Sever

Time is running out for Rhine.

With less than three years left until the virus claims her life, Rhine is desperate for answers.  Having escaped torment at Vaughn's mansion, she finds respite in the dilapidated home of her husband's uncle, an eccentric inventor who hates Vaughn almost as much as Rhine does.

Rhine determination to be reunited with her twin brother, Rowan, increases as each day brings terrifying revelations to light about his involvement in an underground resistance.  She realizes she must find  him before he destroys the one thing they have left: hope.

Sever is the last book in The Chemical Garden trilogy by Lauren DeStefano.  I read the conclusion of Rhine's tale in a day and, like the other two books that proceeded Sever, I was pleasantly surprised with the events that unfolded.

I enjoyed reading Sever and couldn't put it down.  Linden and Cecily feature more prominently, helping Rhine to finally find her twin brother, and the introduction of Vaughn's brother Reed and his house of assorted junk was great. DeStefano's tale has a good momentum, and a somewhat satisfying ending, yet this final book is not flawless. 

Rhine suddenly becomes unwilling to speak her mind, losing some of her back bone towards the end of the story.  She is constantly listing all the reasons why she should tell the truth and then changes her mind, remaining silent and pliable to those who want to use her.  Although, at least she had a spine to begin with, unlike the majority of YA heroines I have come across so far.  Instead much of the character growth is borne out of Rhine's sister wife, Cecily, who becomes less of the annoying red-headed child and proves that she can be a loving mother, devoted wife and a good friend.

For me, the major problem lies in that an important moment in Sever is completely underwritten. For an author who is normally more than adept at conjuring a detailed atmosphere from their words, DeStefano's description for this certain event was unusually vague.  I had to read the passage three times to try and understand what had just occurred.  While I don't expect to be spoon fed with exact and intricate detailing when reading, just a small sentence to explain how would have been much appreciated.

I wasn't expecting to fall in love with The Chemical Garden Trilogy, and I didn't.  However, instead, I found three books that were extremely easy to read and somewhat interesting.  Sometimes that's all I can ask for.

Fever

Running away from her forced polygamous marriage leads 17-year-old Rhine Ellery straight into a trap: a twisted carnival whose ringmistress desires the beautiful and unusual Rhine as her star attraction.  But with Gabriel - her lover and fellow escapee - Rhine remains determined to reach Manhattan, fin her twin brother, Rowan, and start a life far from the gilded prisons that have confined her.

  The road to freedom is long and perilous - and in a world where women only live to age 20 and men die at 25 - time is very precious.  And worse still, Rhine's sinister father-in-law, Vaughn, i determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

Again, I was ill when I read Fever (pretty much read Wither and Fever back-to-back), but I still enjoyed following the journey of Rhine and Gabriel now they have escaped from the mansion and the devious Vaughn. 

I thought that Lauren Stefano provided a brilliant take on what happens after the happily ever after of the first book.  Just because you escape prison doesn't mean that you'll be safe outside.  Stefano has even further fractured the world in which Rhine must survive. To begin, the pair encounter a carnival of prostitutes, and this is where the main plot lines are set in place: drug addiction and trust issues between the pair. There's a constant strain put on Rhine and Gabriel because the reality of outside the compound doesn't live up to Rhine's somewhat romanticised stories.  Different, intriguing characters are introduced, as well as interesting and detailed world building throughout(I really enjoyed the description of Madame's Carnival). There's also the constant threat that Vaughn will never truly let his daughter-in-law go.

While Fever certainly avoids the second book slump, I do wonder how Stefano will end her series?  Will Rhine ever be reunited with her twin?  And will a cure be found in time for Rhine and co.? 

Wither

In our brave new future, DNA engineering has resulted in a terrible genetic flaw.  Women die at the age of 20, men at 25.  Young girls are being abducted and forced to breed in a desperate attempt to keep humanity ahead of the disease that threatens to eradicate it.

16-year-old Rhine Ellery is kidnapped and sold as a bride to Linden, a rich young man with a dying wife.  Even though he is kind to her, Rhine is desperate to escape her gilded cage - and Linden's cruel father.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in what little time she has left.

I didn't realise it at the time, and it wasn't until I spotted another reader's comment on goodreads, that Lauren DeStefano's Wither has a lot in common with Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.  Both are about women wanting to escape houses in which they have been forced to live, and have to procreate with a man they don't love for the greater good. 

While Wither certainly doesn't come close to the genius and complexity of The Handmaid's Tale, it's still a good read.  I may have been ill at the time and all my brain needed was fluff but that's not the point. I thought Stefano had created a good premise - plenty of secrets and lies to be uncovered throughout the trilogy- with interesting characters that were proactive even when they were trapped.  Having been forced into a polygamous marriage, Rhine's relationship with her sister wives were complicated, sometimes heartfelt, and constantly changing throughout the book.  Then there's the 'crazy lady in the attic' factor that is always interesting.  For this story, it's Rhine's father-in-law in the basement conducting experiments in order to find a cure to prolong his son's life.  Nothing explicitly is revealed about what happens in the basement, but this adds a sinister vibe to the story and another reason why Rhine should be plotting her escape.

I've already read the second book in the trilogy, and the review should follow shortly!