I am a dedicated Deon Meyer fan. I have never read a book by him that I didn't love. Fever is a departure from his usual genre of crime thriller. Here Mr Meyer steps into the realm of science fiction. A worldwide pandemic wipes out 90% of all humans. The ensuing chaos and breakdown of civilisation means survivors of the Fever are by no means assured of surviving the ensuing aftermath. People from diverse backgrounds come together to rebuild, in a country previously defined by differences and segregation. Others come together to kill, rape, pillage and spread fear. Fever tells the tale of one family, determined to begin afresh.

I'm afraid it just didn't work for me. It is a long, winding, tale told partly through first person narration and partly through transcripts from biographical recordings. The pace is slow and meandering and the story is rife with wordy explanations of concepts/word origins/historical facts by the narrator's (Nico Storm's) father (Willem), which slows the pace even more. I usually read a Deon Meyer book in one sitting - two at most. This one required a slog of nearly two weeks. I put it down too often to get really invested in the characters and had no emotional reaction to the dramatic tear-jerker moments.

It's not a terrible read by any means. There are some decent action-packed episodes and an element of suspense regarding the death of Nico's father. The majority of the characters are believable and well-written, although it must be said that the diversity buck seems to stop at race. I mention this, because a large motivation for Willem Storm is the creation of a diverse and equal new world. No rich or poor, etc. However, in a community of over 5000, it is said that there is one muslim and apparently one atheist, possibly two. And two people are suspected of being gay, but closeted, and are gossiped about more than once. He because he has a thing for nice clothes and she because she used to be a pro golfer and is muscular. Stereotype much? So the point about a community of diverse peoples united, made so strongly in a moving speech by Willem, is negated by the lack of genuine visible diversity in all areas he mentions: "tribe and clan, by colour and race, by legislation and religion, by language and culture, by our divergent economic realities and by our ideologies."

Ultimately I just found it to be too wordy. I kept thinking it would be a cracking comic series or graphic novel, along the lines of The Walking Dead. A never ending commentary on how people react and survive after a pandemic wipes out civilisation as we know it. And a picture can replace a thousand words. That would definitely work.

Which brings me to the ending. A big, not really dramatic, reveal and then it's simply over. Within a few pages. After a build-up of over 500 pages. And so many loose ends pertaining a very large plot driver that is left unresolved. Is Mr Meyer purposefully leaving scope for a series perhaps? Regardless, it felt forced and not believable. And disappointing. Like a massive firework that simply pops and fizzles out instead of exploding in an enormous kaleidoscope of light and colour.

Fever has it's moments. It's okay. But I long for the next Deon Meyer crime thriller.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and netgalley for an advance copy. This is an honest review.

I loved this one. Set in South Africa after a deadly virus wipes out 90-95% of the world's population, and mostly told through the eyes of a teenage boy, Nico.

I agree with another reviewer who described it as a long, slow, deliberate read. I tend to skim sometimes but with this book I was mindful of every paragraph.

This felt like such a fresh angle for me - the rebuilding of community in a post-apocalyptic world. I would love to hear more about these characters and this world in another book.

An assured first novel. The story immediately caught my attention. The circumstances which provide the basis for the narrator's story - a mysterious plague which wipes out 95 per cent of the World's population - are introduced with considerable assurance, providing a believable scenario. The author brings in well-drawn characters and the technique of allowing the minor characters to make known their opinions by using extracts from a history project fits neatly within the novel.. The plot holds the attention despite the intentional hints of ensuing problems for the narrator. The story flows well and I devoured it in two sittings. The final twist was a genuine surprise. A writer to look out for in the future.

Any Deon Meyer novel I have read has been exceptional and this one does not disappoint. Apocalyptic stories are popular these days leaving a reader to ponder. Will it be some cataclysmic event such as an asteroid strike, or perhaps the eruption of a super volcano such as the one beneath Yellowstone Park? Perhaps Kim Jong Un will start an act of devastation. Some scientific articles from reputable sources are speculating mankind is already in the beginning stages of extinction. Rising sea levels, polluted oceans, starvation, lack of potable water, life extinguishing climate events, a super bacterial infection resistant to medications, or a rapidly spreading lethal virus. One can only speculate, hypothesize. So many possible scenarios but I certainly did not consider the scenario put forth in this story. Realistically possible, and the reactions of the surviving inhabitants probable, showing the best and the worst of human behavior. Survival of the fittest, or the smartest or the most resourceful. So sad the news today focuses more on tweets, political buffoons, and he said she said stories, rather than the calamitous events all around us, as this story so aptly highlights. Perhaps a prescient tale of coming attractions.

This was a wonderfully written book. Fever follow the life of Nico Storm, a teen living in South Africa during an outbreak that kills 90% of the population. His father founds a community and we follow the growth of the town and how the works copes through Nico's remembrances and the stories his father recorded of various community leaders and members. It is a post apocalyptic story, but one of the best I have ever read. The combination of the thoughtful storyline and all enveloping prose makes for a memorable novel.

The Fever, by Deon Meyer, Sept. 2018
Meyer’s post- apocalyptic fiction begins with a deadly worldwide virus that leaves billions dead. Only a few have survived and chaos is the new norm. In ravaged South Africa, a 13 year old boy Nico and his father Willem gather supplies and begin again by forging a community of multifarious survivors. The Fever is a brilliant, hopeful novel, full of the strength and power of human resilience. Highly recommended for all speculative fiction fans of Stephen King’s The Stand, Joe Hill’s The Fireman, and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven.

A quick spreading virus - The Fever - proved exceptionally lethal. Leaving millions...make that billions dead around the world.
There are numerous post-apocalyptic books on the market, but what makes this one distinctly different is the perspective from which it’s told, through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy, Nico. He and his father Willem find themselves wondering through the barren land in South Africa, faced with the epic struggle of putting down roots and re-establishing civilization. (No pressure!) One fateful day the boy discovers his father Willem is no longer his protector, their roles have flipped, and now it’s up to young Nico to protect his father. A coming of age story in a post-apocalyptic world.
There is an endless struggle for control and power in their new village. The back-and-forth demand for protection vs retaliation. Those that want to live and flourish in peace, and those looking to steal and exploit at will. Sadly, the timeless destiny of mankind, right?
It’s a very long, slow and deliberate read. Taking you through the first four years following the fever. It is written mostly from Nico's POV, but interspersed with recordings from the town's History Project. My only negative was that the ending seemed to wrap up a little too quickly for me after investing that much time in this book.
4*
Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Deon Meyer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A post-apocalyptic coming of age story set in South Africa...but not as trite as that sounds. I've been a Deon Meyer reader for a number of years, because of the essential humanity (and all its attendant failings) of his characters. His heroes are heroic for their sheer persistence, their refusal to give up, and their very realistic failings.

A really smart apocalyptic novel with an absolute corker of an ending.

Niko Storm is the narrator as he tells the story of him and his father, Willem Storm, and how their lives change when 99% of the population are wiped out by a deadly virus. The novel follows these two throughout the years, starting when it is just the 2 of them and how they survive, and eventually introducing more characters as they reach a town and try to start world building again for the future. Other people arrive and eventually a community starts to develop. They call it Amanzi. Willem decides to make a history project, recording the people who arrives life stories which we get to read alongside the main story, which is Niko narrating how his father eventually is murdered. It makes for an interesting read and easily gets you invested in the core characters as we discover what their lives were like before the plague struck, and how they eventually found their way to Amanzi.

Many of the cast are likeable but the main person that stood out for me was Domingo. He is a complex character. A warrior that protects the town at whatever costs and his backstory in the end is one of the best.

As the community grows and starts to become self sufficient the town comes under immense pressure. Rival gangs try to attack in some great battle sequences and sides are formed in the community between those devoted to Willem and the people who aint so sure about his leadership once it comes under pressure.

All of this build up eventually leads to the ending. Why Willem was murdered and who killed him? Its safe to say the answer was not at all what i expected. It was really ballsy and very refreshing. I enjoyed it immensely

The basic premise - survivors band together to rebuild society after a worldwide pandemic wipes out most of humanity - is well-worn territory by now. What makes Fever different enough to be worth your time?

In post-pandemic stories like The Stand or The Passage, there’s generally a ‘rebuild’ section. Just “hanging out in the Boulder Free Zone, trying to get the lights back on”, that kind of thing. I always want more time in this phase, the rebuild, working out the practicalities of this new life, examining the ways in which new bonds are forged between a group of motley (and somewhat traumatised) strangers. This is where Fever spends most of its time. The establishment of community is the core of this book, the heart of the story, not just background logistics.

The South African setting adds so much richness to the physical environment - evocative descriptions of the veld, the odd encounter with jackals, lions or kudu etc - as well as fascinating layers of social complexity to the survivor groups.

And while Fever is a fast-paced, suspenseful read throughout, with several thrilling action sequences, there is also a lot of reflection going on. When the settlement's founder starts spouting from Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, you know the author wants to make you think, as well as feel.

Ultimately though, what really made Fever stand out for me was its optimism. So many books in the post-apocalyptic genre are bleak, bleak, bleak. This one places a ton of trust in human resilience, ingenuity and cooperation. It’s just so nice to not be looking at the worst-case scenario all the time. That hopeful tone is refreshing and makes for a cracking survival adventure story.

You read some books. You can pick them up and put them down. Read them bit by bit or give up and more read any more. Then there are some books that really captivate you. You follow it dogged determination to find out what happens. You immerse yourself in it and cancel your plans to read it all. This was one such book.

For fans of The Road, Station Eleven, The Dead Room, the Wasteland Saga, if any of those appeal you will love this book.

The book is narrated by someone older, but he reflects how he was feeling from the ages of 13-17. The book explores many items of concern which are current today, and takes a solution and runs with it. Whilst this is a book of destruction, it is also one of regrowth and community and the triumph of human spirit.

Its a long book, but more the pleasure to enjoy it. 5 stars.