Grace and the Fever

Gr 8 Up—A light premise executed with a sophisticated touch. Grace is a wholesome recent grad looking forward to college in the fall and navigating changing relationships with her mom and childhood friends. She is also a huge follower of a popular boy band, Fever Dream—not the kind of devotee who listens to albums and hangs a poster but the type who blogs obsessively and is part of an online community of uber-fans carefully tracking and speculating about the band's activities. Out for a run one night, Grace happens to bump into the group's lead singer and gets swept up in a dizzying world of publicists and paparazzi. But this is no wish fulfillment fantasy. The band members deal with real issues, such as substance abuse, romantic relationships, sexuality, faith, and microaggressions, under the glare of the public eye. Each of these is handled sensitively and realistically, keeping this work from "problem novel" territory. Grace is forced to let go of preconceived notions as she examines what she loves about Fever Dream and what was never real. In the process, the teen learns about herself and the world. Pacing and voice are consistent, and the characters are likable.