The Chemical Garden Series

AWESOME book. I loved this book. I love the idea, the writing, the characters, everything. I love the characters that DeStefano has created with Rhine, Gabriel and Jenna. I'm still on the fence a little bit about Linden and Cecily. She's definitely written the Housemaster to be disliked, however. I'm curious to see where the other two books will take these characters.

When I first saw the cover for Wither I had high hopes that the story would be just as captivating, that it would be hard for me to pull my eyes away, and it was. This story was a beautifully written dystopian novel that really showed the inner struggles of a girl who seemed to have everything a young girl should want - a grand lavish mansion, beautiful dresses, a personal attendant, and the devotion of a man who loves her but without true freedom. Like the cover depicts, Rhine is a bird trapped in a beautiful cage, an illusion.

Yet, despite what has happened to her I have to admit Rhine's life before being captured by the Gatherers was awful. She's an orphan and was living with her twin brother in the basement of her family home because it was the safest place to hide from beggars, thieves, and men who steal young girls off the streets and from their homes. Both her and her twin had to work to keep from starving and they each had to take turns at night keeping watch for intruders. Given the circumstances of Rhine's life I could easily have pictured this story going a completely different route if Rhine's situation was just a little different and if her character was just a little different.

I, like Rhine, had to constantly work at not forgetting how she had gotten to the lavish lifestyle that she is living, to not forget that she was stolen away, her freedom taken, and her brother left alone miles away in a factory strewn Manhattan because it is very easy to forget when her old life is completely hidden away. She doesn't forget though, no matter how many times people tell her to not run away, that it's dangerous, that the life she is living isn't so bad, and that if she just behaves she can have “anything” she wants. Rhine doesn't give in no matter how tempting the words are because she knows that this world she is in cannot give her her brother, and her freedom.

Wither is a story that shows the beauty and darkness of the human heart, it was really a story about the characters, not just Rhine herself but her sister wives, her husband Linden, her ambitious father-in-law, and many other characters that weren't just there to fill the space or carry the story along but who truly added to the tale. Unlike a few other dystopians Wither isn't about the action and the external forces but about the will and strength of the people.

“Eventually I realize that I am holding on to him just as tightly as he holds on to me. And here we are: two small dying things, as the world ends around us like falling autumn leaves.”

I've heard a lot of mixed things about this book, but when I saw it for $3 last summer I had to buy it. I'm not sure exactly what my expectations were for this book, but I can say I was really intrigued by the premise. The idea that girls die at 20 and boys die at 25 is fascinating. And I love the commentary on it happening because humans tried to cheat evolution and become the perfect beings.

Our main character in this book is Rhine. She is taken from her twin brother in NY to Florida where she is forced to marry Linden. Linden also marries two other girls. This made sense to me since with people dying at such a young age it makes sense to have multiple wives to bear children. What really irked me with this was how easily the girls accepted the whole sister wives thing. I understand they didn't want to marry Linden, but they seemed totally fine if he was lounging around with all three at the same time.

Lauren DeStefano's writing is beautiful. She definitely writes a very description heavy prose. These descriptions and thoughts are sliced with short instances of dialogue. At first it was really odd to me that there was so little dialogue, but after a while I did not notice it as much. For the most part DeStefano did a great job of keeping the mystery and plot going throughout the book. I definitely am convinced that Rhine being a twin with heterochromatic eyes is extremely important. The plot was quite slow and boring at times in this book, but I think it was to help set up the world and what Rhine is going through.

While this book has a horrible cover (I'm sorry if you like it but I find it to be horrible), the premise of the world is what convinced me to buy it and subsequently read it. The only thing the cover has going for it is the typography, it is really nicely done. After finishing it and digesting my thoughts I have come to a very “meh” feel. It was enjoyable at times but at other times it was either annoying or dry. I may or may not continue on with the series. Granted it will probably be a yes if I can find the books at good prices. Basically this was an interesting idea but I'm not sure it was the book for me.