I don't read much of historical horror so was a bit intrigued to try this one out as I read it revolves around an epidemic-themed and surreal elements related to cultural and folklore beliefs. The Fervor was set during the WWII when a mysterious disease suddenly begins to spread at an internment camp where Meiko and her daughter Aiko were sent to live after her American husband was enlisted as an air force pilot at the Pacific.

Told in multiple perspectives it started with journals written by Meiko's scientist father who described his journey at an island when Mieko was younger. It later intertwined with Meiko's narrative; her days at the camp, to be diagnosed with the disease and get separated from Aiko then to Archie's narrative who just lost his wife due to an unknown explosion that said to carry a Japanese threat and to Fran's story, a reporter that found something inside the wood that killed her boyfriend and later need to be on the run from the army and FBI due to the scrap she found.

It gets psychological related and revolves mostly on discrimination and racial purity issues; the harsh reality of living at a camp during the war, getting mistreated and quite riveting (and disturbing) too to view it from both American and Japanese perspectives-- being all anti-asian and how the Japanese seeing Aiko as not one of them because of her biracial parents. I don't fancy much on how it gets too political later but the exploration was still a compelling commentary for me.

Slow-paced, descriptive details and despite having an enthralling idea of relating the disease with story of jorogumo yōkai; a demon that can caused illness to people with its bunch of tiny translucent spiders, it did not carry that much suspense and thrills that I crave for. Bit on other folklore beliefs which quite interesting especially in Aiko's chapters of their yurei and kitsune encounters. Messy intertwining stories in later part and unexpected revelation that wrapped the plot into an unsettling abrupt ending.

I don't find it as terrifyingly written as most reviews said but it did give a thought-provoking view on the history of violence and prejudice during the WWII; the impact that sadly is still relatable till the present-day. Would go for 3 stars to this!

Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!