From Goodreads:
With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.
Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.
In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.
So I left off after reading Fever feeling disappointed. I wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy Sever. And while it wasn't as good as Wither was, it was definitely better than Fever.
There were all sorts of twists and turns in this book. People who I didn't like before became sympathetic characters (except I still don't get Rhine's attraction to Gabriel). I started to like Linden and Cecily even more. And Rhine brought back hope.
And that was what I liked more about this book than Fever. There was hope again.. Not everything was so dark and horrible. Yes there were horrifying parts and yes there were sad parts. But the end was happy. And I always like that! The trilogy wrapped up well and I liked where the story went. It was a roller coaster of a read but I'm glad I stuck it out.
I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.
Sever will be released on February 12, 2013.
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 7
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 5
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 6
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.
Intriguing review.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to see a teaser scene from the book. It gave me some hope that she will sever the relationship with Linden. I honestly did't care how sweet he came across at times, he still put a bad taste in my mouth for impregnating a 13 year old girl when he was 20 years old, and if he were to walk away from Cecily, it would only turn him into a flaming 'you know what'. Not that I want her with Gabriel because I am neutral as a whole. I would be satisfied if she were reunited with her brother.
Ironically enough, I enjoyed Fever more than Wither, perhaps because I read Wither in one afternoon and it was just too hard of a subject to go through it that quickly. But Rhine frustrated me in the first book because she seemed unrealistic as a hormone-induced teenager. She showed little or no emotion through the book, internalized everything, and waited very quietly when in reality, a teenager who has been kidnapped, seen girls killed, and then forced into a marriage she doesn't want would be more like Jenna, who was my favorite character in the first book. However, I read Fever and loved how Rhine transformed herself and she showed much more emotion and a desire to escape her situation. And Madam's circus was inventive and seemed more realistic to me since sometimes the allure of seeing something ie Rhine and Gabriel kissing would be more of a turn on, and Rhine would be saved. In that situation, she was put under extreme pressure and I felt more satisfied with her reactions.
Quite eager to see Sever!