Scarlett Fever

I don’t remember where Suite Scarlett finished off… but Scarlett Fever starts up after the hotel-version of Hamlet has finished up. And now – it’s fall. Translation: back to school!

Of course, things are never easy for Scarlett, though.

Her employer, Amy Amberson, has started managing actors – mainly, Scarlett’s brother Spencer. Spencer gets a job on a large crime drama playing a most-loathed character, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grasp the fact that his character is, um… fictional. (Hijinks with donuts ensue!) (Also, I have of course NEVER forgotten the fact that a character is fictional. Nope, not me. Not me at all. Never, ever, EVER.) And of course there is Amberson’s potential new client, who has a show more brother who seems to live to annoy Scarlett.

And that doesn’t even begin to cover Eric, the boy Scarlett can’t seem to get over…

The Review
First thoughts about this book? The cover isn’t nearly as pretty as the first one. In fact, it’s kind of … boring. THANKFULLY this is a case where one should NOT judge a book by its cover because this book is everything BUT boring.

Okay. Firstly, I will fully admit that I read the acknowledgements in the back of the book before actually reading the rest of the book. Because that’s just how I roll. And from the acknowledgements, I knew that I was going to enjoy this book. Because it was pretty zany. Just like Johnson’s blog and twitter feeds are both zany. And that zaniness was present throughout the whole book, which was totally awesome.

I don’t know when the last time I loved a character as much as I love Spencer. I love the hijinks that he and his agent stage. And the cake scene. And the different ways to die. But especially the cake scene.

But, oh, seriously, what kind of ending is that? I want the next one NOW, how can you leave us hanging like that Maureen Johnson?? HOW? Anyone have any word when the next one is coming out? Neeeeeeeeeed. GRRR ARGH FANGIRLISH RAGE.

One thing I just realized – there’s only one more book in Johnson’s back catalogue that I haven’t read yet. I better savour it so that I don’t have to wait TOOOOOOO long until The Last Little Blue Envelope……. Anyway! Tangent!

The Bottom Line
WANT MORE NOW. NEED MORE NOW. Anyone who enjoyed the first book, and those who enjoy Johnson’s crazy hijinks online should read this. So much fun! Want more now! Now now now! show less

The Martins are back in full force in this sequel to Maureen Johnson's 2008 release, Suite Scarlett! Scarlett Martin and her spectacularly quirky family are up to their usual funny business, snarky and sharply witty as ever. You thought Maureen Johnson was done with characterization? You were very, very wrong indeed. Characters that seemed to be developed to death got even more complex in their new storylines. I was especially glad to see more of Marlene, even though I found her "big reveal" to be underwhelming, but she was the most fascinating of the Martin siblings to me. There was an even more expanded focus on each sibling, but at the same time, the sibling dynamic is retained, and each character could be looked at as simultaneously show more an individual unit and a group. It's a rather complex plot, but it all really just comes down to this one heartwarmingly crazy family in the end. Johnson has quite the talent of making sure that her descriptive passages are interesting, rather than falling into everyotherauthor's trap of boring overly-long descriptions. It's a very low-key, laid back, calm, even toned book, even during big events. I did have to question the introduction of Dog-Murray, as he did just seem to be that stereotypical cute doggy sidekick, not serving any larger purpose. One thing I do have to point out--following Maureen Johnson through twitter, her blog, etc, made this really a more dynamic, interesting read. Somehow, having known her a little better, it's almost as if you can hear this crazy stuff that's on page, coming directly out of her, nodding your head all the while going "oh yeah, that's Maureen." Such fun! Next book, please?

Rating: 5/5 show less

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson is the sequel to Suite Scarlett. Although Scarlett's special charge has checked out of the family hotel, she's still tied up in her adventures. Because she's now Mrs. Amberson's personal assistant.

Scarlett already had a brother who wanted to be an actor more than anything. That's now spiraling out of control and Mrs. Amberson isn't really helping matters.

It was in the madness that is acting both for stage and screen where I started to lose enthusiasm for Scarlett Fever. The friendship that worked so well within the well defined spaces of the hotel seemed to go awry with a larger stage.

Worst of all Scarlett was obsessing like Candace for Jeremy except her boy was a complete and utter jerk who saw her as show more a means to an end and nothing more. I get that people do this in real life but I wanted more for Scarlett who in the previous book had seemed so on top of things. show less

Scarlett's summer of madness has ended. The production of Hamlet they've been hosting in her family's hotel has ended and school is lurking on the horizon. But just because life has started to fall back into its regular pattern doesn't mean the craziness that is the Martin household has abated. Scarlett still has her lingering feelings for Eric to deal with, her older brother, Spencer, is going through audition hell, her younger sister, Marlene, is being weirdly nice, her older sister, Lola, is getting friendly with her ex-boyfriend again, and Scarlett's boss is driving her a bit crazy with all of the demands of being a talent agency. With all of that madness, who has time for a practically sociopathic lab partner in bio?

I was happy to show more once again immerse myself in the world of the Martins and their hijinks. Scarlett remains a flawed but lovable teenager whose complicated life makes for highly entertaining reading. Johnson's combination of the dramas of life with quirky humour makes the book a delight. While the book leaves many loose ends that I'd love to see followed up in another Scarlett novel, any time spent in a world of Johnson's creating is a good time. show less

I honestly just finished Scarlett Fever about ten minutes ago, and was so excited that I had to come tell you all about it. Yes, Maureen Johnson's sense of humor is fantastic, her views on serendipity and the type of fate that can only happen in high school is superb.

But let's cut to the chase. I may be in love with Spencer Martin. In fact, on the list of Great Fictitious Crushes, he may now be number 2 (Nightwing, I'm afraid, is not that easily usurped, though it is a close call). Who else will dance with his sister to make her look good in front of frenemies and then... well, if I say anymore I may unintentionally give away plot points. But the more I see of Spencer, the more I like.

I’ll admit I was a little so-so about Suite Scarlett. It was entertaining, but not out-of-this-world hilarious. While I was grateful for the fact that there was a sequel because I enjoyed the characters, I didn’t think the story really needed one. But I am so, so glad that Scarlett Fever came along. It was delightfully funny and it was nice to visit the Martins once again.
Spencer is the best clown a story could ask for. The way the public responds to his television role had me laughing out loud. Pretty much whenever Spencer was in a scene, I was laughing. But Scarlett can hold her own. Whether she’s with her friends at school, her family, or waist-deep in the Crazy her boss throws at her, there’s something about her that makes show more me love her.
Funny? Yes, this book is funny. I laughed so much more in this book than the first one, but I’m not sure if that’s because there was more humorous stuff or if I was more in tune with Maureen Johnson’s sense of humor. Although I always found the dialogue snappy, I noticed a lot of subtle touches of comedy throughout the book, such as this:
"Frances Perkins High School inhabited a remarkable building high up on Central Park West. It was red and gold brick, and grand, with two large round towers on the ends, high gothic arches for windows, and a long porch with porticoes like some kind of Italian villa. The plague on the front of the building said it was the site of “one of the city’s oldest hospitals,” but it was common knowledge that it was an old mental asylum. It was given up as a lost cause and the neighborhood got too rough, possibly because it was full of formal mental patients. They hid up on the large wall of rock that jutted out of the park at 104th Street and jumped down on people from above and presumably ate their brains. Everyone knew this."
I cannot tell you how hard I laughed at this. I couldn’t even get through reading it to my husband without cracking up. So if you find that hilarious, this book is for you.
A few notes about the characters: whenever Eric was in the book, I felt awkward and like he needed to leave. I liked him okay in the first book, but he was completely uninteresting to me in this one. The only explanation I can give for this is that, with classes in session in this book, I realized just how much older than Scarlett he is and it felt kind of icky. Plus there was that whole thing in the first book. I love that Mrs. Amberson is this omniscient evil genius woman who is very likely certifiably insane, but she always, always knows best. I’m grateful that Chelsea wasn’t in the story more than she was, because she seemed like a character that could very easily drive me insane. The addition of Max made this book for me. He’s cocky and flawed and blasé. From his first appearance in the book up to the very last page, he did nothing but bring an angst-filled swagger that I loved.
By the end of this book, I was so invested in the characters that I didn’t want it to end. And it ended at the worst possible moment. I was flipping through the acknowledgements pages searching for the rest of the story. Because I need more. show less

For Scarlett Martin, life at her family’s aging New York City hotel has become significantly darker since her summer romance with Eric dissipated. Scarlett’s actor brother, Spencer, has found himself a pretty exciting new gig — all at the hands of Mrs. Amberson, the Hopewell Hotel’s eccentric former resident. Even with her out of the Martins’ hotel, Mrs. Amberson keeps Scarlett on the payroll at the talent agency she establishes . . . and, needing the cash, Scarlett stays on as her assistant. Even when Mrs. Amberson’s new clients include an overworked teen Broadway star and her annoying — but adorable — brother.

As Spencer’s career takes off in a controversial way, Scarlett grapples with typical teenage family drama. show more Her younger sister Marlene, once a disgruntled kid and cancer survivor, has become curiously kind and attentive. Oldest sister Lola is back with Chip, her rich blue-blood boyfriend, and the Martins as a whole are none to pleased about it. Still, there’s something to be said for finding a ticket out of the family’s tight finances . . . isn’t there?

Maureen Johnson’s Scarlett Fever, sequel to 2008’s Suite Scarlett, is a fun, light look at teenage Scarlett’s attempts to heal her broken heart, mend friendships and keep her screwball family up and running. The Martins, eccentric though they may be, are a hard-working crew I’ve come to love and appreciate through two novels’ worth of focus.

With the razor-sharp wit for which she’s known, Johnson approaches the never-ending drama rampant in her Scarlett books with humor — and tenderness. Through everything that befalls them, there’s never any doubt that the four Martin siblings love one another . . . even when they kind of want to kill each other, too. As I mentioned after finishing the first book in the series, it’s really refreshing to see a family portrayed with the right balance of affection and disdain. Because, you know, who hasn’t wanted to punch their sister in the brain from time to time? That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t destroy a cake for them. Or something.

My beef with the novel is the same as before . . . I don’t know that the third-person narration really adds anything to the story. Overall, I would have enjoyed Scarlett Fever more if we’d seen the entire story through the lens of Scarlett’s own perspective. As it stands, she’s our titular character — but I wished I’d been even more inside her mind at times. Not a novel-ruiner, but just something that irked me.

Fans of young adult fiction — and Johnson’s sense of humor — will find plenty to enjoy in the Scarlett books, brimming with entertainment and warmth. And if the cliff-hanger of an ending is any indication, looks like we’ll have a third novel to add to the stacks sometime soon. show less