Review: Wither

I just finished this one:



which falls into the general category of YA dystopian, same as Ashes, Ashes.

Wither is set in the unidentified future, and starts from the premise that, approximately 70 years earlier or thereabouts, humanity learned how to genetically engineer children who would be in perfect physical condition their whole lives. This eradicated cancer and other childhood diseases, as well as congenital defects. These people, called "First Generation" are genetically perfect and extremely long-lived. The experiment was a resounding success.

Except, of course, it wasn't. Because as the First Generation went on to procreate, their own children turned out to be victims of an inalterable, and mysterious, ailment that kills them in their youth. Females live to be 20. Males live to 25. And in this world, the wealthy live behind gates, and they steal brides for their boys to make babies that are born to, probably, die, and the geneticists continue to seek a cure for the disease that is killing their children. Add to this a post-apocalyptic world where all but North America is gone (or at least believed to be gone) and you have the violent, misogynistic world of Wither.

The MC, Rhine, was kidnapped out of New York, separated from her twin brother Rowan, and shipped to Florida as a bride for Linden, 20 year old son of Housemaster Vaughn. Linden's first wife, Rose, is on her deathbed from the disease when Rose, Cecily and Jenna arrive at the house, having been abducted and bought by the Gatherers.

What comes next is told from the perspective of Rhine. It is a limited narrative, and we only learn what Rhine learns as she learns it, but what we do learn is enough to horrify us. Cecily, the youngest bride, is a mere 13 years old when her marriage to Linden is consummated, and she becomes pregnant. Rhine, 16 years old, rapidly develops into Linden's favorite. And Jenna, 18 years old and only 2 years away from death, hates Linden but has decided that this place that she is in is as good a place to die as any. There is precious little warmth and almost zero hope for any of these girls.

Wither is well-written, and at times the horror of the book is hidden beneath beautiful prose. The mansion, where the brides are kept captive, is a gilded cage, with hologram games and a pool, and an orange grove. Linden is a remarkably weak and oblivious young man. Even at the end of the book, the reader is left with more questions than answers, particularly about Linden's father, Housemaster Vaughn.

There are some things that don't make sense, and this book does require a willing suspension of disbelief. There is no real explanation of how, and why, people universally stopped reproducing naturally, and the reader is led to believe that there are no naturally-procreated human beings left. I suspect that the reader will find, in Fever, that this is not true, and that there are enclaves of "real," and by real I mean, of course, naturally conceived, human beings that are living secretly, away from the population of the First Generation and their doomed offspring.

I anxiously await Fever:



scheduled for publication on February 21. One burning question does present itself -- who on earth thought that cover was a good idea? That ugly ass cover gets my "WTF" award for the week.