The Fever (novel)

2014 novel by Megan Abbott

This article is about the Megan Abbott novel. For similar uses, see Fever (disambiguation) § Novels.

The Fever

1st edition

Author| Megan Abbott
Language| English
Genre| Crime fiction; bildungsromans
Publisher| Little, Brown and Company

Publication date

| June 17, 2014
Publication place| United States
Media type| Print (paperback and hardback)
Pages| 307
ISBN| 9780316231053
1st ed hardcover
OCLC| 860757048

Dewey Decimal

| 813/.6
LC Class| PS3601.B37 F48 2014

The Fever is a novel by American writer Megan Abbott first published in 2014 by Little, Brown and Company. It is Abbott's seventh novel.

## Plot

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Deenie Nash is a diligent student with a close-knit family: her brother, Eli, is a hockey star and her father is a popular teacher. But when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in the middle of class, the Nash family's seeming stability dissolves into chaos.

Soon more local girls start to experience bizarre symptoms, leaving health officials puzzled and parents in an uproar. 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.

## Background and publication

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The author Megan Abbott was inspired by the news reporting on the 2012 mass hysteria case in Le Roy, New York.[1][2] It was published by Little, Brown.[3]

## Reception

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The Fever was generally well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist,[4] Kirkus Reviews,[5] and Library Journal.[6] It was listed as one of the best books of 2014 by the Los Angeles Review of Books,[7] Grantland,[8] The Boston Globe,[9] The Globe and Mail,[10] the Sun Sentinel,[11] Parade,[12] School Library Journal,[13] and NPR.[14]

Booklist called the book "a powerful portrait of community, with interesting echoes of The Crucible."[4] Kirkus wrote, "Nothing should be taken at face value in this jealousy- and hormone-soaked world except that Abbott is certainly our very best guide."[5] Library Journal said The Fever was Abbott's best novel to date.

The New York Times described Abbott as "a skilled storyteller," and The Fever as "a gripping and unsettling novel."[15]

Publishers Weekly wrote, "Abbott’s adolescents are close to pitch-perfect with their sudden switches between childlike vulnerability and calculating maturity," though mentioned "the narrative lacks in depth."[16] Ultimately, they called the novel "a gripping story fueled by the razor-sharp treachery, jealousy, hormones, and insecurities of teenage girls."[16]

Entertainment Weekly gave the book a B+ grade.[17]

Awards for The Fever Year  | Award  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|

2014  | Strand Critics Award for Best Novel  | Nominated  |
2015  | ITW Thriller Award for Best Hard Cover Novel  | Won  | [18]
Folio Prize | Nominated  | [19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Brown, David W. (June 18, 2014). "Writing of Rage and the Teenage Girl". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
2. ^ Blair, Elizabeth (June 20, 2014). "In 'Fever,' Town's Teen Tic Epidemic Gets A Chilling Novelization". NPR. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
3. ^ Kamp, Amy (July 5, 2014). "Lit-urday: The Fever". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
4. ^ a b Graff, Keir (May 1, 2014). "The Fever". Booklist. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
5. ^ a b "The Fever". Kirkus Reviews. May 7, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
6. ^ French, Liz (July 18, 2014). "The Fever". Library Journal. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
7. ^ "A Dirty Baker's Dozen: My 13 Favorite Crime Novels of 2014". Los Angeles Review of Books. December 19, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
8. ^ Nguyen, Kevin (December 9, 2014). "Books of the Year: Mysterious Women, Sad Men, and Stories From the Postapocalypse". Retrieved May 16, 2024.
9. ^ Ephron, Hallie (December 12, 2014). "Best crime books of 2014 - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
10. ^ "The Globe 100: The best books of 2014". The Globe and Mail. November 21, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
11. ^ "2014 best mystery novels - Sun Sentinel". December 17, 2014. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
12. ^ Neumyer, Scott (December 15, 2014). "Holiday Gift Guide: Movies, Books, Games & More That Mom Will Love". Parade. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
13. ^ Flowers, Angela Carstensen and Mark. "Best Adult Books 4 Teens 2014". School Library Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
14. ^ Cohen, Nicole; Eads, David; Friedman, Rose; Lettenberger, Becky; Mayer, Petra; Novey, Beth; Rees, Christina. "NPR's Book Concierge". NPR.org. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
15. ^ Tennant-Moore, Hannah (June 27, 2014). "The Awakening 'The Fever,' by Megan Abbott". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
16. ^ a b "The Fever by Megan Abbott". Publishers Weekly. April 28, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
17. ^ LEE, STEPHAN. "The Fever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
18. ^ "Megan Abbott". Stop, You're Killing Me!. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
19. ^ Flood, Alison (December 15, 2014). "Folio prize reveals 80 titles in contention for 2015 award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 16, 2024.

## External

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* The Fever on Goodreads
* The Fever at Library of Congress

* v
* t
* e

Novels by Megan Abbott

* Die a Little (2005)
* The Song Is You (2007)
* Queenpin (2007)
* Bury Me Deep (2009)
* The End of Everything (2011)
* Dare Me (2012)
* The Fever (2014)
* You Will Know Me (2016)
* Give Me Your Hand (2018)
* The Turnout (2021)
* Beware the Woman (2023)

*[OCLC]: Online Computer Library Center number
*[LC Class]: Library of Congress Classification
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