ither The Chemical Garden #1
Author: Lauren Destefano
Format: ARC
Pages: 358 (paperback)
Published: March, 22 2011
Rating: 5 Birds
What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.
Let me start with the cover, because after all I am quite the Cover Snob - it is beautiful and so unlike anything I have seen. Sure every book has a pretty girl on the cover these days but the added lines, and shapes connecting to one another - love it! On a little side note, doesn't this look a bit like a cross between Mandy Moore and one of the Olsen Twins?
The book itself had me from page one. I read it in a single day and carried it around with every where just in case the opportunity presented itself that I could have even a few minutes of reading. It's an amazing tale of survival, perseverance, and love.
Rhine has thick skin, she's stubborn and stand firm on her belief's and desires, yet she's trust worthy and loving and I really like this new trend I'm seeing in tough female protagonists. Its refreshing and empowering and I think this is something young woman need.
The book gets 5 birds from me for being new, fresh and strong. I am really looking forward to the rest of the trilogy!
I am a cover snob too and this is one amazing cover! :) I am slightly obsessed with this book. It was so good!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous cover! And five little birdies, too! P.S. In answering the first question? I would like to know the year, but not the day of when I would die. (It's not as morbid as it sounds :)
ReplyDelete