A fitting sequel to the first book in the series, Fever continues the dark themes of Wither with a bit more adventure this time. I was thrilled to get an ARC of this one because the wait was killing me! 
 Rhine continues to be the driving force of the story. She is the reason I keep reading. I love her character, how honest she is, how mature and thoughtful, but how protective and brave. She is strong in a distinctly feminine way, as an almost mother figure with a compulsion to protect those she loves. She doesn't take up arms like some dystopian heroines, but she doesn't let the world run her over either. She uses her own wits and skills to turn things in her favor. 
 Gabriel, bless his heart, was out of his element in the real world. As much as he would like to play hero and protect Rhine, she doesn't need protecting. His kind nature makes him endearing, but it can also make him vulnerable. He's a rare treat in young adult heroes. Vaughn continues to be a thoroughly creepy villain, of course, He's not the type to just go away. But the horrors that Vaughn can inflict have only just begun, I fear. 
 In my review of Wither, I had complained that Rhine seemed a bit bipolar and could be disorienting to read. It would seem that making some of the decisions she did at the end of the first book brought her out of that. She is now decisive and feels as if she has grown up. 
 If it's possible for the world here to get any darker than Wither, it certainly was in Fever. Seeing the real world up close, having one of the two characters in some awful illness or (aptly) fever throughout kept things feeling very real. Drugs, poverty, prostitution, hunger, even child abuse become issues in this book. They are all discussed with an eye on our modern world and what reflections we can see in DeStefano's dystopian. 
 I liked this book better than the first, so if you liked Wither, you'll adore Fever. Just a warning, though, the cliffhanger ending will leave you screaming, truly!