Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Pages: 358

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Age Group: Young Adult

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge; 350 Page Challenge

Release Date: March 22, 2o11

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 Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Plot:

I must admit, I really wanted to like this book. Sadly, though, it just wasn't all there for me. It took me a really long time to get into the book, and actually want to read it, that when I did start to be entranced by the story (near the end of the book) I couldn't fully enjoy it.

The plot was drawn out for most of the book, and there wasn't any mystery or anything really propelling me to read on.

That's not to say that I didn't absolutely love the premise of the story. I mean, come on, the human race dying off at ages 20 and 25? That's pretty cool. Unfortunately, I felt like Wither didn't live up to how cool I thought it would be.

Characters:

There was nothing entirely memorable about the characters. They didn't stand out to me, and I didn't really feel a connection to them at all, making it very difficult to emphasize with them.

Writing:

I wish, I wish, I WISH I had liked this book more. I think the writing could have made a big difference in this book, especially since it was in first person, and have made me feel more connected to the characters. It didn't, though, and I think that's where it was really lacking.

I will admit the way Lauren DeStefano presented the imagery was beautiful, and it painted a picture in my mind, which I love.

Ending:

The ending was very satisfying, and made me want to find out what happened next with Rhine, and even though I don't think I'll be reading on in the Chemical Garden trilogy, the author was successful in creating a nice cliff hanger.

Cover:

The entire set-up of this book is breath-taking. The model on the front of the book is gorgeous, and I love the colors used. The birdcage is a good metaphor for Rhine when she is taken, and I like the circles and lines connecting everything.

If you haven't seen the back cover to this book, look it up ASAP. The colors of it are some of the most beautiful shades of blues I have ever seen.

Lovely Line:

I smile. For a moment I think this is the way my father felt about my mother, and I could almost swear this marriage was real. A stranger passing by would think we had been together for years, that we planned to live the rest of our lives together. I always knew I was an excellent liar; I just didn't know I had it in me to fool myself.

The Final Verdict:

I didn't really like Wither, but many, many people I know do, so I'm not going to suggest for you to not read it. This is one of the books that you need to pick up yourself, and establish your own opinion on!

FTC: Borrowed from Zoe.