This has to be one of the most depressing books I've ever read. There's so much hope in the first book (maybe they'll find a cure, maybe she'll find her brother, etc.) but from page one Fever is dark and disturbing. It does delve deeper into the world as I had hoped it would, but what was revealed was a world so grimy, so beyond redemption that you have to wonder if it wouldn't have been better if she had been one of the girl's shot in that van. Don't get me wrong, it was as good as the first if not better, but I'm hoping that the final book in the series will have at least some positive conclusions.
From the back cover: 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 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 back to the mansion... by any means necessary.
From the back cover: 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 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 back to the mansion... by any means necessary.
I've heard this book described as a cure for your Hunger Games hangover and it fits that bill quite well. Although not as engaging as The Hunger Games, I found the concept to be intriguing and became really invested in what would happen to the main character Rhine. This first book also leaves a lot of room for speculation, which I find to be quite enjoyable. Is the rest of the world really destroyed? Will a cure be found? What do Rhine's unusual genetic traits mean? I'm hoping that in the sequel not only will the main story be advanced, but more about the world will be revealed.
From the back cover: Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb-- males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape-- to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts show more to break free, in the limited time she has left. show less
From the back cover: Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb-- males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape-- to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts show more to break free, in the limited time she has left. show less
Mockingjay is the conclusion to The Hunger Games series. Katniss finally takes up the mantle of the face of the rebellion and all out war rages in Panem. What and who will she have to sacrifice for a victory that she never sought? Will she ever be that girl who hunted the woods with Gale again? At times the story almost feels hopeless as though there can never possibly be any happiness in her world again, but in the end Katniss finds some peace in the world she helps create.
If we burn you burn with us!
On a side note: I would really love to get a prequel or two set within the world. Maybe a history of how Panem came to be or about the relationships of the older characters in the story. The main story line is clearly over but I'm not ready to let it go yet and I still have questions that are unanswered.
If we burn you burn with us!
On a side note: I would really love to get a prequel or two set within the world. Maybe a history of how Panem came to be or about the relationships of the older characters in the story. The main story line is clearly over but I'm not ready to let it go yet and I still have questions that are unanswered.
If you enjoyed The Hunger Games this is a must read. It picks up where the cliff-hanger from the first book left off with a whole new set of heart-wrenching terrors that Katniss must face. Although it does lack some of the excitement from the first book, it is a crucial bridge between the first and third books. It is both hopeful and tragic and a reminder that you never know what tomorrow may bring.
Sometimes the odds are definitely not in your favor.
From the back cover: Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss would be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol-- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
Sometimes the odds are definitely not in your favor.
From the back cover: Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss would be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol-- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
Although this book is directed at a young adult audience, it is fully enjoyable for all ages. The story moves you and creates a deep connection to the characters from the beginning. From Katniss taking her sister's place in the games to her relationship with Peeta, everything plays out in a way that keeps you reading long past when you should have gone to bed. The book also holds a warning about what society could become in the wrong hands, which is the most significant element to any post-apocalyptic novel. It will entertain you, and give you something to think about at your next meal.
Happy reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
From the back cover: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-- ans survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
Happy reading, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
From the back cover: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-- ans survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.