Originally posted at Hooked on Books 
 The Chemical Garden trilogy continues and without a doubt it is better than ever! 
 Now if you remember my review of Wither, I wasn't overly sold on this trilogy. Primarily because the hype monster built this book up to such outlandish proportions there was almost no way it could live up to its reputation. Because of this I went into Fever with my expectations lowered. I was happy to find that I enjoyed the story of Fever significantly more than that of Wither and noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the narrative and characters. 
 For starters, I loved the conflict and imagery in this story significantly more than the last. Wither was limited to the world of Linden's mansion and while it was an interesting setting there was only so much it could do. Fever opens up a whole new world for the reader - exposing the reader to the dysoptian setting Rhine grew up and helping us learn more about what the world has become. This did more than just create a more dazzling world to read about, it also helped explain many of the motivations of the characters, which is something I'm always obsessed with. 
 I also felt like Rhine has significantly grown as a character. In Wither I found her kind of flaky and always in need of saving. In Fever she was stronger. She took action for herself. She become a force to reckoned with and I finally felt myself bonding with her. Unfortunately, however, my feelings towards Gabriel remain the same. I find him a complete blank slate and he spends much of Fever out of the way. Further proving to me that he really doesn't need to be there. 
 I still gave so many questions - particualrly about this virus. How does a virus target by age/gender? Is it really a virus in the traditional sense? etc etc. But I'm hoping questions like that are addressed in book three (which I am now eagerly awaiting). Just like Rhine, Lauren DeStefano has really grown with this book. She's had a chance to stretch her creative muscle and the results are something to be admired.