The Fever
“It’s happening, it’s happening,” came the low snarl from Lise's delicate pink mouth.
Her hands flying up, she grabbed her throat, her body jolting to one side.
The Nashes are a close-knit family. Tom is a popular teacher, father to two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie’s best friend Lise is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure during class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.
As hysteria swells and more girls succumb, a series of tightly held secrets emerge, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.
The Fever offers a chilling story about guilt, family secrets, and the lethal power of desire.
News
The Fever, winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel and the Strand Critics Award for Best Novel, was also shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Folio Prize.
Best Books of 2014!
The Fever has been chosen as one of the best books of the year by Amazon, Kirkus, LA Review of Books, Grantland, the Boston Globe, the Globe & Mail, the Sun Sentinel, the Village Voice, Parade Magazine, School Library Journal and is one of NPR’s favorite novels of the year.
“The book to beat… in the ‘Is it the next ‘Gone Girl’?’ sweepstakes“
— Janet Maslin, New York Times
“The lives of teenage girls are dangerous, beautiful things in Abbott’s stunning novel… Abbott expertly ratchet[s] up the suspense…nothing should be taken at fact value.“
— Kirkus, Starred Review
“The Fever holds true to its title: It’s dark, disturbing, strangely beautiful and utterly unshakeable. Megan Abbott has created a mesmerizing, modern portrait of teenage life today: Brutal crushes, competing allegiances and first-bloom sensuality, all magnified by the rush and crush of technology.“
— Gillian Flynn
The Fever is loosely inspired by a recent outbreak in upstate New York, which received international media attention:
Megan's Huffington Post article about the true-life LeRoy, NY case
Mystery Illness (Time)
School baffled by 12 girls' mystery symptoms (Today Show)
What Happened to the Girls in Le Roy (New York Times)
The Curious Case in Le Roy (NPR)
Sarah Jessica Parker loves The Fever!
