Wither by Lauren DeStefano - Review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

 I received an arc copy of this book a while back and wanted to do a review but since at the time I had received it there were many months until it came out I decided I should post it sooner to the publication date. So I'm sorry if you've already read many reviews but hey- this way you don't forget to go and buy a copy next week!
Wither is the first book in the Chemical Garden series and also the debut novel of author Lauren DeStefano. I've been on a dystopian novel kick since I read the Uglies series but don't expect something similar in this story. One thing that will certainly catch your eye and make you read this book is the beautiful cover. I just love the color and the overall design.
There were many things I enjoyed about this book one of them being Lauren's way of making you care for the characters. One character I both liked and pitied was Linden. He is the main character's husband whom she shares with two other girls. Although Linden seems to be more fond of Rhine she can't help but wish she were back home with her twin and start a new life with Gabriel a servant who works at the mansion.
Most of the book is Rhine's thoughts about escaping the beautiful mansion and finding her brother or hoping that he will know where to find her. I really loved this book. One way that Rhine describes her husbands other wives is as 'sister wives'. I thought it was weird at first but they really do form a sister-like relationship.

The book comes out next week March 22 so please go check it out and look forward to the rest of the series!