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Book Review of Wither (Chemical Garden, Bk 1)

Wither (Chemical Garden, Bk 1)
dukesangel002 avatar reviewed on + 91 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


It's a mad, mad world that Rhine lives in. The world where you know that every boy will die at 25, and every girl at 20. This idea is so potent and terrifying! I remember being a teen and not being able to wait until I was 18, or 21. The thought of knowing that I wouldn't live past 20 makes me wonder what I would have done differently those years of my life. Would I have grown up faster, lived more wild? Would I have tried to stay a child even longer and savor every moment? I just don't know.

Rhine grew up fast. With her parents gone at a young age, her and her twin brother had to do whatever they could to survive in a place full of nothing but desperation and heartache. When Rhine is kidnapped by the gatherers and sold off to be a child bride in a polygamist married, she once again has to fight to survive, but this time without her twin at her back. She was a great character. Rhine knew what she wanted to do, she wanted to escape. It didn't matter that she was living in decadence in a beautiful mansion, she knew that no matter how pretty it was, it was still a cage, and she would fight for her freedom.

The world built in this story was easy to imagine. I was easily able to dive into this world and understand what drove these characters to act the way they do. Rhine and her sister wives were all completely different from each other and each added to the story in a great way. I enjoyed their personalities, their quirks. Linden was easy to love and easy to hate. He was gullible and pliable, but still sweet and caring.

This book really pulled me in and took me along through ever triumph and every failure. I would get so mad for Rhine and then so sad for her. This was a really unique story and I enjoyed every page of it! I know I will be buying the next book as soon as it releases! I'm dying to know where the tide will take Rhine next!