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 nitzan_schwarz on

4 of 5 stars

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2013 cleaning my shelves challenge

If you've read this post, you know that I've recently realized I am not the biggest dystopian fan (read it to find out why). That being said, I've got to admit I've been greatly and pleasantly surprised by Wither; it was an engrossing, interesting read bound to enthrall many readers out there.

The story is set in a world where there are two kinds of people: Old Generation, and New Generations. The first is genetically perfect, and live long, full lives. The second, the Old Generation's children, suffer from a disease that kills all females at 20, and all males at 25. As such, to keep humanity alive, girls have to get pregnant at a very young age. There are no rules forcing them into it or anything, but there is a group who kidnaps suitable girls... and sells them to become 'Brides' to the rich and famous. Those Brides are not allowed to say no (unless they want to meet an early end in an already short life), and they are expected to carry on their husband's line.

Here come Rhine...
To read the full review, got here, to my blog. Thanks! :)

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 September, 2013: Finished reading
  • 22 September, 2013: Reviewed