This review is based on the first two books of the trilogy, Wither and Fever, as the third book is not yet published.
Synopsis (from Barnes & Noble): Wither
At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to age twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. While geneticists seek a miracle antidote, the world is crumbling: Orphans roam the streets, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and polygamy abounds.
When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to escape. But then her husband, Linden, exposes her to a world of wealth and decadence she never knew existed. Even if she can’t quite hate her husband, though, she knows to fear her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote and who may or may not be hoarding corpses in his basement lab. At the same time, Rhine is growing dangerously close to Gabriel, a house servant. Will she be able to escape the mansion—before her time runs out?
Fever
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left behind.
Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan, the two press forward, amid threats of being captured again…or worse.
The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and men die at age twenty-five, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.
My Thoughts:
There are so many apocalyptic, future-demise books out there, but this was was different. Instead of featuring artificial intelligence gone wild or invaders from Planet Zorg, DeStefano presents a more probably scenario: human-induced biological failure. Both books are rife with murder, genetic testing, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual slavery and a myriad of other ethical concerns. The books are very fast paced page turners to be sure. The author paints a frighteningly vivid and plausible picture of the world Rhine and the other characters live in. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the third and final book in this trilogy.
Hollywood, are you listening? This could be your next “Hunger Games”….
Final Word: A
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