Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy, #1)

by Lauren DeStefano

A Handmaid’s Tale for a new generation…

Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery has only four years left to live when she is kidnapped by the Gatherers and forced into a polygamous marriage. Now she has one purpose: to escape, find her twin brother, and go home – before her time runs out forever.

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb – males only live to age twenty-five and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden’s genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape – to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Reviewed by Jack on

2 of 5 stars

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So much happens in the first few pages of the book, its baffling. Everything happen so quickly, yet we barley get any information regarding the going ons, or even what Rhine is feeling. Her character had me seething with anger and thats something I never do. I don't remember one time when I was ever mad at a character, or didn't like one.

I really don't like Rhine. I'm growing attached to Linden cause he seems like an ok guy. Gabriel alright in my book.

Not much really happens for most of the book, its only at the end where it really picks up, where so much bad starts to happen. Things start to spiral downhill pretty quickly. Rhine goes to places she shouldn't, sees things she shouldn't, tries to escape.

All the while, she's complaining how much she hates the lavish life style she's living in. Where she can do whatever she wants as long as she stays on her floor. I think her and Linden could have been a really good couple. Especially since he really cared for her, and it seemed like she was starting to like him.

I wanted Rhine to like where she was staying, to accept her fate, to love Linden, but she couldn't. She was angry and bitter about living in such luxury. Linden was nothing but kind, and she was surrounded by people that loved her, and all she could do was hate where she was, she didn't even try to like it.

Yet she decides that she's gonna run away with Gabriel, whom she barley knows anything about, I don't get the connection they have, I don't understand what its based on seeing as they didn't spend much time together.

I wanted to like this book, but so much was glossed over, skimmed over and just didn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm not sure if I'm gonna read the other two books in the series.



[What I felt immedietly after finishing the book.]

Done, and I feel a mix of emotions. Anger, sadness/sorrow, a slight tinge of joy and hope. But mainly anger and sadness.

I wanted Rhine to like where she was staying, to accept her fate, to love Linden, but she couldn't. She was angry and bitter about living in such luxary. Linden was nothing but kind, and she was surrounded by people that loved her, and all she could do was hate where she was, she didn't even try to like it.

Hated Linden's father, he reminded me of the Doctor from American Horror Story: Assylum.

I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of the books in the series because I'm not a fan of Gabriel and Rhine. But we'll see.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 November, 2012: Finished reading
  • 11 November, 2012: Reviewed