Summary: 

There was a virus that caused every baby born from the new generations to die prematurely, men at twenty-five and women at twenty. The main character, Rhine was taken away from her brother and home in Manhattan, New York to a Mansion in Florida where she would become one of three brides to Governor Linden; replacing his old, beloved wife Rose. Rhine’s major goal was to escape the mansion and find her way back to her brother, Rowan. Along the way she finds out that Housemaster Vaughn, Linden’s father is the one she should be afraid of. In the end Rhine and Gabriel; an attendent at the mansion that she grew feelings for, escape together to the real world, to freedom, to where Rhine could possibly reunite with her twin brother and live the way she chooses.

Best Lines: 

“Seventy years ago science perfected the art of children. There were complete cures for an epidemic known as cancer, a disease that could affect any part of the body and that used to claim millions of lives. Immune system boosts given to the new-generation children eradicated allergies and seasonal ailments, and even protected against sexually contracted viruses. Flawed natural children ceased to be conceived in favor of this new technology.”   Speaker~Rhine Chapter 2, page 8

“I don’t want Gabriel to be my attendent right now. I want him to sit here with me and be my friend. I want to know he won’t be punished for it later. I want us to both be free. Maybe if I ever work out a plan to escape, I can bring him with me.”   Speaker~Rhine Chapter 8, page 129

“Time has lost all meaning; I don’t know how long I’ve been lying in this bed. I drift in and out of consciousness, and something different awaits me each time I open my eyes. Linden reads to me. My sister wives huddle in the doorway, frowning over my condition; I stare at them until the frowns melt from their faces and their eyes turn black. There’s pain everywhere, and heavy numbness on top of that.”   Speaker~Rhine Chapter 12, page 176

“For the rest of the day I try to figure out a plan to get outside so I can inspect the tree hologram, but all paths in my mind lead back to Gabriel. If I found a way out, I couldn’t leave without him.”   Speaker~Rhine Chapter 17, page 238

Thematic Connections:

Wither explores a life where everyone except the first generations know exactly when they are going to die. Many scientists have been looking for an antidote for the virus which makes them die prematurely, women at twenty and men at twenty five, but people have been losing hope since the lab exploded four years prior. The same theme occurs in the film ‘Tell Me How I Die’ directed by D.J. Viola, where a group of college students take part in a clinical drug trial and an unexpected side effect of the experimental medicine gives them terrifying visions of their own deaths.


Identifying Tropes:

Within the book Wither, the most focused trope is ‘Dystopia’. In the book, society is crumbling, the new generations are dying prematurely and girls as young as thirteen are hunted down by gatherers to be either sold into prostitution, murdered, or to become a bride; all three options being horrific. In the text on page two it says, “The girls are taken as young as thirteen, when their bodies are mature enough to bear children, and the virus claims every female of our generation by twenty.” Another trope that fits in this book is the ‘search for immortality’. While in this book they aren’t searching to live forever, they want to use science to help the dying generation to live a full lifespan of what used to be in the past. On page ten it says, “By now, much of the first generation has watched enough of it's children die prematurely, and they are unwilling to experiment on yet another generation.” The trope ‘if this continues’ follows how if the virus continues without an antidote the population will continue to decrease. In the text on page nine it explains, “We, the new generations, are born healthy and strong, perhaps healthier than our parents, but our life span stops at twenty-five for males and twenty for females. For fifty years the world has been in a panic as it’s children die.” 

Critique:                                                                                                                                           Wither  is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It was really easy to interpret and understand. Plus, the story was very interesting and creative. This book could have been better if it was told from other point of views other than just Rhine’s, such as Gabriel, Rhine’s sister wives, Linden, Vaughn, etc. I would recommend Wither to anyone who likes books that take place in the future. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is high school age or older as I think no matter what you’re into that anyone would enjoy this book. 

Citation: DeStefano, Lauren. Wither (2011).