Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Title: Fever 1793

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Length: 272 pages

Published: 2000

Publisher: Aladdin

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight-the fight to stay alive. 

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

It only took me a couple of hours to go through this book - one of the benefits of a young adult book. The story follows young Matilda Cook as she deals with the hardships of an epidemic of yellow fever which has hit Philadelphia. I love the way the author developed her from the begrudging child at the beginning of the book to the capable young woman at the end - all over the space of a few months. This was an excellent and quick read.

You can purchase Fever 1793 through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Fever 1793? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.