Theme Week: Fever by Lauren DeStephano

---

✦ BLURB ✦

Rhine and Gabriel navigate the treacherous outside world in this second book in the riveting, New York Times bestselling dystopian young adult trilogy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale. This special 15th anniversary edition features a brand-new look!

Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the mansion, but they’re far from safe—outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left. Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother Rowan, the two press forward amidst threats of being captured again…or worse.

The road they are on is long and treacherous, and in a world where everyone dies young, time is precious. Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price, especially now that she has more to lose than ever.

---

The fight for freedom is just beginning.

Pre-Reading Thoughts:
I’m expecting the tension and claustrophobia of Wither to expand outward. With Rhine and Gabriel navigating the outside world, I imagine the stakes will feel bigger, more unpredictable. I’m curious how the worldbuilding will evolve - will the “outside” actually feel freer, or just differently dangerous?

Post-Reading:
As I thought… The story continued the tension and high stakes of Wither. Being outside the mansion opened up fresh settings and new dangers, keeping the narrative engaging even as the middle sections stretched a bit. Rhine and Gabriel’s journey felt like a natural expansion of their fight for freedom.

It surprised me by… Showing how the world had adapted - or failed to adapt - to the new medical reality. It wasn’t just a backdrop; the societal shifts made the stakes feel more complex and the world more alive.

Music Pairing:
🎵 Featured Song: “Midnight City” – M83
🎶 Vibe Album: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming – M83
🎧 Artist Recommendation: CHVRCHES

Vibe Check:

• Colour Palette: Dusky oranges and grays, with flashes of neon blue

• Soundtrack: Wind through abandoned streets, distant sirens, soft synth hums

• Season: Late summer, just before autumn - freedom tastes a little warm, a little bittersweet

• Mood: Cautious optimism

• Scent: Dusty sidewalks, faint smoke, hints of rain

Tarot Pull:
![Insert Tarot image here]
Six of Swords – Rhine and Gabriel are moving forward, leaving the dangers of the mansion behind, but the journey isn’t just escape - it’s purposeful. The card mirrors the book’s sense of travelling toward something meaningful, even when the path is uncertain and fraught with challenge.

For Fans Of:
Books: Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Across the Universe by Beth Revis
TV/Movies: The 100 (early seasons—survival, exploration, and discovering what the “outside” really means)

Fever publishes on the 27th January, 2026. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

🃏 The deck had opinions: [Card Name] — [Comment about how it fits the book]

✧ ✐ ⋆ ⁂ ❧ ☀ ✺ ☽ ❂ ⸎ ⚡ ☥ 🜃 ♢ ✦ ❁ ❀ 💮 🕹 🛡 🗡 🔮 🐉 🌀 🍭 🐾 🥷 🧹