Review: Fever

Synopsis: 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. 

My Review: When I first read Wither, I fell in love.  It was such a highly original idea and was well executed.  I had high expectations for Fever.  Have to say I was disappointed.  With everything that happened, I still felt like nothing of significance  took place.

It picks right back up from Wither, with Rhine and Gabriel on the run.  Only they barely get off the beach and stumble right into a trap.  They've got themselves captured by a red zone harem run by a crazy old woman.  I swear, they didn't last 5 minutes! It almost took half of the book for them to get out.  Ya.  Exactly.  Filler much? I was just frustrated by the whole thing.  I kept thinking "Get back to the story! This is dumb!" When they finally escape it's bittersweet to say the least.  Vaughn shows up, and they end up with the daughter of one of the prostitutes that befriended them.

Rhine and Gabriel get back on the move, with the little girl in tow.  Along the way they encounter a fortune teller and a crazy ass old couple.  When they finally reach Rhine's home, guess what?! Rowan isn't there! Surprise, surprise! A few more things happen that I'm not gonna mention, but in the end, Rhine ends up back where she started, in Vaughn's clutches.  By the end of the book I was just like "did anything actually happen?" Of course it ends in a huge cliff hanger.  I don't know.  I just wasn't feeling it.  Maybe I'm being harsh, simply because sequels are always freakin filler novels.

It's not like I don't like the books anymore.  Just frustrated by the clear filler.  Still love Gabriel.  He's such a sweetheart.  I have a feeling when we finally meet Rowan he's going to be an ass.  Like a huge ass, and the image of Rhine's perfect brother is going to be shattered.  I really want the next book.  Simply because then the ACTUAL plot will continue.  Once again, if this was a bit harsh, I just couldn't help it.  I feel like so many sequels of books I LOVED have disappointed me in terms of filler and this is just the final straw.  Still eagerly awaiting the third book.