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Early Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (March 22nd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 356 pages Source: ARC from publisher for review Series: Chemical Gardens Trilogy, book #1 Rating: 5 of 5 stars 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.
Review: Wither is among other books recently that focus on a dystopian society. This one is one of my favorites! The story is about Rhine, a 16-year-old girl who gets chosen to be a bride along with 2 other teens after being kidnapped. In this society a genetic virus is killing girls when they are 20 and boys when they are 25. Due to this fact, girls are often picked at a young age to be brides and help the population; even without their consent.
Rhine has struggled to survive since her parents were killed years before. Her twin brother was her only protection and now she has been taken away to marry a man she doesn't know. Linden is not a bad guy but his father has ulterior motives for arranging these marriages. He hopes to study the dead bodies and find a cure before the virus takes his son. Rhine's sister wives Cicily, 13, and Janena, 19, have drastically different feelings about their marriage arrangement and Rhine seems to be the one in the middle. While she begins to actually care for Linden she keeps one thing in mind: escape.
The brides are able to get everything they need and they have a lavish home, but they remain locked up most of the time. Slowly Rhine is given the privilege of attending events with Linden but even the idea of being"first wife" doesn't make her stray from her goal of getting back home.
She finds an unlikely ally in Gabriel, one of the servants. Her connection with him gives her hope that maybe somehow they can both get out and survive. While a majority of the story takes place inside the home, it is far from boring! Lauren incorporates the thoughts of Rhine, her past life, and their current situation beautifully. This story is geared towards older teens because of subject matter involving sex and death scenes that are a little graphic.
Cicily, at the young age of 13, is faced with responsibility she is not prepared for. I thought her character was captured perfectly because often young teens have a picture perfect life in mind and they find out the hard way that things may not be as easy as they seem. She evolves dramatically throughout the story and it was perfectly intertwined throughout. Janena, on the other hand, is much more reserved and pensive. She seems to fully understand the world and what awaits her beyond their walls. Her connection with Rhine is a slow process but one that holds strong at the end.
Wither is a fascinating story that is very complex and full of emotion. Rhine brings power to a oppressive situation. Her refusal to back down and her love for her sister wives shines throughout the book. I was very happy with the ending and I can't wait to see where Lauren takes the next installment. I'm curious to learn more about this world she created and what she has in store for Rhine.
Cover: I have to mention the cover because it is breathtaking! The girl is stunning and the the shimmer of the pink outlines (which you can't notice online) are beautiful details! Also, the ring and bird in a cage are circled, which have significance to the story. I couldn't think of a more appropriate cover for this book!

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