Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren DeStefano
Published by: Simon and Shuster
Release Date: 3/22/11
Pages: 358
Grade: B+/A-

GoodReads Synopsis: 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 limited time she has left.

Review:  One of the many things I liked about this book, and that struck me immediately was that most dystopian novels are so bleak and dark in their environment.  Meaning, that it's usually post-apocalyptic, everything is grey, crumbling, a total lack of color.  The Manhattan that Rhine starts out in has this feeling, but the Florida Mansion she is transported to, against her will, is beautiful...from the mansion and it's furnishings to it's garden and grove surroundings.

I was very impressed with the degree of humanity the author was able to imbue in Rhine without it coming off as insincere or self-righteous. Regardless of what is done to Rhine she manages to still care for others, including the the husband she has been forced to marry. Rhine is drawn to her captor in a way she finds surprising and is astonished to realize he is as much a captive as she is.

Wither is beautifully written! DeStefano draws the reader in and leaves you with a lot to think about! I'm really anxious to see what Rhine does...with what time she has left.