The Fever by Megan Abbott

Title: The Fever
Author: Megan Abbott
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
ISBN: 9780316231053
Number of Pages: 320
How I Got It:  NetGalley
Format: Kindle

NetGalley Description:

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 hocky 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."

My Review:

**SPOILER ALERT**     **THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS**

I was very skeptical to read another of Abbott's works because I extremely disliked "Dare Me." I felt the teen girls in that novel were not only acting out in adult ways but the characters were also given a mature mentality that was unbelievable. So when I saw that Abbott was writing about teen girls again, I thought I'd give it a try but didn't hold my hopes too high. This all being said, I enjoyed reading the entire book and didn't get myself worked into quite the state that "Dare Me" got me to (there was a physical throwing of that one.) I liked how Abbott got into the details about how mean girls are to each other, even their supposed friends. I liked that there was focus on how at risk young girls are, even in "safe" communities. I liked the angle of hysteria around the HPV vaccine. I haven't read any other "outbreak/ contagion-themed" books with that puzzle piece so I found that original. I even liked the darkness of the spells and the poisoning. But I'm very particular with a mystery and if you are going to take me on a 300 plus page journey, I need all the ends tied up. And there were two big ones that weren't: 1. Skye. So she just disappears? She's not questioned for supplying Gabby with the poison? 2. All the "other" girls. "Mass Psychogenic Illness" because they were stressed? Wouldn't it have been more feasible if they were all sick because they inhaled the fumes from when Skye burned the plants? All in all, I liked this better than "Dare Me" but it's still only a 3 star from me. 

** I received this book in exchange for an honest review **