Author: Lauren DeStefano

Publication Date: 02/21/2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 341

Source: Purchased

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

 Rhine Ellery has escaped from the House Governor's mansion in Florida, and together with Gabriel, is en route to Manhattan to find her twin brother Rowan. Life on the outside is much different from the too-convenient mansion, and Rhine finds herself in the uncomfortable place of occasionally comparing her life within to the everyday struggles of the real world. Vacillating between anger at having been Gathered, being separated from her brother, and at the world for giving her this disease in the first place, Rhine learns that wanting something is important, but in this uncertain world where parents outlive their children, is that enough?

Fever starts almost immediately after the end of Wither, with Rhine and Gabriel on the run. The book begins with an exploratory feel, and I found myself having to reel back a bit after remembering the frenzied events at the end of the previous book. This hesitant tone fits well within Rhine's mindset as she reacclimatises to being on the outside. However, the two aren't alone for long before they find themselves ensnared in another situation of entrapment. I love what Lauren does with words - and what she isn't afraid to do with them - in order to convey Rhine's feelings of being caged and frustrated. (This is done at times to, what I feel, is the detriment of Gabriel - though he is always with Rhine, sometimes I don't get the feeling that he's there at all, a lack of presence.) The pacing of Fever runs parallel to Rhine figuring out her situation and how she's going to deal with it.

The issue for me, again, is that there's not enough information. I still don't know why this is happening, and that lack makes it difficult for me to suspend disbelief as much as I would like. We know there is a disease that affects all newly conceived children, and we know from haunting descriptions (the disappearance of the outer boroughs to the Atlantic is chilling for me as a New Yorker) that the Eastern seaboard and Europe are vastly redefined. These subtle descriptions do much in the way of setting the feeling for Rhine's America, but I still need to know how this disease came about. In order to affect children but not the parental hosts it has to be incredibly specific genetically. I also have difficulty accepting that people would readily embrace this new world instead of fighting and doing everything they can to find a cure.

We're introduced to a handful of new characters in this book, though I almost feel as if the characters were more inherent to the setting. Maddie, a physically handicapped child who does not speak, is perhaps the most telling. In Rhine's society such a child is dubbed 'malformed' and would ordinarily be killed. It continues to highlight what I found strange about Wither; that people would kill children when the existence of these children, even with their shortened lifespans, is all the human race has. Girls who aren't considered beautiful enough are killed by Gatherers and children who don't have ten fingers and ten toes are similarly considered disposable.

The main thing, aside from the lack of why, is that very little happens plot-wise here. I enjoyed the descriptions and the character movement, but I'm unsure as to how the series, with only one book left, will be able to tie everything together in a way that's going to be satisfying as a reader. Fever is a great development upon the first installment in that we get to see what exactly makes Rhine tick, and I'm curious to see how everything will unfold in the final book; curious enough that I'll pick it up when it's released.

A question to my fellow bloggers who are also writers or perhaps vice versa:

How do you feel about posting snippets or passages of your writing on your blog for public consumption? It's something I've struggled with recently, with all of the usual (I'm presuming) fears. I like it, but can others? Does it make sense? Do you (as a reader) want to read more? And, for me, the most pressing - will putting it out there change my perspective on it? Can I finish writing when I'm already receiving input? Will I be intimidated and not finish?

It's a big jumble of fear.

I suppose an issue for me is that I don't write sequentially, though I know now most of the gaps that I need to fill in and have a decent enough mental draft of how things will go. My brain will fill in the character progression in between; I reckon it's fairly decent at doing that job. 

That's the funny thing about writing, I guess. The more you want to share it with people, the more you're afraid it could all just fall apart. Tenuous at times, isn't it?

(And, have no fear, there will be a review up this weekend for Fever after I finish writing my midterms; they end Friday.)

In My Mailbox, hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, allows us to share our

current reads, and books we've received/checked out/purchased over the course of the week.

This post sort of encapsulates why I'm so behind on the blogging life. I'll be sharing three piles of books today: one is my leisure books that I desperately would love to start but haven't been able to; the second is a the books I have to read for my Heroines class; the third is for one of my political theory classes (though I haven't purchased all of the books yet).

Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver                                            The Portrait of a Lady, Henry James

Article 5, Kristen Simmons                                                Sister Carrie, Theodore Dreiser

Harbinger, Sara Wilson Étienne                                         The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath

Fever, Lauren Oliver                                                          The Custom of the Country, Edith Warton

The Inheritance Trilogy, Christopher Paolini                     Recollections of My Life as a Woman, DiPrima

                                                                                           Praisesong of the Widow, Paule Marshall

                                                                                           The House of Mirth, Edith Warton

The Politics of the Veil, Joan Wallach Scott

The Law of Peoples, John Rawls

Selected International Human Rights Instruments

and Bibliography for Research, David Weissbrodt et. all

Selected topics on human rights theory course packet

This doesn't include the packets upon packets I'm reading for my other theory class. Warning: if you're ever thinking about majoring in the social sciences, particularly political science and/or human rights be ready to readreadread. It's a good thing I kind of like that reading thing. ;)

You may kind of see why I'm slightly behind. In fact while I'm drafting this post I should be finishing up Sister Carrie, an accompanying journal article discussing the book, and preparing for a presentation on it and another presentation for another class tomorrow. It's also a good thing I like school! So, I have all of these great non-school leisure books and I'm going to start picking at them one by one, slowly, until I finish the pile I have before requesting any others (unless something on my I've-been-waiting-for-this-forever pile comes up).

What's in your mailboxes this week, friends? I reckon I'm probably a bit behind on le(s) new books so I'm super excited to check all of your posts out later. :)

Q: What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show and do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters?

If it could be done in a fitting manner, The Night Circus would be absolutely stunning. It would need to be a film and you'd have to have someone artistic like Guillermo del Toro - though not necessarily him - to direct it. When I read books I don't imagine them with a specific cast in mind; the freedom to imagine the landscape and the characters as information comes across little by little is the best possible thing about a book for me.

One must would be though that Celia be played by an American and Marco someone English. Bad accents or having to try harder than necessary to envision a character rather throws me off.

I'm sort of imagining a cutout (stop-motion) animation title that bleeds into the opening scene. I could go on, but, you get the idea.

With the release of film version of The Hunger Games next month I've been rather excited anytime I see a mention of it anywhere. (For instance, I would have shared a picture on Twitter today of two adverts for it that I saw at 51st while riding the 6. If my car stops in the right place tomorrow I definitely will!) The content of these books are important to me and it's also difficult not to feel something for the characters and their circumstance.

My parents recently took a trip somewhere and I thought it would be the perfect time to offer up my copy of THG for her to read on the plane. A few days later I get a call saying that she's already finished it and is miffed she didn't take my suggestion to bring Catching Fire along as well. (Though she did say she was looking forward to reading it, and the wait just meant she could enjoy them longer. I was so proud.) Since she's gotten back she's finished the entire trilogy and has been discussing Finn and Peeta and Seneca Crane - among others - as if this is a mere re-read. My mom usually doesn't have a lot of time to read, so the fact that she's not only taken the time to read them but that she has read them all is somewhat of a testament to the fact that there is something between the pages of a book for everyone.

We all take something out of it whether it's fascination, seeing something of ourselves, to revulsion or confusion. Even dislike of a book means there's something in it that a person is reacting to. I decided to take advantage of her reading wave and gave to her Neal Shusterman's Unwind to have a go at. If you've been a reader here then you might know that I love this book, though it's a book that's difficult to love. Unwind is not an easy book, but, I think, it's a necessary one. The caveat I gave her before reading it was the same way I think everyone should: do not read the synopsis first; just dive right into it.

She figured it out for herself (though she hasn't read that part yet) and told me that she was absolutely shocked that the book is classified as YA. I disagreed and still do. Unfortunately, I don't see the things described in Unwind as being beyond the capacity of people nor beyond legislation were it scientifically possible. Perhaps I should disclose that I study human rights and sometimes feel like the majority of history that I read with regard to people is horrific enough to be beyond people's imaginations. But it isn't - it's happened. So, though perhaps the scientific ideas in the story are not 100% relatable in the present, is the idea behind it really so futuristic?

Have there been books you've suggested to people that they've either taken to unexpectedly or that they were entirely shocked by and not a fan of? Are there YA books that you love yet still wouldn't give a teenage audience to read? I don't support banning books, but perhaps there's a line here that you would draw that I might not, and so I'm curious.

Q: I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What's the most unique character name you've come across?

I suppose I should first start off that I begin to get nervous when 'unique' starts getting paired with 'name' because I have nightmares of of weird letter substitutions or multiple consonants for aesthetic purposes rather than any grammatical or pronunciation reasons. There are other weird instances where characters have quite a mouthful of 'unique names' as a given name and suddenly it's Starrlytte Kheeara Eve and I don't know what to think.

Names that are appropriate to the setting and story of the book are best, for me personally, without sounding too grandiose. That's why the characters in Harry Potter work  - nothing in those books is decided upon without a reason, and JKR did her homework to the last letter - for me but the name Bella Swan gave her kid doesn't. The names Neal Shusterman gave the characters in Bruiser are unusual, but for what's happening in the book they make complete sense and actually help to convey a part of the personality. Same with Alaska Young in Looking For Alaska - she is such an outgoing, vibrant, and slightly untouchable spirit that for her to have a name like Jane Smith would never have worked in the same way.

I guess my point is that I don't look for unique names at all. I just hope the name choice suits the overall environment of the book. :)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event courtesy of Breaking the Spine

that showcases much anticipated upcoming releases.

from goodreads: 05/08/2012

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love. 

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy. 

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Though I'm not a fan of that cover - far too much happening and the coloring seems too busy - I read Die For Me in a few hours and I'm curious to see what happens next. I also loved living in France myself, even if only temporarily, so a chance to hop back into that world is pretty magical. I like that it tells us we're in for a cliff-hanger so instead of wondering if there will be one (and possibly annoyed if there is), we're instead anticipating what thread we'll be left hanging on. Again, May is going to be such a fabulous book month. Thankfully finals end mid-month!

Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Publication Date: 01/02/2012
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 256
Source: Purchased

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Warning: There will be minor spoilers for character backstory herein.

Hadley Sullivan is having a time of it. She's missed her plane, stuck at the airport waiting for a trip she doesn't want to embark on to a place she's never been. London is already built upon a rickety self-imposed bed of memories, and nothing good could possibly come of it - right? Airport patrons, already schooled in the art of waiting, are often times incredibly observant and it's by this chance that she meets Oliver, who comes to her aid when the zipper goes on her bag and her things tumble to the ground. +1 for her trip across the pond.

This is a book that I was waiting very much for, for a few reasons: I love airports (so much happens there, it's great for observation), the title is incredibly catching and makes you want to know what might happen, and it has that fantastic cover. However, there is a catch, and it's a big one. The blurb only states that Hadley is going to her father's wedding in London, but doesn't say anything of the reason behind any of this. If I had known how things were to happen in this book I might not have been so keen to buy it.

Hadley's father was invited to be a fellow at Oxford, and Hadley and her mother had plans to visit him over the winter break - and then suddenly they didn't. In a whirlwind of events not only had Hadley's father been in a relationship with another woman, but suddenly her parents were divorcing and plans were  being made quietly by her father to marry this other woman. The timeline for these events is so incredibly brief in the scheme of things that not only is it impossible for me to separate my anger at what was going on from the story, but it's also difficult for me to accept the way Hadley's parents are treating her.

"He's still your dad," Mom kept reminding her, as if this were something Hadley might forget. "If you don't go, you'll regret it later. I know it's hard to imagine when you're seventeen, but trust me. One day you will."
Hadley isn't so sure. (7)

I'm not so sure, either. The issue at hand isn't the fact that her father is remarrying someone Hadley doesn't  know, nor is the fact that her father has moved to England. The issue here is her father's infidelity and everyone else's completely blasé reaction to it. Reading this I never had the feeling that neither Hadley nor her mother had a chance to properly be angry or upset. Everything was so rushed that they had to pass go completely, straight to an awkward semblance of peripheral acceptance; this left little room on my behalf as a reader to have any sympathy for her father. If the situation had been different, if it had come about in a different way then the entire shape of this book would have been different, and I would have been able to see it in a much easier light.

The ratio of this review seems to be in even proportion with my thoughts while reading;  though I loved Hadley (sarcastic and honest) and Oliver (witty and clever), the unhealthy circumstances behind their meeting threatened to overshadow how fantastically the two of them got on. The story of them is a one that is believable, well-paced, and I was behind them every step of the way. From their banter in the airport, to everything you can think that would happen during a 7-hour flight sitting next to someone you find wholly fascinating, it's a viable occurrence that might have you looking over the next time you're on a plane.

On the whole I did like the book, though I wish that I had known what I was getting myself into before I started, and that the reasoning were different. If anything, it's worth reading alone for the progression between Hadley and Oliver. Just take the backstory with a grain (or two) of salt before proceeding.