Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance
Publish Date: March 22, 2011

Summary (from Cassandra Claire, author of Mortal Instruments series):
Lauren DeStefano’s new book, Wither, heralds the coming of a promising new voice in young adult dystopian fiction. Wither introduces us to Rhine Ellery, age sixteen, who lives in a world decimated by the results of genetic engineering. In an attempt to render humanity almost immortal and disease-free, scientists accidentally introduced into human DNA a ticking time bomb — all women live only to age twenty and men to age twenty-five. In this world, riddled with brutality and stricken with poverty, girls are married off as young as thirteen and forced to bear children in a desperate attempt to keep humanity ahead of the wave of disease that threatens to eradicate them.

Lately readers have been seeing an influx of books handling new and old topics in a different, more female-centric way. Part parable, part warning, Wither puts women and girls at the heart of a dystopian tale mixing progress and disempowerment, science and secrecy. After being kidnapped from the home she shares with her twin brother, Rhine is "sold" to a rich man, Linden, along with two other girls, Cecily and Jenna. Their polygamous marriage is seen as necessary, for Linden’s father is a scientist trying to find a cure for the "virus" that strikes down youth, and he needs new subjects for his experiments — subjects in whose DNA, he hopes, a cure can be found.

The day-to-day lives of Rhine and her sister-wives — parties, pregnancy, babies — contrasts starkly with the shadow of death that looms over every action. Even Rhine’s growing romance with a servant, Gabriel, could lead to vicious punishment for them both — as could her repeated attempts to escape her gilded prison. This story, the first of a trilogy, leaves us with a glimmer of hope but no easy answers.


Review: Rhine and her brother live alone and have learned to listen for any sounds of attack. Girls are kidnapped to be sold into slavery, prostitution or marriage. If these do not pan out, they are killed. The "first generations" find a way to make a cure all. This cure all produces the perfect specimen. With all good things bad will subject. The girls die at age 20 where boys die at age 25. As people search for a cure girls are producing babies hoping their offspring will live beyond the 20/25 age barrier. Rhine is married into a family with her "sister wives". She immediately hates her new husband but forms a bond with his first wife and her sister wives. One of the house hands, Gabriel, befriends her as well and she starts to develop feelings for him. Will Rhine stay at the mansion she's been married into in hopes for a cure or will she dare to escape? Find out by reading Wither! Highly recommended!