Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Title: Wither
Hardcover, 356 pages
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon
Book summary:
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.
Review:
My friend Tirzah finished Wither last week and raved about it – and I have come to the realization that if Tirzah thinks I should read a book, I should (I’m even going to read a historical fiction book which I normally would not read because of her). Anyways.
I picked up this book a lot sooner than I normally would have – not because I didn’t want to read it, but because the release date is not quite here and I have other books who have been patiently waiting in line. While I was looking at my stacks yesterday (yes YESTERDAY, I finished it in less than a day), Wither sang a little song that made me pick it up – and I ended up reading far into the night.
Wither is a dystopian novel, which means it is set in a world not like we know – it is actually based years in the future, and the “21st Century” is often mentioned. Because of some genetic changes and a virus, humans are no longer living to 70 or 80 or 90 like we do today – in fact, females live to 20 and males to 25 – so it’s a MUCH shorter lifespan.
Our narrator, Rhine, is sixteen, and taken to a huge estate to be a wife, along with two other girls. They are trapped there, but are allowed luxuries of large magnitudes – whatever they want to eat, custom tailored clothes, books. Each of the new wives are a bit different, but Rhine is the one that most wants to escape back to her brother.
The narrative style of Lauren DeStefano in Wither is excellent. I walked the halls with Jenna, swam with Rhine, and played piano with Cecily. The first chapter of the book intrigues you so much that you’re flipping the pages as fast as you can, wondering about the world that Rhine is living in, and how it will affect her.
I spent a good amount of time while reading this book reflecting on my own thoughts – how I would feel if I were Rhine, Cecily, Jenna, or another individual in this book. I constantly had to put things into perspective, because I got sucked into Lauren DeStefano’s voice and would question why a character would make a decision until I considered what I would do – and it all plays out just as I think it would have if I would have been living there.
The trapped feeling I got was similar to the feeling I had when initially reading Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews – though I do not think Wither is remotely as ridiculous as I think Flowers in the Attic is.
Wither is an excellent start to a trilogy, and the next installment in this series is perhaps my most anticipated release of late 2011 or early 2012. We don’t end on a cliffhanger, but you certainly want to know more. I can’t wait to see what Lauren DeStefano has in store for us.
Buy: Amazon
Related Posts:
Related Posts
-
Review: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
Posted on Jan 19, 2012
-
Book Review: And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky
Posted on Sep 11, 2011
-
Review: Clean by Amy Reed
Posted on Aug 14, 2011
-
Review: Pure by Terra Elan McVoy
Posted on Jul 30, 2011
Tags
Share This
OMG I am absolutely dying to read this one! Fantastic review
It’s really great! There are lots of other reviews to back me up, too
You’re so lucky to have a friend who shares her great books with you. I really enjoyed reading your review of Wither!
Wither sounds like an excellent novel and I’m glad to hear that it’s without a cliffhanger ending even if it is a trilogy. In my opinion a trilogy can be just as good even if you’re not left pining for the next installment.
Ladybug of Escape In A Book
I agree! Cliffhangers just for the sake of cliffhangers drive me CRAZY. I much prefer they aren’t. Unless all of the books are out and I’m able to read them all in a row. Waiting a year in between drives me insane – plus I often forget exactly what was happening during the cliffhanger ending!
Must. Read. This. Book. NOW! This sounds like such a great book and like nothing I have ever read before. Your review makes me wish it were March tomorrow
Hah! Good thing you have a million other really good books to read
I’m excited to see it in hardcover.
Loved Wither, thought the ending came just a bit too easy. If you did like this you should really give Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale a go. It’s a classic
I agree, the ending was a little soft compared to the rest, but I’m expecting a lot of action in the second book. Am glad it didn’t end on a cliffhanger most of all!
Twitter: booksandwine
I want to read Wither SOOO bad, but I’m making myself save 2011 books for 2011. Damn you Shanyn for making this so tempting to grab!
Sorryyyyy! I don’t really ‘save’ books because I figure if one really calls to me it’s in both mine and the book’s best interest to read it then! Otherwise I’m thinking “I wish I was reading Wither” etc as I’m reading another book
Great review, but there isn’t a Jane in this story
Whoops! Wow. I think I was reading Jane in my head the whole time. Thanks for the error, I’ve fixed it in my review!
I loved this book. I definitely feel like it’s my new Hunger Games. I loved the world she built, the characters created….just the whole thing.
I think it has some really great potential to be like The Hunger Games, too! Especially with book two. I’m trying not to set my expectations too high but it’s hard :\