Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Read March 2011
  Wither grabs you from the very first page and doesn't let you go. It's set in a world where scientists messed around with genetics so much in the hope for the "perfect" humans, they've doomed all humanity. All of their offsprings time is limited... the girls will die by the age of 20 and the boys will die by 25. 

Rhine's parent's are gone, it's just her and her brother. They are extremely close and look out for each other...especially when there are girls being kidnapped by the Gatherer's. Rhine's brother is very cautious. Then the unthinkable happens....Rhine gets kidnapped and thrown into a van full of other girls.

Jenna, Rhine, and Cecily are the "lucky" ones. They were chosen. The other girls weren't so lucky...The next thing they know they wake up in a luxurious bed and room. They also have food...which they haven't had so readily in awhile. They are given beautiful clothes and servants to help them, also they are all on one floor to share with one another. They soon become fast friends. Cecily is most childlike and naive to me. I found Jenna and Rhine the most likable. 

Rhine quickly becomes Linden's, the man of the house, favorite. Although he is still mourning the death of his 1st wife Rose and their child. Rhine is becoming fond of Gabriel, one of the servants, though. 

You quickly find out who is truly in charge of the house, and it's not Linden. There are also many, many dark deadly secrets going on. Even behind Linden's back. I must say I was crushed when Jenna found out too much...and I will leave it at that, for the people who haven't read it yet. 

When Rhine's thoughts turn to escape, and attempt it. I actually became anxious for her! Bravo to Ms. DeStefano for creating not only such an original Dystopian but characters that actually made my heartache at times and race at other. 

This was a brilliant book. I have been wanting to read something that moved a bit away from the mainstream books that have been out there, and this was the perfect book for that. The feel to it was different, the story line was original and well thought out, and the emotions run rampant. I had a tightness in my chest all through certain scenes, and I literally gasped in others. This book made me want to love, and hate the characters. I felt their sorrow, their loss, their love, their envy. 

I can not wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!