Review: Wither

by Lauren DeStefano
publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
date published: March 22, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 356
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

"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 limted time she has left."

What I Thought

I had a lot of trouble putting this one down. In fact, I stayed up most of the night reading. I loved the heroine, Rhine, as a character. She made for an excellent narrator and it was really easy to slip into the story thanks to her detailed descriptions of her surroundings, the state of the world, and the overall perception of society. As I read the descriptions of the virus, I couldn't help thinking that it sounded like tuberculosis that had the capability of lying dormant, only to surface at a later age, almost like shingles. I shuddered at the description of the toll the virus had on those who succumbed to it. It made for a very grim existence.

The characters were very well written. I have already mentioned that I liked Rhine. Cecily, the youngest wife, was portrayed very well in all of her naiveté and irritableness. Jenna, the oldest wife, was a very likeable character, as well. You really get the sense that she has been through a lot and that she is a good person. Linden, the husband, is remarkably likeable and not at all what I expected. You can see him blossoming under the influence of Rhine. Gabriel, though not explored in as great detail as most of the other characters, is another well-done character. As for Vaughn, the sinister father-in-law, I was really left feeling nervous for everyone around him. He really does seem to have many dark secrets and ulterior motives. He is a very insidious sort of villain and I just kept waiting for him to cause someone great harm.

I spent a considerable amount of time contemplating how the virus came to be a problem in this world. All of the scenarios and possibilities were fascinating and I really hope the cause is eventually revealed as the series progresses. The only thing about this book that gave me pause was the descriptions of the weather in Florida. For instance, there was snow and even blizzards. Is this caused by changing weather patterns brought about by the aftermath of war and pollution, or is it something else? Perhaps time will tell.

I am already looking forward to the second book in the series and the year or more until the next one comes out is going to be a long one. I will definitely be keeping this one on my bookshelf for future re-reading. Wither has just joined the subgroup of my personal library that will be read time and time again. Thus, I give Wither 5 hoots.