Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) http://www.yabookscentral.com/media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/200x285s/c7/1e/34/2528_wither_1309182430.jpg

This was a surprising read. I would never have picked it up on my own, but I’m glad to have read it. Wither is engaging and unique, and though it isn’t earth-shattering by any means, I liked it all the same.

I’ve read only a smattering of dystopian novels, and the setup for this seemed to be quite nearly the same as my other experiences. After World War Three, North America (The United States, to be specific), was the only landmass left populated. Science has made tremendous headway in spite of the world’s near-annhiliation, but it’s taken a bad turn and is now seen by most as ‘evil’. The heroine is affected by the ‘evil science’, and is on a quest to make her life count in spite of her problems. Really, DeStefano doesn’t bring anything new to the table here.

It’s all in the presentation.

Rhine’s character is wonderfully fresh and dynamic; her responses to the situation she’s placed in make sense. Her reaction to the idyllic life her husband presents her is reasonable, her sister wives are interesting and real.

And the author can write like nobody’s business. In YA, it’s the norm for an author to tell a good story, and this is no exception. But it’s less common for a good story to be told in brilliant prose. DeStefano is an excellent writer, undeniably.

The author seems determined to have only one ‘bad guy’. She makes great effort to clear Linden (the husband) of all guilt, and even the silly red-headed sister wife is made to look noble in the end. All the blame is laid at the feet of Linden’s dad, one of those ‘evil scientists’ who performs vivisection in order to discover the reason for mankind’s issues. Never mind the fact that he wants the best for his son. I think it’s very telling that the book’s ‘bad guy’ is a scientist.

And then there’s the age thing. Rhine’s domestic (AKA slave), is eight or nine years old, but she’s some kind of brilliant and unparalleled seamstress. Yes, I understand that the normal lifespan has dropped drastically, but I highly doubt an eight year old girl has the attention span to sit still long enough to a) learn how to sew; and b)sew endlessly, twelve hours a day. My sister is eleven, and she couldn’t do it. So really, the shortened lifespan is entirely unrealistic, and it annoyed me to no end.

A fantastic book. This is why I read YA—for those authors who really try and give more than a humdrum story. Recommended to anyone who loves the genre.

The plot was exceptional and it had some strong points. The thing that got to me the most was how boring it got after about page 30. I was really excited to see how this book would turn out and at the beginning I thought, " Wow, this is going to be an AWESOME book!". But, I am sad to say I was kinda disappointed in the author of the book. Instead of a exciting, adventurous novel with swooning love, it was a boring, sucky, book overall. I did like some parts of the story but that was only a little bit of the book. The concept of the book is weird( I mean little girls the same age as me wanting to have babies!) and to say the least, creepy. The romance in it I didn't feel at all. She only liked Linden because when compared to his father he seemed nice. When, in reality he is just a shy, awkward boy who doesn't know what the real world is like. I sorta liked Gabriel but in the end he wanted her to stay in the mansion. I would have never wanted her to stay in that creepy place! I don't know exactly how to rate this book so I just gave it a 3 star. I would maybe recommend this book to people who like creepy books with a sliver of a story line. I will probably read the second book just to see what happens to her and Gabriel.

If a book can command my attention in the first few pages, then it has my heart. To be completely immersed in a story from the very beginning is truly a treat. As soon as I opened Wither, met Rhine and found out what had befallen her, there was no turning back. I read this book with a ravenous appetite, pausing only briefly to jot notes about what I wanted to share with you. Yes, that is how amazing this book is.

Rhine became my hero from the first moment that I met her. Her character is so brave in the face of danger, in the face of adversity. Even when she wasn't sure that she would ever be able to find her brother again she was hopeful. I loved how she simply refused to roll over and accept her fate. I am truly a fan of strong female characters, and Rhine fits that description more than anyone. Her story is heartbreaking, but she is able to stay her same vivid self throughout the entire ordeal. I was enraptured.

The world that Lauren DeStefano builds for the reader is truly beautiful and terrible at the same time. As I mentioned above, the reader is instantly immersed in the world of these characters. It is fascinating to watch these characters as they move through the story. Rhine and her sister wives are young women, and yet they are thrown into the lives of much older women. Watching their plight was so difficult, but I could see the glimmer of hope underneath. Their story pulled me in and kept me captivated the entire time. Add in some exquisite writing, and you have a book that I truly fell in love with.

Since this book is not due out for a while, I won't write anything that might spoil the journey for you. I will say though that the ending to this book was simply perfect to me. After reading so many books lately whose endings were disappointing, reading Wither was truly a treat from cover to cover.

I know that we really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case the cover of this book is a great representation of the story within. Eerie, sad and beautiful, this story really sticks with you. It is a tale filled with beautiful places, dazzling parties and sinister purposes that hold the reader until the last page and leave them with both a feeling of outstanding exhilaration and intense foreboding. I put off reading this book for so long because I just wasn't sure that it would be able to live up to my expectations. In the end it mostly did, but a part of me feels like the darkness of this book really weighed it down too much. However, that same darkness is what made it so enjoyable. Perhaps those conflicting feelings are what makes Wither so special.

LIKES:

Beautiful storytelling and world-building: DeStefano's writing has a way of bringing the reader into the story and making them feel totally encapsulated in her world. The imagery used and the history/memory building is really fantastic. I just kept wanting to know more and more about Rhine and her little world and it was so much fun learning about it.
Thought-provoking: This point really goes along with the world-building. DeStefano's picture of this horrifying new America in the not-to-distant future really makes you think about your place on the planet now and appreciate that we are not the only ones here. In Rhine's world all of the other countries have been totally decimated. Paris is just a memory, China has vanished, and Germany only exists in old atlases. Rhine's America is completely alone in the world and for some reason this really bothered me, in the best possible way. Don't get me wrong, I wave my flag and love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July, just like most Americans, but I also like knowing that there are different cultures and places yet to be explored out there. I can't imagine being the last country on earth and what that would mean. DeStefano has made this world so believable that you can't help but reflect upon it.
We're only here for a little while: A huge theme in this book is time. In the world of Wither men only live to be 25 and women only 20 so throughout the book Rhine and her companions are trying to make the most of the time they have left in different ways. The best part about this theme is that it doesn't just apply to DeSefano's characters. Sure we may have more like 80-something years on Earth but in the grand scheme of things that's no time at all. There are tortoises walking around that were born before our great grand parents after all. While reading Wither, I found myself reflecting on how short of a time we really have here and how important it is not to waste it. This is a great thing to be reminded of, especially in such a fun, creepy way and really helps you relate to Rhine and her sister wives.


DISLIKES:


Again with the child-prostitution: Okay so I realize that there is a reason that this issue is included in the book: to underline the creepiness and cruelty of Rhine's world. Still, I will never get used to seeing this in books. One of Rhine's sister wives is only 13 at the beginning of this book! 13! Gross. Just not my cup of tea.
Why romance? (POSSIBLE SPOILERS): The whole romance aspect of this book just seems pointless. There are basically two potential love interests in the story (yay love triangles, not). First there is Rhine's husband, Linden. He is a whimpy, clueless man who's father is holding Rhine prisoner. Not to mention he goes around impregnating 13 year olds (not cool). Why Rhine would even entertain the idea of being with this guy voluntarily is beyond me. Then we have Gabriel. He has his own drawbacks, mainly that he seems sort of okay living in this awful place and might have a pretty bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. Mostly, though, my problem with him as a romantic interest is that Rhine doesn't really know him at all. This is one of those books where I really don't see the need for romantic entanglements. I feel like they had a good story and then shoved some romance in for good measure. Not a fan.


IN BETWEEN:

Very dark: And when I say dark I don't mean sort of spooky with some gore mixed in. I mean chopping up bodies in a basement dark. In a way this made it really unpleasant to read sometimes. At the same time though, this darkness is what gives the book its appeal and what keeps the reader going. You want to find out what's going on and suffering mentally along with Rhine makes you want that payoff even more.


In the end, I was really glad that I decided to go ahead and read this one. Even though it left me with some icky feelings and questions about my own cynicism, I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this to all lovers of dystopian, not so much for the romantics. I will definitely be checking out Fever and the final book in the trilogy Sever soon!

I completely understand what all the raving was about now. This book was A-mazing. Seriously. I'm hoping I don't gush all over this review with its amazingness.

To start, the concept was much different than any other dystopian I've read. Most are simply a post-apocalyptic world or a society with major flaws. I found it a bit difficult to imagine a world where most things still appear normal in the sense of how we see the world now knowing it was dystopian. It was also hard to imagine a world where "men" can be 15. I mean, the people who were "old" and close to death were only a year older than myself. It's crazy.

The writing in Wither was absolutely fantastic. It was beautiful and yet morose. The descriptions of everything from snow to fancy dresses were so fantastic, I wanted to be there myself despite the hopelessness of the world. And the characters DeStefano creates are just as fantastic as the writing itself. I found myself feeling sympathy for Linden though I knew I should hate him as Rhine did. Speaking of Rhine. I loved her. She was so genuine and yet still a strong lead. Instead of being all pushy and in-your-face about her strength and determination, though, she kept it underneath the surface making me respect her all the more.

I was so torn between how I wanted it to end. I both wanted Rhine to escape and to stay. In the end, I was happy with the ending but it sadly didn't leave me with that "I need more now!" feeling. If the cover didn't say Trilogy right on it, I could have easily assumed this was a standalone. Don't mistake that minor whining on my part to be a true complaint, though. I will be awaiting the next in the series as you most certainly will when you read it.

Final thoughts: Any fan of dystopia will definitely want to get their hands on this. If you're wary of dystopian or think you don't like it, give this one a try. It's a different vibe than the "despair, despair, despair" of others. Go to the bookstore, library, borrow from a friend: whatever you need to do, go get this book immediately.

Let me start off by saying this is truly one of the most amazing covers I have ever seen. The second book is just as awesome, too. It’s definitely what attracted me to the book and after reading the premise, I was quite intrigued.

I really liked how unique and creative Lauren was about this world. Life lasts only until you’re 25, 20 for females, with girls being bought and sold to men like play toys?! Wow! Right from the start Lauren paints a dark and twisted picture where poor Rhine has to adapt to her new life and try her best to escape it. The characters are what really draws you in since most of the book is either Rhine monologuing, which was a bit too much for me, or her interactions with the other characters. Linden is very sweet, and clearly a good guy in a terrible situation. His father, the Housemater, however, is quite horrific and a true villain if I ever saw one!

There wasn’t a lot of action in this book and like I said, a bit too much inner monologuing, but the series itself does have potential. While it’s true that Wither was kind of slow and dragged out for me, I’m curious to see Rhine’s future and how this all plays out. I’ll be looking forward to reading Fever.

I am surprised by how much I actually liked this! I had read so many different reviews about it, that I just had a negative outlook on it.
I need to stop doing that, really, reading reviews before I read the book!

But I have grown to love dystopian novels. This one in particular is something that I would definitely not like being thrown into. The world is a scary one with no hope.
The story in itself is something I had never read about before, and the further I got into the book, the more I was growing attached to the three sister wives. Also, I feel sorry for Linden!

I’m ready for the next one!

ISBN: 9781442409057
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 358

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out? Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wither by Lauren DeStefano! I really liked the concept behind this dystopian tale, where rather than the characters benefitting from the genetic experiment, they end up having to alter their society to cope with their shorter lifespans! I also enjoyed how Wither was actually written, it flowed well! My favourite characters were Gabriel and Rhine. Both of them were confined to Linden’s mansion, although for different purposes. Rhine’s purpose was to be a replacement for Linden’s first wife, whilst Gabriel’s role was to be a servant. I love the scientific cover of Wither! The “circle arrows” on the cover are not only quite modern and trendy, they also link up the different elements within the cover to each other (and the story within!).

Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/review-wither-by-lauren-destefano/

First, I’d like to say this: scroll back up. Look at the cover of this book. Admire it. Isn’t it gorgeous? And I especially liked how the design of the book (with all the words in the boxes) was used in the dedication, title page, etc. It created the perfect feel to the book.

Now to talking about the actual book! I loved the idea of this book. A world where people die at 20 and 25. Where people kidnap young girls like Rhine to have brides. Where people would either do anything to find a cure or would be willing to die before the end came.

But as alluring as that sounds, I was not the happiest camper when I finished the book. I mean, Lauren DeStefano’s writing is beautiful. It creates a mystical effect that lets me just float with the book.

But the plot ruined this effect. One thing I remember is that when my sister finished reading Wither, she said something about the book not having any real action. And I wholeheartedly agree with her. Where’s that action-packed kick-butt feeling? I live on that feeling. But I didn’t get that feeling; all I got was frustration as Rhine put her everything into escaping from Linden’s mansion, which does sound interesting, but not in this case.

And Rhine. Rhine frustrated me. She was always concerned about escaping, escaping, escaping. I know it’s good to keep your goal in mind, but it almost made her seem like a flat character with no other characteristics. Sure, something stirred inside of her whenever she thought of Gabriel or when she protected her sister wives. But there was just a key element missing.

I didn’t really enjoy the romance in this book. Another thing my sister had commented on was this: “I still don’t understand why Rhine is attracted to Gabriel.” I don’t either. I think I understand why Gabriel likes her, but Gabriel doesn’t seem to be the kind of guy that girls swoon over. He just seemed like the rock she needed in all her misery and madness.

Wither didn’t make me satisfied; in fact, it made me more frustrated with Rhine as a character, her romance with Gabriel, and the seemingly empty plot. Add in that terrible cliffhanger, and I’m not sure if I was that big of a fan of this novel.

Source: copy read online at Pulse It

“I was so hesitant to start reading this book. I was extremely uncomfortable with the premise and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the book because of it. One thing I did know is that I wasn't going to buy it(despite the gorgeous cover that I absolutely love!), so I decided I'd handle whether I'd read it or not if my library got it. But it came up on PulseIt I was once again faced with the choice of whether or not I wanted to read it. Finally, after reading many reviews I decided to take a chance.

What I found was, the polygamous marriage was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Now, that's not saying that it wasn't uncomfortable or that I agree with such marriage. But, I was able to enjoy the story despite it. For one thing, the author wasn't pushing it, that it was right and wonderful, she also wasn't exactly condemning it either. It was more like she was using it as a plot devise for the world which she had created. As I read, I realized I had read many stories with polygamous marriages, and that this wasn't anything "new". Jacob and Rachel and Leah, Solomon and his many wives, in fact many stories in the Bible deal with polygamy(the only difference is that the Bible says it is wrong, more that it happened and showing the consequences of it) it was even some fairy tales I had read as a child. I guess I said all that to say, I didn't exactly like it, but it didn't turn me off the book.

What I did dislike was the slow pace. The writing was beautiful and the characters were extremely well developed and their personalities well thought out. But it seemed that for the majority of the book nothing happened. Now, in a way that was a good thing. It gave time for the characters to develop so well, but there were times while I was reading it, and I started counting the number of pages I had left, the number of chapters I had left, wondering when she would finally run away! (*spoiler* which didn't happen until the last two or three chapters *end spoiler*) While there were a couple "exciting" parts throughout that kept me reading, for the most part the plot didn't advance at all.

As far as world building goes, I know a lot of people thought it was badly developed and that the world wasn't believable at all and that was the worst part of the book. I personally didn't think the world building was so bad.(as long as I don't think about it too much) Now granted, it wasn't all that wonderful either. There are some books that the world that was created is the best part of the book, other books, like this one, the characters that live in it are more important, so the world is a background character. Of course, we all know the best books are those with great worlds and great characters, but ones with underdeveloped, unexplained worlds are definitely not the worst. So I guess, I wish she had spent more time developing the world, but on the whole it didn't bother me.

The characters really stood out for me. They were all written like real people, with their own flaws and qualities that made them unique and interesting. I found myself sad when Rose died, when I had barely known her for a few chapters! *spoiler* And when Jenna died I was devastated not only because she was a great character, but because of how well her dying had been written and how Rhine and Cecily reacted. *end spoiler* Gabriel, Rowan, and Linden were also all interesting male characters. I absolutely loved how Linden was written not the normal way a male lead is written, he wasn't buff and strong and extremely handsome, and he had many flaws and was not the leader he should be. I also really liked how their romance progressed that when Rhine realized she was falling in love with him she didn't just give up, she kept fighting it, because she wanted to be free. She understood that if she fell in love with him in this marriage that it would ultimately be a lie, because she hadn't the choice to go into it. And Gabriel! :D I love him! That's all I can say. Same with Rowan, I've always wished I had an older brother(why oh why did I have to get stuck with a younger one?) and he seems like such a great older brother(I know he's her twin, but I bet you he's the older one! lol) and I feel so bad for him that Rhine was taken from him.

Lastly, one thing I noticed and loved(thanks to a certain Lit. teacher who will not be named) was the extreme case of Plato's Cave! Rhine's obviously been outside and once she is put into the cave(aka the mansion) she hates it and wants to escape, but others don't understand why because they have fallen into the shadows. Many are just too oblivious to even realize they are in the cave. Others don't understand how the outside world is better. I mean, they have holograms(shadows anyone?) of the outside world that they can enjoy, what makes the world outside the cave better? *spoiler* When Rhine and Gabriel finally escape and they go to the ocean to get a boat to sail up the coast back to Rowan, Gabriel sees the real ocean and comments that he had forgotten what the ocean was like, it was much more than he remembered. I was thrilled that he had exited the cave and realized what he had been missing before, it was one of my favorite parts of the book! *end spoiler* So that just really stood out to me a lot in the book, so yeah I thought I'd mention it.

Wither has left me completely and utterly heartbroken. From the elegant prose to the creation of monsters of men, I don't think I have ever been this shaken - or hopeful - after finishing a book.

First I would like to address a couple issues I have seen others raise - namely, the lack of world-building and vagueness surrounding this dystopian future. I admit - the world-building was lacklustre, and the level to which my beliefs had to be suspended for any of it to be remotely believable was quite high. However, for whatever reason, I was not bothered by either of these issues. The fact that North America is the only continent left untouched after (nuclear?) warfare is negligible - egotistical, yes - but otherwise completely unnecessary for the plot to move forward, and thus I was able to overlook its presumptuousness. The fact that it is extremely unlikely that every person inhabiting the Earth would be vaccinated (and thus infected with the virus) was also something I could overlook, as I don't find it hard to believe that some type of forced inoculation would be implemented in a society looking to eradicate all disease. (I'm also aware that all is not as it seems in most dystopians, and that what seem to be infallible truths have a way of becoming not-so-infallible as series' progress). And as for the science behind the exactness of the age with which the virus affects each gender, as a non-scientist, I took no issue with its lack of explanation. I assumed that if a society as seemingly technologically advanced as this had no explanation, then there wasn't one to be found (yet) - similar to how doctor's today are unable to explain why some people contract cancer, while others remain cancer free.

I absolutely loved Rhine. There were so many times where I questioned her reasons for wanting to escape, as she seemingly had paradise handed to her on a silver platter, before I remembered how I might feel if told that I would spend my short time on earth as a prisoner. At the end of the day, a well-treated prisoner is just that - a prisoner - and DeStefano made it very easy to blur the lines, allowing me to question Rhine's lack of acceptance of her new life, before reminding how much freedom and personal autonomy is worth: everything. I loved that her fear of Housemaster Vaughan didn't leak into her relationship with Linden, and that she was able to see Linden for the person he is - a mere pawn in his father's game. I still question her reasons for not telling Linden the truth about her abduction and her life with her brother or the truth about his father's evilness, but I'm hoping for an explanation in the next instalment.

I loved the relationship that DeStefano built between Linden, Rhine, Cecily and Jenna. It was so interesting to witness what a polygamous relationship might be like, and I loved experiencing Rhine's embarrassment at walking in on Jenna and Linden after having sex, or at her jealousy (and then astonishment for being jealous) at seeing his closeness to Cecily that only a special kind of intimacy brings. The sisterhood they shared was so strange, but so realistic, that I couldn't help but believe in their world and begin to hope for their futures. Cecily was the epitome of an annoying younger sister, but one that you can't help but love. Her mistreatment of the attendants, her immature need for attention and her naiveté about Housemaster Vaughan's true intentions all spoke volumes about her young age and lack of experience, which had me finding her endearing. Jenna was full of pain and secrets, and while she seems less memorable, the role she played was invaluable. And Linden. Poor, clueless Linden. I hated him at first, and each mention of his gold teeth had me involuntarily shuddering. As the book progressed, and I learned more about him and his intentions, I secretly wished Rhine would give up on her dreams of escape in order to save him from further harm.

Lastly, the perfect villain - Housemaster Vaughan. A respectable doctor who claims to only want the best for his son (which means finding the antidote to the deadly virus that plagues the entirety of humanity) who secretly keeps bodies in his basement for his experiments and wishes for grandchildren so he can experiment on their DNA. A man who would kidnap a van-full of girls, let his son pick three for his brides, and then have the remaining girls executed - they're unnecessary, so why keep them? A man who smiles while he whispers in your ear that if you want to continue to live, you won't try running away again. A man who seems to have eyes and ears everywhere, who controls everyone in his house like a puppeteer, who lets no one escape his grasp alive - or dead. DeStefano's descriptions of Housemaster Vaughan will haunt my nightmares, and I still can't see his name without picturing snake-like features on an older man's face.

So while flawed, Wither is definitely a must-read for me. Not everyone will be able to set aside its flaws like I did, but for those who can, you will find a completely spell-binding story that keeps your heart tugging in different directions, only for you to realize that it would have broken regardless of which direction was chosen. Yet, out of that heartbreak is a hopefulness that I can't seem to shake. I have a feeling that tomorrow I might see the world slightly brighter, and have Wither to thank for it.

*SPOILER ALERT*
I was dying to read this book since a couple of months, as I've read lots of good things about it so, when I found it used in a bookshop, I had no doubt about buying it.

In the future, life will last only 20 years for women and 25 for men; this will happen because of the evolution of science and medicine, who have found a cure against all the diseases.No one could have thought that their children would have lived only for 20-25 years instead. So, the richest exponents of the society,they always choose among groups of girls, kidnapped by hunters, those who will become their wifes. Rhine has been stolen to his twin brother for this reason: become the wife on the governor Linden; Will she accept her destiny or will she rebel against her captors?

Isn't the blurb magnificent? When I've read it I was so captured by the synopsis that I started the book as soon as I bought it. For being sincere, the beginning disappointed me a little. I mean, I expected there was more action and twists in the book but, conversely, the story proceeded very slowly. Fortunately at the end I finally found myself completely concentrated on the story that I couldn't put the book down.
What I found very positive in the book was:
-First of all the incredible ability to write of Lauren DeStefano; I loved how she had developped the whole book, because even if slowly, it was very well written. What I enjoyed particulary about her writing style was the harshness with which she described the scenes.
-The characters' description, I loved them all of them! It was amazing because they all have peculiar personalities and even if they are completely different in some aspects they are forced to live together.
*Rhine, she was the protagonist and I appreciated that the author had always expressed her feelings and emotions. She was a strong girl but sometimes she seemed so fragile; the desperate condition in which she is located, leads Rhine to hate everything around her but at the same time sometimes she let herself free from this hatred, in needing of a family as a reference and a bit of affection.
*Jenna, was certainly one of my favourite character! She was also a strong woman but she was resigned to her destiny, as all of her sisters were killed by the hunters; by the way, she was always there for Rhine and she helped her finding a way to escape from that reality, even if that cost her her life. I loved her sensuality and the way she used that quality of her to deceive people around her. Yes, her death was a shock to me! :')
*Cecily, I really have twisted feeling about her, just as Rhine had. She was a fourteen girl who was raised in a orphanage, where everyone taught her that being the wife of a rich men was everything she could ask from life. She immediately got pregnant and enjoyed the circumstances in which she was, as she will never understand the horror that is around her. She was so tender sometimes because you could clearly understand that she needed someone desperately, but at the end of the book I hated her behaviour!
* Linden, maybe this could sound like completely wrong, but I would love to see him and Rhine together!! Maybe this is because I was not particulary captured by Gabriel's character; Linden is the victim of her father and she basically lives in a world of lies and falsehoods. He would never know what his father is doing in the basement and he will never enjoy freedom, a life away from his father.
I think that Linden and Rhine in other circumstances would have been perfect together!
What I would have loved to see was a more detailed description of Gabrile, who was certainly a special guy but actually, there is not much of him in Wither. Conversely I still feel so attracted by Linden and I love his moments with Rhine.
I just can't imagine how he will go ahead without Rhine?!

The book's finale didn't make me think about a sequel, because that seems like the perfect "happily ever after". By the way I can't wait to read "Fever", 'cause I'm so curious about how Lauren DeStefano will continue this promising trilogy.

Wither was really good but also incredibly frustrating. I literally yelled at the book on several occasions. My irritation at the book and Rhine's decisions are an indication of quality in this case. Were the book more comfortable, it would not be doing the subject matter justice. There are serious themes being dealt with here: sexuality, gender, ethics and stockholm syndrome top the bill.

The world building was pretty amazing. While DeStefano has no real scientific reason for why the succeeding generation were all dying off a virus at those particular ages, I did not have too much trouble believing such a thing possible. It seems likely that messing with life through genetic engineering could have such horrible and unforeseen consequences. Perhaps most unlikely from my point of view was the precision of the deaths, with all women and men dying at the same ages. And why do men live five years longer?

Even more than this setting, I loved what she built out from this premise. The world she depicts is horrifying because of how possible it seems given a few crucial things gone wrong. I have no difficulty envisioning a society with such a limited life span turning women into reproduction machines. A small step from that is a return to bigamy, so that wealthy men can have a better chance of fathering progeny, and a powerful sex trade. As a woman, this is horrifying, and that is part of what made the book resonate so strongly with me.

This is the first in a trilogy, which I will definitely be super eager to read the next books of. The ending of Wither could easily have been an ending to Rhine's story, if an unclear one (not uncommon in dystopias), but I'm glad that it's not. The ending of this book struck me as a bit too positive and light given the tone of the rest of the novel, but with more books to come it is but a brief respite for our heroine. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Also, I have to say that this is one of the prettiest books I have seen in a while. The formatting is gorgeous, not to mention the cover. Go out and find a copy to read!

I LOVE this story! Set in a believable future, the main character is captured and forced into a polygamous marriage to help further the next generation. With life spans being so short, Rhine is determined to not spend her final years locked up as some mans plaything.

Well. Did I like Wither? YES. Did I love Wither? Ummm...sadly, no.
I think the problem was that, for some reason - and I really don't know why - I just didn't really connect with the characters or the story. I think, if only I had been drawn in to the world and characters of Wither more, then I probably would have loved it instead of just liking it. Instead, though, I felt a little detached from the story throughout and, therefore, it didn't really evoke much of the emotion in me that I feel it should have.

For example, the romance between Rhine and Gabriel. They fell in love but I never really felt it. Sure, I could see the possibility of romance in the early days when Rhine first met Gabriel but I don't think it developed very well - it seemed to jump straight from bud (at the beginning of the book) to full flower (at the end) without ever really blossoming in between. Gabriel always felt more like Rhine's friend to me; the few stolen kisses they shared didn't really change that.

Surprisingly, the character I felt I sympathised with most was Linden. Despite the fact that Rhine could never forgive him for being the reason behind her abduction, I liked Linden. He seemed a truly sweet character and you could tell he honestly loved Rhine. He himself was oblivious to the doings of his father, the only character who really was not very nice, and so was almost as much as a prisoner in his own beautiful, 'perfect' life as Rhine was.

Nevertheless, despite my lack of connection with Wither, it really was a very beautifully-written story. The writing was just as beautiful as I imagine Linden's mansion would have been. The storyline was good and perhaps next time I read it (and I do intend to read it again) I will savour the story more slowly and find myself drawn into it more, and then I will love it.