The Nash family's small town is in an uproar after strange things start happening to the teens of the town. Filled with drama and a healthy dose of mystery, this book kept me on my toes and kept me turning the pages.

I thought one of the most interesting parts of the book was how Abbott chose to tell the story from the perspectives of each member of the Nash family. Tom Nash is a teacher at the high school where the girls start getting sick. He tries to be a good father but he is a little remote in the beginning of the book. Deenie is a teenaged girl who is best friends with the first girl who is afflicted. Eli is a high school boy who is a little lost and seems focused on getting girls to sleep with him in order to fill some void that never truly seems filled. The narrative is third person but Abbott writes through the eyes of each member. Since they are so different, they have a really unique and interesting perspective that allows the reader to see what is going on from all angles. I really enjoyed that part.

Abbott was definitely able to keep me on my toes throughout the book. I liked how there was so much mystery about what was really happening with the girls. I kept thinking that I knew and then Abbott would throw a wrench in my suspicions, which I absolutely loved. I love not knowing what is going on until the very end! Overall, this is a great, drama filled read!