Wither by Lauren DeStefano
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
The beginning of the book had me doubting my ability to finish it. Girls barely out of puberty are kidnapped and imprisoned, then forced into a marriage and raped for the procreation of the human race, ensuring that they will leave young orphans when parents die in a few years. And this is a popular book?
I decided to read half of it before deciding because I had hopes that it was a dramatic start followed by a better story. I gave up at page 210 and have no desire to see how it ends. I'll happily ignore any sequels, as well.
There are so many issues with this book so I will just comment on the 'brides.' Cecily is a 13 year old orphan that is so desperate to be fed and warm that she sees the kidnapping and marriage as a way to a better life. Barely old enough to have a child, she has sex with Linden (the 'husband') and becomes pregnant, not even knowing what she is going to go through. Jenna, the oldest of the lot, hates Linden and understands her situation but sleeps with him, viewing it as nothing more than the prostitution she has been forced into for survival. And then there is Rhine, the narrator of this story. She vacillates between disgust/despair for her situation and an acceptance of what life has become. All three live in a gilded cage and make the best of it. I simply can't wrap my mind around this. There are so many other complaints in my mind but one is enough - I want to erase this book from my mind as quickly as possible.
View all my reviews
