Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy #1) - DeStefano, Lauren

Young Adult, Romance, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction
2 out of 5 Stars
Hardcover, 358 pages

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. (From Goodreads)

So much happens in the first few pages of the book, its baffling. Everything happen so quickly, yet we barley get any information regarding the going ons, or even what Rhine is feeling. Her character had me seething with anger and thats something I never do. I don't remember one time when I was ever mad at a character, or didn't like one.

I really don't like Rhine. I'm growing attached to Linden cause he seems like an ok guy. Gabriel alright in my book.

Not much really happens for most of the book, its only at the end where it really picks up, where so much bad starts to happen. Things start to spiral downhill pretty quickly. Rhine goes to places she shouldn't, sees things she shouldn't, tries to escape.

All the while, she's complaining how much she hates the lavish life style she's living in. Where she can do whatever she wants as long as she stays on her floor. I think her and Linden could have been a really good couple. Especially since he really cared for her, and it seemed like she was starting to like him.

I wanted Rhine to like where she was staying, to accept her fate, to love Linden, but she couldn't. She was angry and bitter about living in such luxury. Linden was nothing but kind, and she was surrounded by people that loved her, and all she could do was hate where she was, she didn't even try to like it.

Yet she decides that she's gonna run away with Gabriel, whom she barley knows anything about, I don't get the connection they have, I don't understand what its based on seeing as they didn't spend much time together.

I wanted to like this book, but so much was glossed over, skimmed over and just didn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm not sure if I'm gonna read the other two books in the series.