Book Summary and Reviews of The Fever by Megan Abbott

The Fever by Megan Abbott

The Fever

by Megan Abbott

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  • Published:
  • Jun 2014, 320 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

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." (Laura Lippman)

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Stunning...Nothing should be taken at face value in this jealousy-and hormone-soaked world except that Abbott is certainly our very best guide." - Kirkus

"Starred Review. Once again, Abbott makes an unforgettable inquiry into the emotional lives of young people, this time balanced with parents' own fears and failings. It's also a powerful portrait of community, with interesting echoes of The Crucible: it's the twenty-first century, and, in many ways, we're still frightened villagers, terrified of the unknown. Abbott may be on her way to becoming a major writer." - Booklist

"This is a gripping story fueled by the razor-sharp treachery, jealousy, hormones, and insecurities of teenage girls." - Publishers Weekly

"The Fever holds true to its title: It's dark, disturbing, strangely beautiful and utterly unshakeable." - Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

This information about The Fever was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Megan Abbott Author Biography

Megan Abbott is the Edgar award-winning author of eleven crime novels, including You Will Know Me, Give Me Your Hand and the New York Times bestseller The Turnout, the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She received her Ph.D. in English and American literature from New York University and her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Paris Review and the Wall Street Journal. Dare Me, the series she adapted from her own novel, now streaming on Netflix.

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