Fever 1793 - by Laurie Halse Anderson (An ALA Best Book for Young Adults!) This is a great book of historical fiction for teens to read, because the main character is a very typical teenager, and they would be able to relate to her story better than to a history book. She even throws in a little romance! As the horrors of the yellow fever epidemic gradually unfold in the story, you begin to wonder how anyone survived. What's amazing about this book is that it gives a peek into the politics, medicine, prejudices, and social rules of a time in our country's history – all within a truly engaging story. I like the way the appendix presents the parts that are actual historical facts, so the reader can understand which parts are true and which parts are fiction. By the time you're done reading the book, you truly want to know more; so the book is a good starting point for inspiring an interest in at least a portion of our history. I'm anxious to read more of Laurie Halse Anderson's writings! She seems to do a good job of research, and then forms a well-written, compelling story. I recommend this book! |
2 Comments
Tom Gilgenbach
5/14/2014 01:03:56 am
I knew I would like "Fever 1793" right off the bat because of the dialogue. Laurie Halse Anderson spun a masterful story about the yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia in 1793, telling the story from the viewpoint of the Cook family; a young girl, her mother, and grandfather. The trio run a small coffee shop in post-revolution Philadelphia, and have their share of struggles as yellow fever begins to take its toll. What I found most interesting was how Halse Anderson was able to create dialogue for fourteen-year-old Mattie. "Mattie" didn't sound too different from a modern-day teenager, complete with the typical troubles between a teenage girl and her mother.
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Sheryl Sanford Van Scoy
5/14/2014 01:05:51 am
Laurie Halse Anderson seems to be able to write in any genre for young adults. Fever 1793 tells the story of an epidemic outbreak of yellow fever in the new capital of Philadephia. The story is told from the perspective of teenager Mattie Cook who lives and works in her widowed mother's coffeehouse. Mattie brings a visceral point-of-view to the epidemic's devastation not only of the body, but also the devastation yellow fever brought to families and the running of a fairly new democracy.
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