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Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1)

Lauren DeStefano

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: July 31, 2013

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What Members Thought

Nov 21, 2010 Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian

Find more of my reviews on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Wither was an interesting read for me. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did to be honest. You know how I love my dystopians, but maybe it’s because the name of the series was disconcerting, or whatever it was. Needless to say, I was wrong to doubt it. Wither is like a fairytale gone horribly wrong, and all set in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic world. In this future version of earth, there was a cure found for cancer. Those that we Find more of my reviews on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Wither was an interesting read for me. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did to be honest. You know how I love my dystopians, but maybe it’s because the name of the series was disconcerting, or whatever it was. Needless to say, I was wrong to doubt it. Wither is like a fairytale gone horribly wrong, and all set in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic world. In this future version of earth, there was a cure found for cancer. Those that were given the vaccine ended up being completely healthy and living long natural lives. But their children turned out to be not so healthy. Girls die at 20, and boys die at 25 from a slow unknown disease. This makes life slightly more difficult.

I enjoyed everything about this story. Rhine was an amazing main character, and the other characters, no matter how minor, were not forgotten. I grew to love everyone of them, and while it was important that they were all locked away in this mansion far away from Rhine’s home and twin brother, it was the characters that really made this story. As I said, it felt like a fairytale gone wrong. Like Beauty and the Beast, but instead of the young man being the beast, his father was more of a beast (emotional one, anyway). Rhine is kidnapped, like so many girls of this time do. She has no idea where they’re taking her. Eventually, she is one of three girls to survive. One of the other three girls had two sisters in the truck they came in. And everyone else was shot.

Obviously, Rhine doesn’t like Linden. He’s the reason she’s even there in the first place, and now she’ll be forced to make children with this man she already loathes. She also grows not to hate him though. His first wife is dying of the disease, and he’s still in love with her when he marries Rhine and the other two girls. His wife insisted. This story is already heartbreaking. On top of Rhine, trying to avoid sleeping with Linden, she starts to develop feelings for one of the servants, Gabriel. I was sad that Gabriel basically disappeared in the middle of the book. More of Linden’s father’s doings. But the little romance that they did have was beautiful, and I can’t wait to see more of them in the next one.

This book is full of heartache and betrayal and I absolutely fell in love. If you’re into dystopians and haven’t read this one, definitely check it out. Even if you don’t like dystopians, think evil twisted fairy tale and you just can’t say no. ...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Carla rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, ebooks-i-own, dystopian, to-be-continued

*4.5* is what I'm actually giving this book. It was a fantastic quick read, and it had me hooked from the very first chapter!! The only reason it did not get a full five stars is because the intensity that I think was suppose to be there between Rhine and Gabriel, wasn't. I don't want to make it seem like I was expecting them to fully get it on in this book and I know he wasn't in this book much, but for a blossoming love I didn't quite get those butterflies you get when authors can describe you ...more

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Feb 16, 2011 Candy rated it really liked it

Shelves: drama, dystopian, interesting, favorites, great, buy

In the future the world has changed. With the cure for cancer and other illnesses has come a world where males live to the age of 25 while females only live to 20. Though scientist have tried to fix this devastating occurrence they have been unsuccessful.

Rich men known as House Governors have Gatherers 'collect' females of child bearing age (even 13 year olds) to add to their polygamous families, often by no choice of the woman.

Rhine is one of these women. She has been kidnapped, and locked into ...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Kailia rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, ya-dystopia, 2011

Before reading this book, I’d read plenty of mixed reviews to mix up my thoughts. Did I want to read this book? What if I read it and I didn’t like it? That would be a waste of my time. What if I didn’t read it but I would have loved it? I finally decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did! I’m going to say that I absolutely loved it because I didn’t but I enjoyed reading it a lot.

Any other day polygamy would not be my choice of subject to read about but I did in this book and I enjoyed it. I Before reading this book, I’d read plenty of mixed reviews to mix up my thoughts. Did I want to read this book? What if I read it and I didn’t like it? That would be a waste of my time. What if I didn’t read it but I would have loved it? I finally decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did! I’m going to say that I absolutely loved it because I didn’t but I enjoyed reading it a lot.

Any other day polygamy would not be my choice of subject to read about but I did in this book and I enjoyed it. I liked reading this book and reading more about this world and what was happening in it. I have to give it to Lauren for not making polygamy the absolute main focus of this plot. To me, the main focus was on our protagonist Rhine and her feelings of where she currently was and what was happening to her. The plot moved a bit too slowly at times and some things seemed a bit repetitive and that really pulled me away. BUT the main thing that bugged me about this book was this: the world’s population is dying out. Guys live till 25 and girls till 20. YET, even after this fact, you kill a van full of young girls because they don’t meet the status quo? HOW does that make any sense to anyone? I get that you want the best traits for the new generation but really? Kill all those girls?

I think there are two things this book is, in my opinion, going to be known for: the gorgeous cover and the equally gorgeous, lyrical writing of Lauren DeStefano. I just loved, loved the feel and sounding of the words together. This book really, really came alive with her descriptions but the best part was that the descriptions weren’t overdone. They were just right! The feel of this entire novel is just so palpable. The emotions and the descriptions were just so darn real! Rhine in turn was an amazing protagonist! She’s a strong, fierce girl who knows what she wants but she’s human too.

There wasn’t a lot of romance in this book and usually I like a book to have a certain amount and I felt that this book didn’t necessarily have enough. Rhine’s relationship with Linden and Gabriel wasn’t developed enough to my liking but I hope that in the next book, it will get better.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot but some aspects didn’t work for me. I will read Fever when it comes out but I don’t think it will be right away. I think people should really give this book a try! ...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Melissa rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, ya-fiction, 4-stars, part-of-series, fantasy, fiction, mystery, read-2012

Have you ever read one of those books that you just really hate, but at the same time, there is something there that makes you love it just a little bit? No? Me either....Until i read this book.
What Made Me Buy This Book
I know you should never judge a book by the cover, but the cover was one of the reason's why i brought this book. The way it looks in pictures on goodreads is not the same as how it is when you have it in your hands. When i picked up my copy i was surprised at how big it was, big Have you ever read one of those books that you just really hate, but at the same time, there is something there that makes you love it just a little bit? No? Me either....Until i read this book.
What Made Me Buy This Book
I know you should never judge a book by the cover, but the cover was one of the reason's why i brought this book. The way it looks in pictures on goodreads is not the same as how it is when you have it in your hands. When i picked up my copy i was surprised at how big it was, bigger then a normal sized paperback anyway. But the cover really intrigued me. Firstly the girl on the cover is different. The way she sits on the chair and the clothes she is wearing interested me the most. Especially since this book was set in the future, the clothes are not something that i would expect them to wear.
The second reason why i brought it was the summary on the back. I have never picked up a book and just become so engrossed with the story just by reading the blurb. The summary was very catchy which made me buy the book there and then.
Storyline – What’s The Book All About
Well set in the future, scientist have found a cure for illnesses and diseases. These include things like cancer, STDs, and others. But this comes with a price. The generation that took this medicine later found that their children and the future generation would not live a full life, compared to the age they would get to. Females would only like to the age of 20, and males to the age of 25. It created some sort of genetic disorder. When they found this out, the whole world went into some sort of rebellion, and females were being taken from the streets, some used a slaves, other's pushed into prostitution. Rhine, the main character in the story, is sold to be one of the three wives to a man, Linden. after then, the story revolves around Rhine life with Linden and her other sister wives and how she spends her time in the house where she is kept.
What I Liked
The basis of the story. Now, i may sound stupid, but the idea of the story was a very very good idea. It must have taken a lot of time. It was a very creative story. The characters names were also different to some of the names you hear in YA novels nowadays. They all seem to be boring and are mostly the same names we hear on a day to day basis.
Lauren has been very creative.

What I Didn’t Like
Now this is when it starts to get confusing. Although i loved the book, and i really liked it. I could go on an on about it for days.
But the book itself was....rubbish. And i find it so hard to comprehend how i can both love and hate a book!
Firstly the writing was too rushed. The sentences were really short, and the writing and description were awful. But still there was still something there making me read on. I had too. It was too hard for me to put down. If the book had been better written, and written as though it was not written by a five year old, then yes, i would of given it those last too stars.
Don't get me wrong, Lauren may be a nice person, and she has got a good talent to come up with a story like this, but i feel she needs to work on her writing skills.

Hope For The Next Book
Well at the time of writing this review, i have already read the next book. And i have to say, after thing i wouldn't like it, i was really surprised. Review of Fever coming soon!
...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Kathy Martin rated it liked it

I thought the plot was very slow moving and the main character was hard to understand. She seemed either depressed or in shock for the first quarter of the book. By the end of the book she had grown on me but I still feel she was more passive than active. Guardedly recommended for dystopia lovers.

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