Man Booker International Prize Shortlist: Fever Dream

#2 of my ‘Endeavors of the Man Booker International Prize’ series.

Publication Date: January 10th, 2017

This review does not contain spoilers.

Just short of 200 pages, this is a beautifully written little novel that also leaves the reader uncomfortable and a little creeped out the entire time they read it. It all starts with Amanda, who is in bed at the hospital, and who seems to be having a conversation with a little boy named David who is not a family member and who she doesn’t really know. From this scene, the author then takes us back in time, where we eventually find out the details of what happened to Amanda, and why she is in the hospital. We also learn about who David is and why he is in there speaking with Amanda. I do not want to say anymore about the plot of this story, because it is so short, and I think the best way to read this is to go in a little blind.

The way the author describes the surroundings in this book makes it seem very dark and depressing, and even though during Amanda’s backstory, she is supposed to be on a vacation, this is definitely not a relaxing or comfortable book. Like the title states, you get the sense that you are experiencing some sort of terrible feverish dream while reading this. Originally written in Spanish by Samantha Schweblin, the translator does a really good job making it seem as if English was the original language this novel was written in.

I will say that you should not go into this expecting your typical past paced thriller with a lot of twists and turns, and where everything gets resolved, because that is not what this is. This is definitely something that requires you to read at a slower pace, and really pay attention.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

-Carissa