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Book Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Mar 14 |08:20

Sever is the final book in the Chemical Garden series by Lauren DeStefano. It’s moving and sad and….over.

Book Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

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Title & Author: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Genre: YA – Dystopia

Release Date: February 12, 2013

Series: Chemical Garden #3

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“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.”

Sever All Ties

Sever, the final Chemical Garden book is over. I read it, and the story is finished. There is totally a real disease associated with this type of book depression, and it’s called “book hangover.”

You may have seen this Someecard already, but I couldn’t resist:

AGH! Ok down to business. What did I think of the book? Well, after reading Fever, I knew DeStefano was going to pull out the big guns. Fever was fast-paced but with little actual action. I would characterize this series by saying its vivid descriptions and strong characters carry it through.

In Sever, I took a good chunk of the book to really get going into the thick of things – you know, the usual. Rhine on the run and battling emotions and Housemaster Vaughn.

It was one of those books where I enjoyed it, but I had to mentally push myself through. It wasn’t a “I literally cannot stop reading this book because it’s so mesmerizing” situation.

I though it was interesting that in Fever, Rhine spends almsot 90 percent of the book with Gabriel. But, in Sever, she’s really mostly with Linden and Cecily. There are a ton of reasons for this, which all make sense, but that momentum that built up in the last book with their relationship almost goes completely flat.

I think DeStefano lets that happen because in Sever, the story really becomes about survival and saving the world (cheesy but true). Rhine is focused on keeping Cecily safe and maybe, FINALLY, reuniting with her brother. If she can find him, that is.

For me, that’s the ultimate struggle with dystopias. How does an author successfully end them without losing the fun of the first books, while most of the stories have fairly gruesome premises (disease, death, brutality)?

I do think DeStefano did a great job finishing off this series. At the end, I felt so sad to leave these characters behind. Plus, she wasn’t afraid to intentionally pull at readers’ heartstrings either. Gah!

OVERALL:

This was a great conclusion to a very well-written, engaging series. I think each book (Wither, Fever and Sever) advanced and progressed from its predecessor. Overall, Sever was a solid finish to a series whose storyline is memorable and beautiful.

Book Playlist: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Mar 21 |08:00

After quoting some crazy lyrics in my Fever book review, I thought it would be fun to keep the crazy train going to pick some other songs for this book playlist that I thought complement this novel very nicely!

I think music plays a huge role in my day-to-day activities, so pairing this with my fave books only makes sense.

Book Playlist – Fever

You Give me Fever by Peggy Lee - For obvious reasons
Tequila by The Champs - There’s a carnival-type setting in the book, and this song reminded me of that scene in The Sandlot when the boys all get sick at that fair. Good times.
Wild Ones by Flo Rida - For the Rhine’s entire time at the Madame’s
We are Young by Fun. - Cuz everyone’s time is so limited in the book
Animal by Mike Snow - The people in this book act like animals with their brutality and disregard for life, and no matter where she is, Rhine sees that everyone acts the same.
Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z & Alicia Keyes - They’re on location in NYC!
Pictures of You by The Cure - For Rowan.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles (covered by Bono) - Deliria sets in…
All Alone by Fun. - For all the swirling emotions in this book.
Depraved by Anberlin - foreshadowing for the next book…

This book had a lot of intense, sweet and sad moments, and I tried to keep that in mind with the songs I chose. I hope you enjoyed it!

You can also listen to my Wrinkle in Time book playlist and my Starcrossed playlist.

Book Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Mar 15 |08:00

Fever is one of the many sequels coming out this year! I loved Wither and I couldn’t wait to jump into it!

Book Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

GoodReads | Amazon | Author Website

Title & Author: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Genre: YA – Fantasy (Dystopian)

Release Date: February 21, 2012

Series: 2nd book in a series- Chemical Garden #2

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago – surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous – and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion…by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price – now that she has more to lose than ever.”

You Give Me Fever…

…when you kiss me – fever when you hold me tight – Fever – In the morning – Fever all through the night.

Sorry I had to do that. Every time I think about this book I want to sing this song. Moving on to serious business – my review.

I really liked Fever! There’s a lot that happens in the book – Rhine and Gabriel have quite the adventure. And when I say adventure, I mean horror-filled nightmare.

Where Wither was sort of dreamy and whimsical, Fever is gritty and harsh. Wither is about Rhine seeing the life she could have in the mansion with her sister-wives, carefully removed from the horror of the world where girls die in their 20s. In Fever, Rhine gets reacquainted with the life she left behind, which she has been away from for too long.

This book really lives up to its name – the plot, pacing and characters are feverish and sick. I was in suspense the entire novel, just waiting for the next terror to befall Rhine.

I really loved Rhine. She’s resilient and strong yet full of self-doubt and apprehension. I think she’s the type of person I would want to be in her dystopian world. (Although I sincerely hope I never live in a post-apocalyptic world).

Writing & Romance

I absolutely love DeStefano’s writing style. It’s just beautiful. The imagery she uses and the stories she tells are stunning:

“‘Things will get better before they get worse.’”

“This is a saying that first generations seem to have. My mother used to say it, her voice cooing and soft as she stroked my forehead when I was sick. Things will get worse before they get better. A little more agony before the fever will break. Of course they can say that. They live onto old age. The rest of us don’t have time to wait through the worse for the better.”

Although the steaminess level between Rhine and Gabriel is at a “light foam” in Fever, I definitely enjoyed seeing their relationship grow organically over time. Nothing rushed and instalove free.

The one negative thing I have to say about Fever is that through the first half of the book, I struggled. Things were stuck in place for Rhine – and it seemed a lot like being back in the mansion and it dragged a bunch. I think this is what kept me from loving the book instead of just liking it.

OVERALL:

DeStefano has done it again! Fever is a great continuation of the Chemical Garden series. I think there’s so much yet to be revealed and I’m anxiously waiting to read more about Rhine and Gabriel and Cecily and Vaughn. Fever left me feeling achy and emotionally congested – job well done.

The Seeds of Wither, an eBook Prequel

Nov 22 |10:30

The Seeds of Wither, the prequel to Wither by Lauren DeStefano, was published last week!

It’s an ebook and is available at Amazon (here) for $1.99. It sounds pretty awesome, and I’m not usually that interested in prequels!

Publication Date: November 15, 2011

Description: “Discover the world author Lauren DeStefano created in Wither, a riveting dystopian thriller. In the not-so-distant future, fallout from genetic engineering causes all females to die at age twenty, and all males to die at twenty-five. Kidnapped from her home and torn from her twin brother Rowan, sixteen-year-old Rhine is forced into a polygamous marriage and taken to live in her husband’s mansion. She has everything she wants—except for freedom. But her plans to escape and return home are complicated by a devious father-in-law, as well as Rhine’s growing attraction to Gabriel, a servant who works on the estate. Read the first 100 pages of Wither and be captivated by Rhine’s journey.

This eBook sampler includes an EXCLUSIVE, never-before-published short story by Lauren DeStefano! “The First Bride” reveals the events leading up to Wither, from the point of view of the bride that came before Rhine.

Delve even deeper into Wither with a map of the wives’ floor, the Wither book trailer, and a video that takes you behind the scenes of the Fever cover shoot.

You’ll also get a sneak peak of Fever, the second book in the Chemical Garden trilogy, before it goes on sale 2/21/12!”

Reading The Seeds of Wither sounds like a good distraction while we wait for Fever to come out in February!

Lauren DeStefano’s Fever Cover Video + Update

Aug 31 |11:45

There are a lot of ugly book covers out there. I’m not gonna call them out, but you know the types of books I’m talking about. You look at it and cringe or wonder to yourself, “What was this author thinking?”

Fortunately, these thoughts have never crossed my mind when looking at Lauren DeStefano’s books. Her debut novel, Wither is totally gorgeous:

(I wrote a book review of Wither earlier this year.)

DeStefano’s struck gold again with cover of Fever, the second book in the Chemical Garden series.

Pretty hot, right? The best part is you can watch the making of the cover! (I love behind-the-scenes type stuff!)

Check out the Fever cover shoot video:

Fever is expected to be published February 2012. Read an excerpt of Fever here.

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Book Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano