Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

From the back cover: "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."



First, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While the premise sounded very interesting I have been let down by books in the past. This book does not disappoint! The characters are very believable and so is the situation they are in. Even though this book is considered scifi in my opinion, it is very easy to imagine something like this becoming a reality. This one kept me guessing til the end. What decision will Rhine make? Will she runaway and escape the life she was drug into or will she allow herself to fall in love with her "husband" and live out her days with him? Definately worth the read and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Simon Schuster. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”