“The Chemical Gardens #1; Wither”

Author: Lauren DeStefano

This was another random pull from the library bookshelf. I was intrigued by the design of the cover, and the promise of an elegantly creepy story line. This book has some good reviews, and again, though it’s part of the “Chemical Garden” Trilogy, I decided to give it a shot. I’ve also never heard of the author before, and I’m always excited to find those less recognized novels to recommend others, as if I’ve discovered an incredible secret. After reading the summary which tells of knowing the age you'll die due to the genetics of the New Generation, plus the idea of escaping the grasp of your kidnappers, I anticipated a very dark and thrilling plot. However, despite the reviews, and the impressions of the beautifully designed cover, it never touched one of those expectations for me.

I need to get out of here, and find my twin brother… I have to escape. My name is Rhine Ellery, and I’m sixteen years old.  Of course, I only have four more years left to live, I won’t let these last four years of my life end in this prison I’m told to call “Home”. It’s a wonderful place, with an expanse of Gardens to wander, and a mansion with many rooms in which to entertain myself, but it’s most definitely not “home”. Home is with my brother. We’ve stuck by each other, and protected one another ever since our parents died. However, it was unfortunate that in responding to a position for a paying job, I ended up forced into a vehicle with a few other girls. It’s not uncommon for girls to simply up and disappear. Our population is dying off because of the genetics in my generation. We don’t live very long, and young girls are being taken and forced into marriages to keep the human population alive. Linden is my husband now, but it’ll never be real. Along with me, he got three other girls to be taken as his brides, also known as my sister wives. Together we live in this mansion with servants, lavish furniture, and fancy meals, but not without some kinds of restrictions. Some good things have come out of this experience, when I met Gabriel, one of the servants. We’ve created a bond, and I don’t think I could leave this place without him. However, when the House Master Vaughn, (my father in-law), leads me into believing he’s up to something nasty down in his “Cure Developing Basement”, my desire to leave this hellish heaven is made stronger. 

For being book 1, this story wasn’t very complex at all. It’s pretty straight forward, and simple. Lots of drama going on here, since the whole thing takes place in a mansion, there really isn’t much to play off of besides the character emotions. I didn’t find the writing style of the Author to be very impressive either. Splashes of humor were always nice to run into, and every now and then a very detailed description would catch my attention. I thought it was good, but all-in-all, not something I’d rave about. It never really caught my attention, and kept me glued to the pages thirsty for more. Actually, it felt more like I was dragging my feet until the last page. Plus, that dark thrill I was promised, never truly expressed itself on the pages. Perhaps it gets weirder as the books go on, but I’m personally not willing to give the rest of this trilogy my time and energy.