Maybe Hope isn't the Most Dangerous Thing...Maybe Love is Worse

After being married off to Linden with two sister wives and experiencing the loss of her family, Rhine finally escapes her father in law's grasp, only to be pulled back in. It seems all of Rhine's journey has been for naught, until she realizes her twin brother, Rowan, is alive and getting much unwanted publicity. Her strength and determination return and, though against her father in law's will, she sets out to find her brother, and the boy she left behind.
Although heartbroken once before because of her absence, Linden agrees to send Rhine to stay with his uncle to get her strength up, then she will be off to search for Rowan and Gabriel alone. However, the trip doesn't leave Rhine so alone. Cecily, her once sister wife, Linden, and baby Bowen accompany her to Uncle Reed's, unsure of what they'll experience.
Reed seems odd, but the more Rhine stays, the more she discovers about this man. He has the ability to make things grow, whereas his brother, Vaughn does anything to prod, poke, and ultimately destroy. Throughout their journey, each of the character's are faced with despair, hardships, and courage. Trying to outrun Vaughn, while holding onto the only hope they all have, which is each other, and the determination to survive.
Is it possible, after all Rhine's been through, to completely leave the mansion, the ex husband, and the life she knew for a year behind in order to search after a brother and boy who could all be but forgotten and lost?

Sever by Lauren DeStefano is absolutely the best end to this trilogy. Since I first picked up Wither when she first began the series, these books have held onto my heart and have not let go. The writing, you can tell, is so carefully done. Each idea, each sentence, each word is so well done. That was part of the fun of reading this.
Even better: the covers of all these books include so many different objects, but all of them relate to this story. All of these items contribute somehow to the journey, and they affect the story's theme. It is just attention to detail that really makes this a thoughtful piece as well as an entertaining one.
The other amazing part is the story itself. It is truly amazing how the idea of a disease taking the young 21 and 25 year olds can create such a dystopic society that is so enchanting and hauntingly real. Life is a race against time; a race to succeed and maybe have a shot to find this cure. What Rhine discovers about Vaughn, her parents, and her brother is truly remarkable, and it completely changes the reader's opinion of all these characters.
The really amazing thing about DeStefano is that she manages to incorporate all the character's into Rhine's world AND make them relevant. Cecily's character develops in a way where readers actually enjoy her wild emotions. Linden is determining whether he should disobey his father for the first time, or stay with what he has always considered safe. Even Vaughn becomes more than a monster, and maybe appears to be the only one who can really change the world.
I fell in love with all the characters, and towards the end it was really hard to to determine who I should "root" for. Rhine grew tremendously throughout the trilogy, and it was a journey that all readers will be happy to take with her.
Although there was a great deal of tragedy and sadness, I feel like the end was appropriate and not at all expected. All characters were able to find their place, even those who have been dead and buried. Because even the dead play a role...

Such an amazing trilogy, and it is DEFINITELY a must read!

Third Cover in the Series

Again, I am a huge dork when it comes to covers. So, being a follower of the author, I got to see what the third cover in the series looks like.

This is the final book in Lauren DeStefano's  The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Yes, the cover is now on shelfari, but I felt I wanted to bring the good news. And it is taking a little longer to read the two books I'm reading now, so a post wouldn't hurt.

I absolutely love these covers. When you see them up close, they are a tad shimmery and all the pieces of the novel are involved. In this one, the wedding band is off her finger, which implies something is going to happen in the mansion, maybe with Gabriel.

I like how much thought goes into this because it works. The names for the novels are very to the point, but they also explain a bit about the plot.
I'm super excited for the third. Too bad I have to wait until February. :(

one hundred days but still no sign...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano was an exceptional book. I have a past post about it, so I will not proceed to bore you with it's details. The sequel, Fever, has proven to be just as amazing as the first.  Trust me you're going to want to read Wither. It was one of the best books I read last year because it touched on subjects more mature than the typical teen read. Not to brag, but everyone I recommended the book to loved it. It's great if you're looking for something besides the typical "I'm a sixteen year old girl and my only worry is not having a boyfriend", or the upcoming end of the world craze.
If you have yet to read the first and you don't want me to ruin the end, then ignore this post and come back. Even a short summary can give away the ending to the first. Sorry in advance.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion in hopes of finding Rhine's twin brother, Rowen, in Manhattan, but their troubles have not ended here. Upon arriving to shore, the two are whisked away into a world of fantasy. They are trapped in this carnival/brothel, and Rhine and Gabriel fear they need to find a way to escape before they become one of the side show acts. The carnival may bring it's own piece of horror, but Rhine's father in law, Vaughn, has not given up looking for his lost son's bride, and he will stop at nothing to bring her back.

Amazing read! This book is a great set up for the finale, which I cannot keep it together for! You can really see Rhine's love for Gabriel and her twin brother, Rowen. She is risking everything to be back with him, even after almost a year's time as passed since her capture, and this is the journey she and Gabriel take together. There are feelings of remorse, hatred, fear, and confusion, but the two are strong and balance each other, which I found really nice to see while reading this. It is always nice to have a balance in the two lead characters; even though Gabriel doesn't have a voice, I felt like I could tell what he was thinking because of how DeStefano made the character likeness.
Wither was a little better, in my opinion, because it was the essence of longing for freedom, captivity, secret romance, and the bond between sister wives. I feel like the 2nd to any trilogy isn't ever as good as the other two because there has to be that build up for the final one. Fever was a great read. It is leading up to a much anticipated 3rd book, so this is extremely exciting. :) It's been a while since a book has left me breathless, and I feel like this series has and by the end will leave me as exhausted as The Hunger Games did.

The Fever Has Arrived!!

Yes, yes. It has been a while since I have posted. It's been a slow moving summer. :/ Soon, I promise. ;) But for all you book cover nerds like me...the cover to Lauren DeStefano's Fever has finally been revealed! The book won't surface until February, but we can all admire the cover until then! See? Stalking people via twitter isn't all bad... :) For a peek at the summary, click on the Fever link above. Enjoy <3

Wither: to become wrinkled of age or diease

Lauren DeStefano is an emerging author. I found out she resided in Connecticut and was excited because she was in close range. Of course I will more than likely never come in contact with the woman, but that is besides the point. Wither is her first novel, which is to be the first of a trilogy.
Based on ideas from The Handmaiden's Tale, Wither takes place in the not so distant future. There is a disease that shortens the expected lifespan of men and women. Women are expected to live until they are 20, and men are supposed to live until 25. Once the individual becomes of age, they will begin contracting this disease and slowly die within the year.

Rhine lived with her twin brother, Rowan, until she was captured by the Gatherers. These are a group of people who kidnap women and sell them into prostitution or murder them. Rhine is one of the lucky three who is hand picked by the Housemaster, who is a scientist desperately trying to find the cure for this illness. She, along with the other two chosen, are to become wives of his son, Linden. She will be expected to cater to his every desire, bring him children, and stay enclosed in this mansion for the remainder of her live.
Once the sedation wears thin, Rhine is introduced to her sister wives, Jenna and Cecily. Jenna, 19, is beautiful in every way, but very closed off because her sisters were killed in the same night she was chosen to live. Cecily, 13, is young and naive to this world. She is eager to please her new husband and doesn't quite understand why her sister wives seem to be fighting this new chance at life.
Weeks turn into months, and each day brings a new surprise, a new secret, and a new reason for Rhine to escape. She begins to discover that her new husband is clueless to all the horror around him, and perhaps the Housemaster's chilling appearance may bring danger to all of them.
Love, Love, LOVED this book. The concept for this trilogy is very cool. Plus, it was nice to read an emerging teen read that isn't mature enough for middle school. Each chapter held a new secret, a new discovery for Rhine, and it was a great adventure to go on. Enter Gabriel, one of the kitchen staff, and things get more complicated, but the reader discovers her hidden affection for him. He shows her different aspects of history, when the rest of the continents used to exist, but he also keeps her focused on the one thing she truly desires, which is her freedom. In order to receive the potential keys to her escape, Rhine must rely on the help from Jenna and attempt to gain enough of Linden's trust in order to secure her position as First Wife.
I absolutely fell in love with the characters, the mystery, and the writing. All three girls have such different pasts that it was very interesting to see how they would mesh together. I bought this book before I finished reading it because I knew it was one I needed on my shelf, but it was one I could read again and get the same feelings as I did when I first read it. DeStefano's first book really does leave you craving more.