The Fervor

The Fervor

The acclaimed author of the celebrated literary horror novels The Hunger and The Deep turns her psychological and supernatural eye on the horrors of the Japanese American internment camps in World War II. 1944: As World War II rages on, the threat has come to the home front. In a remote corner of Idaho, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, are desperate to return home. Following Meiko's husband's enlistment as an air force pilot in the Pacific months prior, Meiko and Aiko were taken from their home in Seattle and sent to one of the internment camps in the Midwest. It didn’t matter that Aiko was American-born: They were Japanese, and therefore considered a threat by the American government. Mother and daughter attempt to hold on to elements of their old life in the camp when a mysterious disease begins to spread among those interned. What starts as a minor cold quickly becomes spontaneous fits of violence and aggression, even death. And when a disconcerting team of doctors arrive, nearly more threatening than the illness itself, Meiko and her daughter team up with a newspaper reporter and widowed missionary to investigate, and it becomes clear to them that something more sinister is afoot, a demon from the stories of Meiko’s childhood, hell-bent on infiltrating their already strange world. Inspired by the Japanese yokai and the jorogumo spider demon, The Fervor explores the horrors of the supernatural beyond just the threat of the occult. With a keen and prescient eye, Katsu crafts a terrifying story about the danger of demonization, a mysterious contagion, and the search to stop its spread before it's too late. A sharp account of too-recent history, it's a deep excavation of how we decide who gets to be human when being human matters most. Finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award Finalist for the Bram Stoker Award Finalist for the Locus Award An NPR Book of the Year One of Booklist ’s Best Horror Books of the Year One of CrimeReads ’ Best Historical Fiction of the Year One of Book Mark ’s Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of April One of CNN ’s Most Anticipated Reads of April One of Book Riot ’s Best New Releases in April "Alma Katsu is the reigning queen of literary historical horror, and The Fervor might be her best book yet. . . . A scathing look at anti-Asian sentiment that also explores what happens when racism is allowed to flourish unchecked, this is a historical-fiction narrative that feels incredibly timely." — NPR "Superb . . . Horror fails without empathy, but it triumphs here . . . . This book is a triumph that thrills and entertains . . . and makes Katsu the queen of historical horror." —Locus " The Fervor uses a nightmare period of our history to explore another sort of darkness, drawing on Japanese demons and human scapegoating for a truly chilling tale." – Shondaland “ The Fervor blends the best elements of a superb, epidemic-themed horror. . . . Katsu expertly weaves the darkest, most disturbing horror motifs with the psychologically jarring elements of historical disasters and events. . . . It’s a thought-provoking book about the power of hate and the significant strength it takes to defy a system perpetuating that hate.” — Southern Review of Books "Another clever work of horror/historical fiction that is extremely relevant to our current times . . . So well plotted . . . So brilliantly conceived . . . This book brings the heat on nearly every page." —Book Reporter "Alma Katsu is known for her riveting supernatural historical horror. . . . The jorogumo are wildly creepy, skincrawling creatures, and Japanese culture and mythology create a rich and believable supernatural presence." — New York Times Book Review "Gives readers a glimpse into one of the darkest moments of American history, and then gives the already terrifying ethos of that time a new and frightening shape…. The Fervor delivers a punch that’s equal parts psychological horror and jump scare. It will make you want to read into the wee hours of the morning, even though you may question that decision when the shadows start to move." – BookPage (starred review) "Despite its supernatural elements, the true horror in The Fervor doesn’t come from jump scares like readers might expect. . . . The novel provides an incredibly important and eye-opening commentary on discrimination and racism." — BookTrib "Deeply moving, at times frustrating (for the right reasons), and with an intriguing mystery to keep the pages turning, catching The Fervor is well worth your while, but you might not be able to shake it afterwards.” —Rue Morgue "Katsu has no peer when it comes to atmospheric, detail-rich historical horror, but this volume is more unsettling than anything she’s written yet, because its demons attack readers uncomfortably close to home. A must-read for all, not just genre fans." – Library Journal (starred review) "The action leaps off the page and has a cinemati