Review: Wither - Lauren DeStefano

Series: The Chemical Garden Trilogy #1
Genre: YA, dystopia
Pages: 320
Published: August 2011
Publisher: Voyager
Source: Bought

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 limted time she has left.

My Thoughts:

I liked it a lot, sure there were things that were a bit, ok what, how, please? But in the end I fell for it all cos it was just so exciting and great. 

But let's start with the things that annoyed me cos I am just weird like that. First, why is it always the US that is the only country left standing? Please, other countries have bombs and technology too, and I am sure they would send those missiles overseas and smuggle them in. But nope the rest of the world is gone and North America is the only place left. I mean come on, not even like Greenland made it? Who bombs Greenland? 

And then there were the gatherers, in a time when you need money would you really shoot the merchandise? I am sure the brothels would have paid for a few new girls. 

Now on to why I liked it. I just like the story, I do not know what more there would be to say. Sure I do not think Rhine would have made it out untouched since Linden liked her so much. Sure the thing with Gabriel came by fast but who cares when the story got me in a grip and would not let go. I liked Rhine who tried her best to run away from the house. I liked her sister wives who were messed up in their own ways. I liked Linden who was just a prisoner without knowing it. I can't hate an ignorant fool in a time like that. 

I liked the world where everyone dies young, a world that will go under for sure if a cure is not found. A world that is loosing hope and where humans were being sold daily. It was a freaky new world that we had brought upon ourselves and it had all the excitement I needed. 

Conclusion:

I did not want to put it down and I really want book 2 so that I can see what happens to Rhine. I just hope it will not be like other trilogies that get worse and just suck at the end. 

Rating: Recommended

Cover: Awesome