Wither by Lauren DeStefano

   One of my second quarter SSR books was Wither by Lauren DeStefano. It is the first book of the Chemical Garden Trilogy and science fiction. This book follows the life of Rhine a sixteen year-old girl living in a dystopian society where no female lives past the age of twenty and males only live to twenty-five. In the beginning, Rhine is in survival mode, she is quiet, calm, but observant. When she is stolen by a group called the Gathers and married to governor along with two other teens these skills come in handy. The longer she stays in the governor's mansion the more she changes. She is now more confident, outspoken and dangerous. She has become accustomed to the opulent lifestyle of being a wife, she enjoys her sister wives, and even the company of her husband. Yet, she is still always searching for a way out of this lavish prison. She craves freedom and this creates a dangerous curiosity, that often leaves her in harm's way. Sneaking around the mansion, she finds many dark surprises, that make clear she is not as safe as she believed. This fear grows inside of her and is watered by the presence of her father-in-law, a scientist determined to find the cure to their virus. It is because of him that Rhine creates a new persona, of the happy submissive wife, that allows not only for her to survive, but to thrive. Using her quick wit, Rhine just might be able to escape with her life and her lover.