Fever

In this dystopian novel, South African novelist Deon Meyer (Icarus) departs from his mystery series for a haunting look at survival in the wake of catastrophe, and the fundamental nature of mankind.

A terrible fever has swept the globe, killing more than 90% of the human population. Willem Storm and his teenage son, Nico, are traveling the South African hinterlands, scavenging what food they can. Willem, however, is a visionary, and he decides to launch a utopian community called Amanzi, which will gather survivors together to create a beautiful new community. Over the months Willem assembles a strange hodgepodge of people, including the brutal and brilliant Domingo, the talented pilot Hennie and Beryl, who arrives in a van with more than a dozen orphans.

As Amanzi grows, Nico does too. He's fond of his clever, intense father, but is nevertheless frustrated with Willem for upholding peace and his own utopian visions at all costs, even when roving gangs of marauders repeatedly attack the group. Domingo, on the other hand, believes that people are animals. "Domesticated, social animals, thin veneer of civilization.... But if you disturb the conditions, that veneer wears off." Nico must ultimately decide whether to follow the hopeful ways of his father, or the pragmatic path of Domingo, when disaster strikes at the heart of Amanzi.

Beautifully written, and including the viewpoints of dozens of community residents, Fever is a sweeping, spellbinding novel. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans

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