The Chemical Garden Trilogy

The Chemical Garden Trilogy

-by: Lauren DeStefano-

The books that make up the trilogy are: Wither, Fever, and Sever. This is a Sci-Fi Dystopian series that does not stop. I do own the first book in the series and borrowed the other two from my local library.

Let me start off with the covers of the books. All three books contain a girl on the cover surrounded by props that represent the book. It is genius if you ask me. I love that you get little hints about what transpires through out the books just by glancing at the covers. There are also "main" hints about the plot circled on the cover's like a treasure map with an "X" marks the spot. 

Rhine is a twin. She lives in Manhattan with her brother Rowan and they are trying to survive. Their parents are dead. An explosion killed them. In this world there is an age limit. Girls live to be 20 and boys die at 25. There is no cure for this genetic defect. Although some scientists work relentlessly to find a cure, there is no hope that they will ever succeed. In this world because of the young mortality rate, girls procreate at a much earlier age then is tolerable in our present time. There are bands of "thieves" that snatch up girls called the Gatherer's. These men will sell off the girls to red light districts or to wealthy men-boys to become wives. Rhine unfortunately becomes one of these girls that have been "gathered" she fears for her life. What will become of her brother and how will she find her way back home.

This series was very dark. Not only are little girls, 12 years of age, being married off and expected to continue to populate this cesspool of a society. They are also expendable. All girls are either prisoners of their husbands or the prostitute camps. If a girl is lucky to still have family to protect her then she is a prisoner of her home because being out on the streets unprotected is a dangerous idea.

Each book kept me interested. Fast paced and easy to read. Rhine is trapped till the very end and all you want for her is to find her brother. There is a very good villain in this series and he is not only cruel but frighting. The third book was slightly depressing and I was shocked at what happens toward the end. There are definite twists that you don't expect.

I gave each book 4 stars on goodreads.