Book description
For 17-year-old Rhine Ellery, a daring escape from a suffocating
polygamous marriage is only the beginning…
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of
a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of
girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns
again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as
grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own
feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with
Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous -
and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men
die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to
elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine
back to the mansion…by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano's harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide
if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.
Praise for Wither:
A 'harrowing debut . . . DeStefano has an observant and occasionally
pitiless eye, chronicling the cruelties, mercies, and inconsistencies of
her young characters. . . . It will be intriguing to see how DeStefano
develops [the larger world] as this promising trilogy progresses'
Publisher's Weekly starred review
'Lauren DeStefano crafts an all too believable future. I loved the
world, the romance, the writing - exactly the kind of book I've been
craving to read' Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of THE
FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH
'[A] thought-provoking debut, reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale with a
touch of Big Love . . . Rhine's fight for freedom against the clock-and
the dissecting table-will leave readers eager for the sequel. Give this
one to fans of The Hunger Games trilogy or Ally Condie's Matched
(2010).' Kirkus
'[Rhine] proves herself to be a heroine who faces her situation with
spirit and cleverness. The trapped bride and mysterious husband are
straight out of Gothic romances. By stirring in elements of sheer
creepiness with dystopia and the hot topic of polygamy, DeStefano
creates a story that should have broad appeal' School Library Journal
Lauren Destefano earned her BA in English with a Concentration in
Creative Writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut in 2007.
The Chemical Garden trilogy is her first series.
