2014 novel by Megan Abbott
The Fever is a novel by American writer Megan Abbott first published in 2014 by Little, Brown and Company. It is Abbott's seventh novel.
Plot.
Deenie Nash is a diligent student with a close-knit family: her brother, Eli, is a hockey star and her father is a popular teacher. But when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in the middle of class, the Nash family's seeming stability dissolves into chaos.
Soon more local girls start to experience bizarre symptoms, leaving health officials puzzled and parents in an uproar. As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families, and the town's fragile idea of security.
Background and publication.
The author Megan Abbott was inspired by the news reporting on the 2012 mass hysteria case in Le Roy, New York. It was published by Little, Brown.
Reception.
"The Fever" was generally well received by critics, including starred reviews from "Booklist," "Kirkus Reviews," and "Library Journal". It was listed as one of the best books of 2014 by the "Los Angeles Review of Books", Grantland, "The Boston Globe", "The Globe and Mail", the "Sun Sentinel", "Parade", "School Library Journal", and NPR.
"Booklist" called the book "a powerful portrait of community, with interesting echoes of "The Crucible"." "Kirkus" wrote, "Nothing should be taken at face value in this jealousy- and hormone-soaked world except that Abbott is certainly our very best guide." "Library Journal" said "The Fever" was Abbott's best novel to date.
"The New York Times" described Abbott as "a skilled storyteller," and "The Fever" as "a gripping and unsettling novel."
"Publishers Weekly" wrote, "Abbott’s adolescents are close to pitch-perfect with their sudden switches between childlike vulnerability and calculating maturity," though mentioned "the narrative lacks in depth." Ultimately, they called the novel "a gripping story fueled by the razor-sharp treachery, jealousy, hormones, and insecurities of teenage girls."
"Entertainment Weekly" gave the book a B+ grade. 
References.
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