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by Deon Meyer
An exhilarating new standalone from the author of the internationally bestselling Benny Griessel thriller series, Fever is a gripping epic like nothing else Meyer has written before.
Nico Storm and his father Willem drive a truck filled with essential supplies through a desolate land. They are among the few in South Africa - and the world, as far as they know - to have survived a devastating virus which has swept through the country. Their world turned upside down, Nico realizes that his superb marksmanship and cool head mean he is destined to be his father's protector, even though he is still only a boy.
But Willem Storm, though not a fighter, is both a thinker and a leader, a wise and compassionate man with a vision for a new community that survivors will rebuild from the ruins. And so Amanzi is founded, drawing Storm's "homeless and tempest-tost" - starting with Melinda Swanevelder, whom they rescued from brutal thugs; Hennie Flaai, with his vital Cessna plane; Beryl Fortuin, with her ragtag group of orphans; and Domingo, the man with the tattooed hand, whom Nico knows immediately is someone you want on your side. And then there is Sofia Bergman, the most beautiful girl that Nico has ever seen, who changes everything.
So the community grows - and with each step forward, as resources increase, so do the challenges they must face - not just from the attacks of biker brigands, but also from within. As Nico undergoes an extraordinary rite of passage in this new world, he experiences hardship and heartbreak and has his loyalty tested to its limits. Looking back later in life, he recounts the events that led to the greatest rupture of all - the hunt for the murderer of the person he loves most.
"Starred Review. Willem's tireless efforts are clouded by the reader's knowledge of how things will end for him, and Meyer effectively teases his ultimate reveal. Thoughtful character development complements the clever storytelling." - Publisher's Weekly
"Starred Review...this is less a mystery in any sense than a thought-provoking, postapocalyptic examination of the human condition, with two diverse views of our species: Willem's core empathy versus Domingo's assertion that men are animals. With its stunning final revelation, this is a remarkable literary achievement." - Booklist
"Tense, intriguing, and surprising, this thriller is a solid choice for readers who enjoy well-researched and detailed survival stories." - Library Journal
"Despite some gripping moments and a haunting atmosphere, the book often sinks under its own ambitions, with too many weighty themes and parallel stories going on at once." - Kirkus
"Reminiscent of The Stand and The Passage. Great stuff." - Stephen King
This information about Fever was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Deon Meyer was born in the South African town of Paarl in the winelands of the Western Cape in 1958, and grew up in Klerksdorp, in the gold mining region of Northwest Province.
After military duty and studying at the Potchefstroom University, he joined Die Volksblad, a daily newspaper in Bloemfontein as a reporter. Before becoming a full-time crime author in 2009 he also worked as press liaison, advertising copywriter, creative director, Internet strategist, and brand consultant. Deon completed an honours degree in History (UFS), and an MA in Creative Writing at the US.
In 1994 he published his first Afrikaans novel, which has not been translated. All later novels have been translated into a total of 27 languages.
Deon lives near Cape Town.
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