Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
4 out of 5 stars
I read this book in July but I’m just not in the headspace to do detailed reviews on books. It’s all I can do to even read a book right now during COVID. The next few book reviews aren’t going to be much or too in-depth but I’m at least documenting that I read it.
It has been a long time since I read a young adult novel but this one was worth it. When I was in middle school I read a ton of historical novels appropriate for my age group. I have kept a lot of them. This one was a recent beach trip read for me and then I passed it on to my niece.
Fever 1793 is a fabulous historical story for everyone and not just young adults. It’s an easy read with great historical detail. That is what I most liked about the book. She didn’t go short on detail or accuracy but put it in there and helped explain what happened in history using a narrative that was believable.
But here’s what I love most about this book. The author has on her website teaching guides, curriculum links, and more. I’ll definitely be spending some time going through these. . . . . maybe when this pandemic is over.
FROM BOOKSHOP
An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 Philadelphia in this novel from Laurie Halse Anderson where the plot rages like the epidemic itself (The New York Times Book Review). During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out. Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie’s world upside down. At her feverish mother’s insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.
AUTHOR BIO
Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. Combined, her books have sold more than 8 million copies. Her new book, SHOUT, a memoir-in-verse about surviving sexual assault at the age of thirteen and a manifesta for the #MeToo era, has received widespread critical acclaim and was Laurie’s eighth New York Times bestselling book.
Two of her novels, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was short-listed for the prestigious Carnegie medal in the United Kingdom. Laurie has been nominated for Sweden’s Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award three times. Laurie was selected by the American Library Association for the Margaret A. Edwards Award and has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English.
In addition to combating censorship, Laurie regularly speaks about the need for diversity in publishing and is a member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council. She lives in Philadelphia, where she enjoys cheesesteaks while she writes. Find out more about Laurie by following her on Twitter at @halseanderson, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.
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