Saturday, September 17, 2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano Review

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Page Count: 358 pages
Publish Date: March 22, 2011
Book Type: Library Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
ISBN: 9781442409057
Picture from Amazon
From Goodreads: Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.
My Review: This cover is absolutely, 100% gorgeous. 1) I wish my hair was that awesome. 2) I love the circles and lines connecting the significant parts of the cover. 3. It’s just SO pretty.
I have to admit that the cover is what made me read this book. I eventually was sucked into the story as well. I do wish that there was more world building. Just like with my recent review of All These Things I’ve Done, I thought the world building was severely lacking in Wither. Why did everyone decide to take the “cancer cure”? I can’t imagine that every single person would consent to that without it being thoroughly tested. Why is all but North America destroyed? I just want more things explained!
Fortunately, these setbacks did not hinder my enjoyment of this book too much. I thought the character building was very well done. I got a good sense for who they were and the motives behind their actions. It was also a really quick read. Lauren DeStefano’s writing style flowed nicely and sucked me into the story.
I’m looking forward to the sequel and how that we get a little more of the world building in there!
What about you, have you read Wither? What’s your favorite dystopian?

4 comments:

  1. I have to agree with the world building. I'm hopeing more will be explained in the next book. But other than that I really enjoyed Wither. I don't think I loved it as much as a lot of other readers but it was a great read overall :)

    http://blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com/

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  2. Good review! Have to agree that this cover is awesome! And I got so sucked into the story that I didn't even notice the points you make until after I had finished and let the story settle a bit. You're right, I can't believe that everyone would agree to take the cancer cure, so maybe it wasn't voluntary? Hoping that the sequel explains things more!

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  3. @Khadija

    I'm with you. I liked it a lot, but not as much as other readers seemed to. Overall though, I am excited for the sequel. I hope it explains a few more things.

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  4. @Alexia561

    The cover is amazing. A cover like that will make me want to buy it just so I can display the book. You're probably right about the cancer cure not being voluntary. I just can't imagine every single person being willing to take it if it wasn't mandatory. I would imagine a few people would slip through the cracks and not take it even if it was mandatory. Just look at the vaccinations throughout history.

    I hope that in the sequels we find out that NOT everyone has taken it and there are some rebels. Plus, it would be awesome if the government convinced everyone that the rest of the world was destroyed...even though it actually wasn't.

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