Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano
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.
The how I came by my copy of Wither is a quaint little story. I was at a conference for booksellers in Oakland last October. I was on a panel explaining how bloggers and bookstores can come together to build a magical relationship. When I returned to the conference the next day, I went straight to the S&S booth on the exhibit floor where I had previously (via Twitter) confirmed that Wither would be on the table. I stood politely off to the side and stroked the finished copies of so many awesome books. I asked the sales person if I could see a copy of Wither and she said no, she gave me Elixir and gave me a be-gone look. I came back later and procured Wither from a rep who recognized me! So this review comes to you by manner of a covert book-ninja operation.
Wither is such a refreshing addition to the YA genre. Actual problems other than lip gloss and hair are dealt with. Mature subject matter is handled and can I just go a bit fangirly on the character development in this book?! There is not one character in this book that you will leave you without feeling some strong emotion.
Rhine is everything I would hope that I could be set in a dystopic environment. She is strong, smart and she knows how to play the game. Her sister wives lack her ability to play and are sidelined as Rhine becomes head wife. She is four years away death and so is her husband. It should be a match made in heaven. Probably would have been if it wasn’t a forced marriage.
For males twenty-five is the fatal age. For women it’s twenty. We are all dropping like flies. page 8 of the ARC
Rhine learns that her new husband The House Governor already has a wife, and only one. She wonders why he would want new wives:
“”That’s Rose,” he says. “The House Governor’s first wife.” All Governors take a first wife: the number doesn’t refer to the order of marriage, but it is an indication of power. The first wives attend all the social events, they appear with their Governors in public, and, apparently, they are entitled to the privilege of an open window. They’re the favorites. page 16 of the ARC
This book is full of problems, love and so much more. If you enjoy dystopic story lines and love stories then in March remember to pick Wither up you will not be disappointed.
Why Teens Will Love It:
Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s tale is updated for the new generation with much more information, more description and fantastical characters. This is the book to begin a dystopic journey through forced marriage and medical induced malady.
Why Adults Will Love It:
Wither is perfect for any adult. While the story line follows teens, there is a very mature arc of character. These teens have to grow up fast because they will be dead before they reach their mid twenties.
I picked up this ARC very stealthily from a conference.
Review: Feed (Newsflesh 1) by Mira Grant
From Goodreads: The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.
NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.
So if you read my blog often you will know I really don’t care for zombies. The whole eating of brains and infection freaks me out and the thought that labs somewhere could be working on a virus that causes this if some scientist forgets to close the door after he comes into the office really makes me paranoid.
I have to say I devoured this book faster than a virus infected zombie finishes his meal of brains. I was in awe of the world building set in the not so distant future and the fact that a lot of the story took place in the Bay Area where I happen to live gave it an added bonus, for I am a visual reader and it’s easier to imagine places you have been.
The characters were written fantastically, the different viruses how they reacted, the different ways people reanimated. The fanatic religious element, betrayals, the mystery and the story line had me hooked. I am dying to get my hands on the next book. I need to know what happens next, and in a good way not in a “ARGH open ending way”.
The book cover shows an RSS icon and I was wondering why? It made no sense to me until I opened the book. When the original outbreak of the virus happened the news agencies were playing it off as college kids joking around. Only the bloggers of the world had the means to tell the truth. The bloggers reports along with the lessons learned in George Romero’s movies is pretty much what kept people alive. Who ever thought George Romero would be a national hero? That was an epic bonus to the book.
I am going to add a few quotes from the book here, and this novel has the most awesome website for a book I have seen this year. The Feed Book.com
pg. 96“Do you remember the guy who tried to kill George Romero with Zombie Pit Bulls?”
“That’s an urban myth Buffy. It’s been disproven about ninety times”.
pg. 192 “I like having sufficient lung capacity to run away from the living dead,” I replied deadpan. “I’m serious, cigarettes won’t give you cancer but they cause emphysema, and I have no desire to get eaten by a zombie just because I was trying to look cool.”
If you like Carrie Ryan books, George Romero movies, or zombies in general you have to grab a copy of Feed.
