"Wives were deserted by husbands, and children by parents. The chambers of diseases were deserted, and the sick left to die of negligence. None could be found to remove the lifeless bodies. Their remains, suffered to decay by piecemeal, filled the air with deadly exhalations, and added tenfold to the devastation."

- Charles Brockden Brown (Arthur Mervyn; or Memoirs of the Year 1793; quoted on Page 105)

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is the worst kind of horror story - the kind that really happened and could, in all likelihood, happen again. As its blunt title suggests, the novel concerns an outbreak of yellow fever that swept through Philadelphia in the summer and Fall of 1793. The virus spread rapidly, killing indiscriminately and prompting hundreds to flee the city. Before long, America's then-capitol became a veritable ghost town with terrified citizens barricaded in their homes, thieves pillaging abandoned residences, and corpses lying forgotten in the streets. With armed sentries guarding neighboring towns, sick Philadelphians were left on their own to die of fever or starvation ... whichever came first.

When Fever 1793 opens, however, none of this has happened yet. It's mid-August and 14-year-old Matilda Cook's only concern is escaping chores and her mother's sharp tongue. She does neither with success; in fact, since Polly the serving girl hasn't shown up, Mattie's stuck helping out in her family's coffeehouse. Her grumbling halts, however, when she learns Polly's fate: the girl is dead of the fever. As devastated as the family is by the girl's passing, they know her death is nothing unusual - fever descends on the city every summer.

Soon, however, the church bells are marking deaths daily. A fear as oppressive as the August heat settles over the city. As dozens fall ill, families escape to the countryside; farmers refuse to bring their wares to market; businesses close; and frightened citizens lock themselves inside their homes. When fever hits the Cook Family, Mattie's finally forced to leave the city, but it's not long before she discovers the ugly truth: the citizens of Philadelphia are on their own. It's up to Mattie to fight the fever that threatens to destroy everything she loves. With little food, money or protection to be had, there's only one thing on which she can rely - herself.

Anderson paints a devastated Philadelphia in painfully vivid detail. Through Mattie, we feel the fear, the paranoia, the helplessness of a people left to suffer and die on their own. Through her, we see the ugly side of desperation, but also the beauty. While she struggles against knife-wielding thieves, heartless neighbors and cutting betrayal, Mattie also finds strength and hope in the most unlikely of places. With well-drawn characters (some of whom really lived), a gripping plot, and masterful storytelling, Fever 1793 grabs the reader and doesn't let go. It's as mesmerizing as the fever itself - and just as powerful.

Grade: A

Warning: If it's dark and you're alone in the house, avoid Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender at all costs. Or, if say, you're up with the baby at 2 a.m. and the house is unnaturally quiet - don't read this book. If you do, your sleep will be plagued with nightmares about malevolent Webkinz, who hiss and bleed purple when bludgeoned with a screwdriver (the only way to kill them). This is just conjecture, of course, because a ghost story written for teens would never scare me that much. Oh no. I'm just looking out for you, gentle readers. So, if the sun's up and you're in a crowded place, read on. If not, I'm telling you, leave this one on the shelf!

Compared to most of the teen horror books I've read lately (Coraline by Neil Gaiman; A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray; Sisters of Mercy by Megan Kelley Hall, to name a few), Bad Girls Don't Die isn't nearly as sinister - or original; it's more like an old-fashioned ghost story with a few modern-day twists. It has all the traditional trappings - a creepy old house; a couple of misfit girls; clueless parents; and, of course, a presence. At least, that's the only explanation Alexis Warren can think of for her 13-year-old's sister's strange behavior - if Kasey's not possessed, then she's gone totally bonkers. There's just something eerie about her obsession with dolls (a 13-year-old!); the way her normally blue eyes sometimes flash green; and the stiff, old-fashioned language she's suddenly using. Plus, Kasey, who normally ignores homework until the last possible minute is completely engrossed in some kind of secret family history project. There's no doubt about it - something is up with Kasey Warren.

In the light of day, Alexis can shrug off all the strange things happening at her house (air conditioning turning on and off by itself; doors opening and closing without human aid; a weird rotten egg smell; the way Alexis just knows things), but when a snooty cheerleader actually states the fact - Your sister is possessed - Alexis knows it's true. With the help of another cheerleader - one who may actually have brains in her head - Alexis does some research. What the girls uncover shocks them. Newspaper accounts support what Alexis somehow knows in her head - something terrible happened in her house. And someone, or something, doesn't want anyone to forget it. The question is, can Alexis stop the evil presence before it's too late? Can she save her sister, who's slipping further away with every passing day? And what about Alexis herself? Doesn't the fact that she's tracking a ghost confirm that she's the freak everyone already thinks she is? Can she save her sister and salvage her own life at the same time?

Like I said, it's an old-fashioned ghost story. It's not even terribly original, but that doesn't mean you're not going to feel some serious shivers running down your spine. The nice thing about Bad Girls Don't Die is that although it keeps the spooky going strong, there's also a lot of levity in it. Mostly it's due to pink-haired Alexis, whose sarcasm and self-depracating humor actually make this horror novel funny. My one issue with the book is that I really don't see how the Warren Family could have lived in their house for 8 years and never have heard about its history. So, it didn't ring true to me that Alexis had never heard any stories about her house. It's a small thing, really, but it detracted a little bit from my enjoyment of the novel.

Mostly, I love that this story is different - it's not nearly as disturbing as the books I mentioned above, but it's still deliciously creepy. It's the kind of book you can't put down even though you know it will give you nightmares. Still, it's the good, old-fashioned kind of scary - the kind that has you running from stuffed animals one night, and laughing at yourself the next.

Grade: B+

Thanks to Disney/Hyperion, I have an extra copy of Bad Girls Don't Die to give away. All you have to do is tell me what book(s) has/have given you nightmares lately. I will draw the name of one winner on May 20. Contest is open to readers everywhere. If you're not a blogger, please include an email address so that I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

Okay, I'm going to say a little more than that, but before I go on, I should issue a little spoiler alert. While this review will reveal no secrets about The Well of Ascencion, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from The Final Empire. This book could be read as a standalone, but I think it would be really confusing. So, do yourself a favor and find a copy of The Final Empire before you grab its sequels. You've been warned.

The Well of Ascension begins one year after The Final Empire ends. The Lord Ruler has been defeated; Kelsier's dead (after a brief resurrection via kandra); Lord Elend Venture sits on Luthadel's throne; and despite his best efforts, the city around him deteriorates into chaos. Outside its walls, an army waits to take Luthadel. At its head stands Straff Venture, Elend's heartless father, who knows Elend's tenuous power can be his for the taking. Still, the young Lord Venture and his band of criminals-turned-civic leaders aren't about to give up without a fight. Letting down Kelsier, with his dreams of freedom from oppression, simply isn't an option. Though severely outnumbered, Elend believes triumph can be his through the use of his not-so-secret weapon, Vin. Her loyalty to Elend may just mean the difference between the city's destruction and its survival.

Vin, however, has pressing concerns of her own. First off, there's The Watcher. A powerful Mistborn, he flits in and out of the city, taunting her. He mocks her with the hard truth - a woman with her power does not belong with an ordinary man like Elend. Vin tries to ignore The Watcher, even as she feels herself drawing closer to him. Then, there's the Mists. Always a part of life in Luthadel, they "were thick and mysterious, even to Vin. More dense than a simple fog and more constant than any normal weather pattern, they churned and flowed ..." (19). While commoners fear the mists, Vin and her kind embrace it. Yet, now, she senses something ominous in it. As if it's grown aggressive, dangerous. Or maybe it's just Vin's growing confusion about who she is and whether or not there's a place for her murderous powers in a land ruled by Elend's stubborn idealism. With all of that on her plate, she's got one more assignment - to track down the traitor inside Keep Venture. This, above all, will shake her, as it means one of her friends has been eaten and replaced by a kandra spy. As much as Vin needs to focus, she can't ignore the pulsings she feels inside - there's something out there in the mists, calling her, pulling her, but what is it? And why does it want her so badly?

With enemies both known and unknown lurking around every corner, it's up to Elend and his crew to save the city they love. Along the way, they'll question themselves, their motives, their chances of survival. Is Elend even capable of leading the people? How much are they willing to risk so that he can keep his crown? Can they avoid all-out war? Who is The Watcher? What does he want with Vin? Is Vin strong enough to protect Luthadel and its uncertain king? And, most importantly, can she ever be the kind of woman he needs her to be?

If The Final Empire feels tedious at times, it pays off in The Well of Ascension, which blows right past the basics into the heart of the story. Sanderson created a rich, believable (well, okay, I know there's no such thing as superheroes, Allomantic pulses or not, but still ...) world in the first book - in the second, he digs even deeper, enhancing every aspect of his fantasy land. Characters gain depth; Luthadel's history expands; creatures of all kinds emerge; mystery and intrigue hide behind every cobblestone - the result is an absorbing, original masterpiece that flies as fast as a pewter-dragging Mistborn toward its breathtaking conclusion. It's exciting, it's addicting, it's amazing, and the best part is, there's still one more book in the trilogy. If you're a sci fi/fantasy nut, or if you're just looking for a blow-me-away kind of read, look no further: Brandon Sanderson's got you covered.

Grade: A

(P.S. Okay, I do have one complaint. I checked The Well of Ascension out of the library [after 2 weeks on the waiting list], and sped through it, only to find that my copy was missing 30 pages toward the end of the book [530 - 560, to be specific]. I wasn't about to put the book down, so I just kept reading, but I feel cheated. If I had purchased the book, I'd probably be angry, but since I didn't, I'm just perturbed. So, just a warning - you might want to check your copy to be sure it's complete!)