William Straw, a reporter and embittered Vietnam vet, is searching for Michael Fevers. He is about to take a journey deep into the Amazon Basin he will never forget. You won’t forget it either.
Who is Michael Fevers? He is an American kid, thought to be trying to save the Indios and reputed to be their long-awaited savior. Since he is extremely hard to track down, some are not even sure he is a real person. Many think he is part of a legend.
Deep in the Amazon Basin, it doesn’t look as though Straw will be able to find the elusive Fevers. But Straw isn’t one to give up. He only becomes more determined. Those who help him unfortunately end up violently killed.
The first two parts of the story are good but not so good that I couldn’t easily lay the book down and go on to something else. That part of the story was necessary to understand what is going on. Then in part III, they enter the jungle. I could no longer take a break from reading. Think of Indiana Jones. Things became intense, violent, unpredictable. Yet, in the midst of all the chaos, there is romance.
Straw finds Michael Fevers. The depth of his delusions and beliefs astounds even Straw. And the torment that Straw survives would have driven just about anyone else to the edge of sanity.
The author’s awesomely vivid descriptions easily painted pictures in my mind of what the jungle looked and sounded like. Visualizations of what happened to certain individuals also appeared clearly in my mind, so be prepared.
Parts of the book are extremely bloody. Then there are parts that are not so bloody, but the mere thought of what has been done is enough to make some sick to their tummy, possibly even making them lose their dinner. This is definitely not a book for those with weak stomachs.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. If you would like your own copy of this exotic adventure, please click on the Amazon link below.
Amazon link: Fevers
Favorite Sentences:
A grin, thin as a knife blade, creased his remote and angular face.
And he learned, as the bone snapped clean as a dry twig, that the beast wasn’t a unique heritage from his part-Apache mother, but that it resided in every man.
He heard monkey chatter, the silken rustle of snakes gliding through the high grass, the beating of invisible wings, the great grinding, clicking cacophony of the nocturnal insects, the calls and challenges and queries and screams of animals, and once, unforgettably, the dry husky cough of a hunting jaguar.
The Amazon wasn’t at all like the rain forests in the central highlands of South Vietnam, which were spongy with decay, overripe, and smelling of rot and death.
New Words Learned:
atavistic – reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type
cuckold – the husband of an unfaithful wife
implacable – not to be appeased, mollified, or pacified
insouciant – free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant
lianas – any of various usually woody vines that may climb as high as the tree canopy in a tropical forest
stentorian – very loud or powerful in sound
stevedores – an individual engaged in the loading or unloading of a vessel
transom– a seat or couch built at the side of a cabin or stateroom of a boat usually with lockers or drawers underneath
About the Author:
Joel Homer was raised in Greenwich Village, attended New York University and was a medal-winning veteran from the Vietnam war. Upon returning to the states, he began his writing career as a senior editor at Saturday Review.
His books include Marathons and Jargon. His produced plays include Scenes Dedicated to My Brother, What People Do When They’re All Alone, and The Lieutenant Snuffs the Light. In 1984 he was the first recipient of the prestigious Glickman Award for playwriting. His last play, Private Scenes, was a huge hit in San Francisco. While working in Los Angeles, he co-wrote the original script for Beauty and the Beast for EuroDisney….to date the most popular stage play in Disney’s history.
Joel Homer passed away in 2003 at the age of 58.
Thanks for taking part in the tour. I’m glad you enjoyed ‘Fevers’.