Fever: Epic story of rebuilding civilization after a worl

"...my mantra is: the other guy wants to kill me. If I hesitate, I die. That’s the law of the jungle, that’s how it works with animals."First of all, I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from Grove Atlantic through Net Galley.I say this right up front because I think the first thing people will notice about this book is the price. As of today's date - August 28, 2017 - you can pre-order the book in Kindle format for $18.75. That is more than I've ever seen a single book sold for on Amazon.But...after reading this book, which is 544 pages long, and enjoying it as much as I did, I would pay the price. So now I just have to convince you review readers that it's worth it.The author, Deon Meyer, was born in South Africa and wrote the book in Afrikaans. So, to me, part of the price being charged is for the English translation of this very long book into English by Laura Seegers (and she did a brilliant job).The story takes place in South Africa after a mutated virus strikes all of mankind and kills 95% of them. Another 2-3% are killed off by the after effects: other diseases, starvation, violence and more. So Earth's remaining population is thinly spread out.The story is narrated mainly by Willem Storm and his son, Nico, as they adapt and try to find a location that will sustain life.This is a post-apocalyptic tale but if you go into it expecting zombies or monsters or paranormal activity, you will be disappointed. The only monsters are human in form.This is an in-depth descriptive narration of what actually could happen in the future. Author Meyer brings world building to a whole other level in this book, describing actual locations in South Africa as they might be after a catastrophe of this caliber. On his website he shows photos of some of the places named in the book so his readers can imagine and follow along.I rate this as one of the best books of its kind out there, right up alongside THE STAND.Major character development, world class world building, and I love that it's a standalone novel. I love that I was able to immerse myself in this dark tale and reach a satisfying finale.Also going back to the price, I am buying a hardcopy of this book to keep for my library, something I actually do very rarely based on the sheer number of books I read.If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

Wahnsinnig spannender Pageturner. Wann gibt es die Fortsetzung? Intelligent und gut geschrieben.

I’m halfway through this book and had to pause my insanely devourish reading to write a review. What an amazing book. I’m a fan of dystopian novels and read a fair few and this one is one of the better ones for sure. It grabbed my attention from page 1, literally. I love the authors’ writing style. The prose is really well developed, and although I have no idea where the story is going, I feel like the journey will be a pleasant one and that everything has been taken care of.I’m totally engrossed in the story of what at first starts as father/ son survival but soon becomes the beginning of new civilisation survival. I love the odd wisdom gems in there, pulled out deep from our history. I love the description of places and people which don’t really feel like descriptions but instead add to the value of the story and weave the reader firmly into the book. The characters are relatable and each survivor’s story is unique. I also loved the Amanzi project memoir- right in the middle of the struggle for a new, different civilsation, we get a glimpse of the character’s life before fever and it just feels so poignant- the difference between the before and after.This is money well spent and I will be buying more of Deon Meyers’ books.

Deon Meyer has to be one of thriller readers best kept secrets.I've had a couple of disappointments this summer with favourite authors delivering sub standard work so I started this with trepidation. I've loved his previous books and didn't want to be let down.I needn't have worried. Although Meyer has deviated from his usual genre of contemporary crime. His foray into what is, hopefully an alternative post apocalyptic South Africa, is incredibly worthwhile. Fever grips you from the off and you feel part of the father and son team who are at the heart of this story as they grapple for survival.The characters are richly drawn and the hypothesis all too realistic particularly after Ebola.Furthermore, his discriptions of the consequences of such a tragedy are all too believable. Never do you think this couldn't happen and it is this well researched realism that has you sweating throughout.Fever is a definite 'must read' and the only reason I don't give it five stars is because the denouement is not quite as strong as the rest of the book.That said, four stars for Meyer is worth five plus for anybody else. Read it and enjoy, this guy is South Africa's John Le Carre. He really is that good.

I couldn't put the book down. The best Deon Meyer I've read so far. IThis dystopian novel depicts a likely and scary future. Reading it is particularly creepy with the latest virus spreading in Asia. It's also an insightful study of Human nature. I found the very end a bit longish but It's the best novel I've read in a while.