Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Chemical Garden #1)

Released: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 356
Rating: 5/5 


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.


When I first heard about this novel I immediately wanted to read it. There was so much hype going around and I knew that this book would live up to my expectations; which it did! I thought the concept of this book was so cool and interesting, I mean females live up to the age of twenty and the males live up to 25. (freaky huh?) I throughly enjoyed this book and I'am dying for more. I really liked Rhine's character and I loved her relationship with Gabriel even though Rhine already has a husband she doesn't love. 


I felt compassionate for the characters because of how young they are and to increase population they have to take some very "heavy" decisions. This book had a great plot line and different twists on life. Lauren DeStefano is a great writer and as a debut novelist she wrote this book flawlessly. The story ran perfectly smoothly with no bumps or plot holes, the events and situations intertwined together perfectly. The way Lauren wrote felt real and authentic, I was completely engrossed in the story.


Rhine, our protagonist is such strong character. She is determined to get free of the marriage she was forced into and will do whatever it takes to be free. Gabriel, Rhine's "love interest" was a bit underdeveloped, but I liked the interactions between him and Rhine. 
I really enjoyed this novel and as soon as I was done I was immediately wanting more! This book is definitely worth recommending!