govmarley's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting young adult book about a young woman growing up in the midst of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia 1793.
Mattie is a strong heroine, but not perfect. I like that she was flawed and didn't always do the right thing. I also loved her silly grandfather. It would have been nice to get a better idea of her mother's motivations, but overall the characters were fleshed out well and realistic.
A good introduction to the devastation of the epidemic and how it impacted families. It is a time I hadn't read about before so I will find further reading to learn more.
Mattie is a strong heroine, but not perfect. I like that she was flawed and didn't always do the right thing. I also loved her silly grandfather. It would have been nice to get a better idea of her mother's motivations, but overall the characters were fleshed out well and realistic.
A good introduction to the devastation of the epidemic and how it impacted families. It is a time I hadn't read about before so I will find further reading to learn more.
aniyuki's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
jacquilynn's review against another edition
5.0
A quick read. A very cute at times and others deeply emotional story. I love Laurie Halse Anderson books for Middle school age but I enjoyed this just as a novel for myself. For those more familiar with Speak, this is not as psychological or tough to read, but that doesn't diminish what this book is.
dougsasser's review against another edition
3.0
Anderson dramatized a Yellow Fever outbreak in the early days of the nation. An appendix offers the history that inspired the story.
gr8reader's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting read. Amazing how people survived the Yellow Fever Epidemic. Glad medicine had made the pressed that it has..... can't imagine being bled because of having the flu!
stef_hent_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Besides absolutely traumatizing me in sixth grade because somebody in corporate decided this was a good book to advertise for young readers, I enjoyed it.
kaitlynslagel's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
claudiaslibrarycard's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Fever 1793 is about Mattie Cook, a girl living in Philadelphia at the time of the yellow fever epidemic. Mattie lives above a coffee house with her widowed mother and her grandmother. When the yellow fever comes that summer, Mattie witnesses the privileged wealthy flee to the country but she is stuck behind. We follow the many challenges her family faces as a result of the epidemic, including illness and loss.
This story moves quickly, but with grace and appropriate attention to historical accuracy and character development. I think the author did a great job noting the racism and classism that was common at the time and part of the epidemic. It was believed that low class people and those of non European ancestry were vile and prone to infection. Germ theory was not yet established and other false beliefs are also called out. The author used historically accurate ways to challenge racism which I also loved.
For an epidemic story, this one has an uplifting ending. It is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have the advancements of science in our current lives, and a beautiful story of a young girl who faces significant struggle and comes out the other side.
This story moves quickly, but with grace and appropriate attention to historical accuracy and character development. I think the author did a great job noting the racism and classism that was common at the time and part of the epidemic. It was believed that low class people and those of non European ancestry were vile and prone to infection. Germ theory was not yet established and other false beliefs are also called out. The author used historically accurate ways to challenge racism which I also loved.
For an epidemic story, this one has an uplifting ending. It is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have the advancements of science in our current lives, and a beautiful story of a young girl who faces significant struggle and comes out the other side.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: October 17th 2019
"Life was a battle, and Mother a tired and bitter captain. The captain I had to obey."
Spoiler
WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!
I was browsing for possible titles that are set in the 18th century to read for the final era for the When Are You Reading? challenge when I saw this title pop up. I enjoyed her other title Wintergirls when I read it earlier this year and the historical setting and plot sounded fascinating, so I immediately knew I wanted to read this title. I'm not sure if this was the wrong book at the wrong time for me, or if it's just that I'm not that used to middle grade books in the first place... But the fact is that I couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed by this story. First things first, and I have to say that the historical setting is well developed and detailed when it comes to the facts of 18th century Philadelphia and the yellow fever outbreak. It shows that the author has investigated historical facts thoroughly and the descriptions feel realistic and help teach the readers more about yellow fever and the impact of the outbreak back then. I could also appreciate the explanation of what was based on historical facts and what might have been changed in the story. That said, I struggled to connect to the story. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it has somewhat to do with the fact that I never felt a real connection with the main characters, making me feel mostly detached from everything that happened to the main characters. In short, while the historical aspect of Fever 1793 was brilliantly handled, the characters somehow ended up falling a bit flat for me... I seem to be in the minority though, so if you haven't tried this story yet and are intrigued by the blurb, you shouldn't hesitate to try your luck.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.