Review - Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Published: March 22nd 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Book Description:

Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive.

A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings. Editor's recommendation.

My Thoughts:

Males only live until age 25
Females only live until age 20

       Wither is the debut novel of Lauren DeStefano where she takes the readers to a whole new world where a virus threatens to diminish humanity. This was the first dystopian novel that I’ve read and I found myself enjoying this book.

          The world that DeStefano has created is unique and chilled my bones. It scared me, knowing that when you reach that certain age, you will die an inevitable death and there’s no way escaping it.

          We follow our heroine, Rhine in her attempt to escape her fate. She was kidnapped along with a few other girls and was one of the three who were chosen as brides for a boy named Linden. I admire Rhine for her strong character and determination, and for a sixteen-year old, she really acts maturely for her age. There are two guys in her life, Linden and Gabriel, but the romance was merely just a minor plot in the story. It focused more in Rhine’s struggle to escape and her experiences in the mansion. Although in my opinion, I prefer Gabriel over Linden, and I’m glad Rhine chose him.

          There were some parts that were a bit boring, but that never stopped me from reading until the end because I really wanted to know what will happen to Rhine and Gabriel.

I’m really looking forward for the next book and I’m hoping that it will be better than the first one.

I’ll give it 3 awesome Whales.