Fever by Lauren DeStefano - ESSENTIAL

DeStefano, Lauren Fever (Wither #2), 341 p. Simon, FEBRUARY 2012. $20.  Language:  PG (6 swears, 0 ‘f’);  Mature Content: PG (references to prostitution and sex, but everything is very implied); Violence: PG (description of dead violence, undescribed violence).  Rhine has managed to escape from Housemaster Vaughn’s estate, taking Gabriel with her, but she has forgotten how harsh the outside can be.  The pair is captured and trapped by a prostitution carnival, but since Rhine’s value is in her beauty, she is not forced to participate.  Madame has other plans for her.  But Rhine’s goal is to get back to Manhattan and to find her twin brother; she will risk anything to find him and hopefully, even after year, he hasn’t given up on her.  I am so amazed that in this world where children die so young they are treated like garbage, no better than the trash on the street, with expendable lives.  Rhine is definitely in the middle of her journey, but I was very interested in reading about her world outside of the confines of the House.  MS, HS – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher.