Katsu is a master of reimagining real-life horror with supernatural elements. Am I allowed to call her a master after reading only two of her novels, the one I’m currently reviewing and The Hunger? I suppose that is what makes reviewing books on the internet so great, there are so few rules to all of this. Anyway, I really loved the atmospheric creepiness of The Hunger, and it’s suggestion, ala The Witch , of something more complex happening than the story we are told about cannibals in Donner Pass so many winters ago. The Fervor offers a similar twist on a historical horror – this time, Katsu focuses on the interment of Asian-Americans during World War II and its aftermath. Meiko Briggs is currently married to a pilot who hails from Iowa – but she grew up in Japan, with a father who conducted research on wind on the coast of the obscure Shikotan Island. Meiko and her daughter, Aiko, are interred at a camp in the Midwest, having been forcefully removed from their Seattle home. One day, a mysterious disease begins spreading around the camp. Those who fall ill at first have traditional symptoms of an illness – but soon, their behavior is impacted, and most are overcome by rage. Something about this disease seems familiar to Meiko.
As this strange new disease surfaces in interment camps, other strange things begin to happen. What look to be parachutes fall from the sky all over the US – and a reporter from Nebraska, Fran, is ready to move past her married and lover and dive headlong into understanding what is going on. Her personal close encounter, along with her shaky personal life, lead her to travel on a course that ultimately intersects with Meiko and her daughter.
The story takes inspiration from the Japanese jorogumo spider demon. It is a tale of respect and revenge. It explores the very real horror perpetrated by not only the US government, but by citizens and most especially people who were willing to sit by (or who even encouraged, even if subtly, or simply silently agreed with enough of what was happening that they found themselves unwilling or unable to stand up against injustice). Much of how people behave in this book will sound all too familiar, despite the fact that it is set in 1944. A storyline involving a minister and his personal tragedy also explores the nature of a so-called “good white person”.
Generally, this story worked really well for me. It’s so rare to read a book set in interment camps, and the author does a great job addressing racism and incorporating folklore. Despite enjoying the book, something about the middle felt oddly paced to me – I had a hard time returning to the book in the middle where it felt like some of the action was stagnating and we weren’t exactly learning new things about characters. It’s a slow burn of a novel. Luckily, I think she sticks the landing.
