Member Reviews

This devil-fueled, black-ops, rock 'n' roll zombie apocalypse is propelled by Rosson's deft prose and an emphasis on character development. Fever House is elevated horror without the pretension. Some readers might be a little put off by the cliffhanger ending, but getting there is a journey worth taking. Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you net galley for this early read.

However it wasn't for me. I loved the 1st half of the book, I couldn't put it down. The 2nd half however took me 3 weeks to push through it. It completely changed pace and story line in my opinion. In the beginning it is set in the present time of the back during the main story. Then chapter after chapter was characters back stories and very drawn out and boring. Upon getting to the end I still felt most of the character back stories were very irrelevant. As well as the end left so many questions unanswered I would've rather had a longer ending placed in the present time of the story. Explaining more about the actually story line. I still have so many questions and while I loved the idea of the book and story did not love the mid change in trajectory and quick vague ending.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Such an interesting book…starts off Sopranos-esque and turns paranormal horror very quickly! Loved it! Great pace and amazing characters! Very well written, will definitely follow this author for future stories!!

Was this review helpful?

I read this book in two days because I kept turning the page to discover what happens next. It is a real page-turner with twists, turns, and well-written characters that I was actively rooting for. It was a little grotesque in some parts, but overall I really enjoy this and look forward to reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Fever House is a great new addition to zombie apocalypse lit. Author Rosson manages to weave character arcs across and under and within one another, a dazzling show that all comes together at the very end (where I have to admit, I wanted less of an opening for a sequel, but I know authors are pushed for sequels to everything nowadays). Read this and revel in the gutters, the government cars, the cheap diners, the once-posh apartment, and, most of all, the brains of the characters and the brilliance of the idea of the remnants and their powers.

Was this review helpful?

Such a smart, badass story. Incredible writing all around. Everyone should keep an eye out for this book.

Was this review helpful?

Fever House is gripping story full of raw emotion and laced with devilish terror.

A pair of thugs, trying to be badass, but each with their own endearing insecurities, show up at a job at the wrong house at the wrong time. As they try and collect what is owed to their boss, they encounter a severed hand. No physical contact is required to feel it...the pull, the grip, the hold that takes over the two bad guys and changes their lives forever.

The story progresses, bringing in many players and settings. Each character is well developed, pulling the reader into their individual plights. The overarching connection, the hand, spreads its evil hold, pulling the many people together down a dark path filled with terrifying and violent events. There are a lot of people to keep track of, however, the author does an impeccable job at switching points of view quickly and clearly.

Events unfolds. Chaos grows. The pieces start to come together, slowly and effectively building the intrigue of the reader. Each time something is revealed, the scope of the horrific events heightens, leaving the reader clinging to the pages, wanting to know what will happen next. The putting together of the pieces is a delight for readers that like to be involved in figuring out what the hell is going on.

The core set of characters are extremely well developed, full of humanity and raw emotion. The strange occurrences are infused with unsettling terror. The writing is intelligent, full and satisfying.

Fever House is not a quick, easy read, but rather an immersive, in depth experience for the serious horror addict. Despite the breadth of existing work that applies the underlying concept - an infectious disease turning humans into animals that turn on each other - it is well executed in Fever House. Furthermore, the root cause of this infectious terror is unique, fresh and creative.

The ending is an explosive and surprising treat for the reader that committed to this deep journey in terrifying evil.

Was this review helpful?

Fever House is a horror/suspense novel by Keith Rosson. The story begins with two hired guns who are charged with retrieving a sum of money for the guy that hired them. At this point, it feels like a crime novel—thugs with guns, seedy apartments, drugged-out junkies that owe money.

That is, until the severed hand shows up. The severed hand that makes people violent and insane. Then things go downhill REAL FAST.

Fever House takes a sharp turn solidly into the horror wheelhouse. It’s gory, it’s creepy, and it’s compulsively readable. There’s rock and roll, the occult, biting, mystery, and an ending that left me breathless wanting to find out what was going to happen.

In short, I LOVED THIS. It took a bit for the tale to build momentum, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of horror, you’re going to want to read this when it drops on August 15, 2023.

Was this review helpful?

Such a unique and fun premise for a book. It was creepy, gritty, and addictive. This is probably one of my favorite horror reads this year.

Was this review helpful?

While this had a really interesting premise with a solid lineup of characters, I still really struggled to stay attentive while reading.

Some characters just felt like page fillers, the story meandered, segueing into unnecessary backstories and details.

I had to push myself to stay focussed and try to finish this book, so unfortunately I just can’t give it a higher rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for a copy.

Was this review helpful?

This book was dark, weird, and gory. If you are into that, then this is the book for you. It kind of gave me Boondock Saint vibes here and there. Thank you to the publisher for approving me to read this on NetGalley!

Was this review helpful?

Very surprised by what I got out of this book. Never slowed down throughout the whole thing and it just kept going with action and story and scares. High recommendation, read this.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC! Fever House is an adrenaline filled ride from the first chapter to the last one. The writing is fast paced and in your face! I absolutely loved this book and it reminded me a lot of Pulp Fiction at times. This book is full of gore, guns and a few body parts along the way. This was my first read by Keith Rosson, but certainly not my last!

Was this review helpful?

I must admit that trying to describe this amazing novel is difficult. But I also have to say that I loved it and it will be in my "best of" list for 2023.

It's a noir-ish tale that goes to completely unexpected places. Gangsters, black ops government agencies, a punk rock band, a severed hand, a detached eyeball, and an audio recording with a subliminal message are all included in this novel.

It's the way in which the author puts them altogether that really makes this book stand out. Fever House is a good name because this is like a fever dream in book form but one that still flows and ebbs so well that, when we're reading it, it makes sense.

The characters are absolutely in the spotlight here and each one is given their due in such a way that it never feels like any of them are disposable. In fact, we learn about some of them and grow attached until the author kills them in some very unexpected ways. It's so visceral when it happens that it feels like a gut punch when that happens.

This is one of those books that you'll be glad to sink back into when you take a break. It begs to be read and experienced and I think it's better to go in blind. It's definitely a great horror novel and I think it's going to be talked about by a lot of people once it releases. I give it my highest recommendation.

Was this review helpful?

Wow. Just Wow. What a wild ride this book was. It's dark and twisted in a really delicious way. It kept me guessing. This really speaks to the downfall of humanity. Even when secret government agencies set out to keep us safe, pride and ego will usually win out to the detriment of us all. Evil lives in this literary tour de force. It's got everything you could ever want; action, horror, supernatural forces, secret government agencies, zombie mobs, etc. Need I say more?!

Was this review helpful?

What a ride! This would be a great movie. I love Katherine (we have the same name, & I'm the same age as Nick. I appreciate my name being given to an aging rockstar). The devotion to her son & vice versa contrasts wonderfully with the chaos & evil of everything else. I did feel a bit cheated with the ending. The reveal was good but it ended too abruptly for my taste. Overall a great read


SPOILERS:
What was Michael?? An angel, I assume, but I feel like I'm missing something. Also, who helped Matthew? The devil?

Was this review helpful?

This story was intense and kept me on my toes! I like to read for a few minutes before work, and was almost late this morning, as I devoured the last 40 pages! I'm definitely interested in reading more work by this talented author.

Was this review helpful?

Imagine the urban-cool writers of THE WIRE commissioned to pen an episode of THE WALKING DEAD and you'll get some sense of the gritty beauty that is Keith Rosson's FEVER HOUSE. Written in hyper present tense prose, this dream of a novel blends crime and horror far better than other efforts I've read. Ostensibly you have a story of a hand, yes, a hand, that is rumored to be from the devil and causes those who come in close proximity to do, well, devilish things, to themselves and others. I say ostensibly, because this story veers into much more. The characters are brutally real, from the disgraced fed getting a fresh start with a black ops group, to his partner, a damaged beyond repair female lead you will come to perhaps not love, but certainly understand and appreciate. There's also gangster hitters, a former rockstar and her son, and countless others. At over 400 pages, not one line is wasted. Add on that the cover is fantastic and you have a package that should make several Best-of-year lists. Consider me a new fan of Mr. Rosson. Can't wait to read what he has next in store. Highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

Fever House by Keith Rosson was just as I was hoping it would be.
This was such a wild book but also a fun story to get devour.
The characters were engaging, the plot was easy to follow whilst being tense and actually quite wild at times.
It kept me wanting more and flipping the pages.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Random House for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC.

Was this review helpful?

There was a lot going on in this book, but I really enjoyed it.

The gritty and grimy atmospheric feeling of dread was evident from the first chapter and continued throughout the book.

The horror and mystery were done well, and I found myself pondering the plot all weekend.

This was everything I could ask for in a horror novel. Also, the cover slaps.

I will definitely be giving away a copy of this around release day to help promote it. (@hauntedhousebooks on tiktok). Tysm for letting me be an ARC reader. I look forward to more from this author.

Was this review helpful?