Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Wither - Lauren DeStefano

Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy)
Wither
By Lauren DeStefano


I had high expectations for this book and I don’t even really know where they came from. I think the combo of the cover and synopsis, added to the fact that I love dystopian stories, made me feel that there was so much possibility for this book.

Rhine is a girl who is just trying to stay alive with her brother. Finally the thing she was scared of happens and she is suddenly taken from him and expected to become one of the new brides of a boy named Linden. The mansion that becomes her prison is an equally beautiful and horrible place.

The story was definitely interesting. There were some disturbing moments when I was struck by the intense reality of the horror Rhine and her sister-wives go through—particularly a scene with Cecily—but at the same time there were other moments when the drama seemed a bit overdone. I was torn between hating Linden and at times feeling sorry for him but a few times I found myself saying “enough already, am I meant to hate him or not!” I appreciated the very different personalities of Rhine and her sister-wives. Although they all lived in the same twisted place the world had become, they all had different experiences which made them react to their new reality in very different ways. It was interesting to see the ways each of them coped with their circumstances but it also made the story much more terrifyingly real. I’m curious to see what comes next.

**Source: ARC from publisher

1 comment:

Amy said...

The cover and description do make for a high expectation. I've seen this one around but have yet to pick it up. I might have to now.