Sever

Chemical Garden

De: Lauren DeStefano

Narrado por: Angela Lin

Lauren DeStefano’s New York Times best-selling Chemical Garden trilogy has drawn immense praise from an ever-growing fan base. In the saga’s chilling conclusion, Rhine’s race against time brings her to Vaughn’s eccentric brother, Reed. Elsewhere, Rowan’s involvement in the underground resistance reaches dangerous new heights. When Rhine’s search for answers finally comes to an end, the truth about her past will forever change her view of the future.

©2013 Lauren DeStefano (P)2013 Recorded Books

A beautiful finished to a brilliant series

Once again DeStefano's beautiful turn a phrase make this book a joy to read. I thought the ending was very fitting and very true to the story, despite being somewhat melancholy.

Fantastic Final

This final entry in the Chemical Garden trilogy finds Rhine upstairs once again in the mansion with sister wife, Cecily and husband, Linden. Desperate to find her brother, Rowen, Rhine teams up on her quest, meeting old "friends," typing up loose ends, and answering lingering questions.

DeStefano has breathed more life and emotion into each character making them more relatable and I found myself rooting for those I previously felt indifferent about. Bratty Cecily matures into a caring, thoughtful young woman; Linden becomes his own man, wriggling out from under his father's thumb; Rhine shares more of her inner thoughts and desires; and Vaughan shows myriad emotions (no spoiler alerts from me). There are gasp-worthy moments and the ending is satisfying and well done.

As one of the better YA writers, Lauren DeStefano creates an interesting premise, close to Atwood's, "The Handmaid's Tale." She imagines a haunting, eerie, yet hopeful world where the characters fight to live, find meaning, and fulfill their dreams. There's more depth and danger in her books. Truly a wonderful trilogy and wonder why it doesn't get more attention than some of the Twilight Copycats?

I'm FINALLY done.

Woo, I'm finally done with this trilogy and it's about damned time! I think it's about time to celebrate, don't you?

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The Chemical Garden trilogy comes to an end with Sever, which follows Rhine and her sister-wife as they search for answers and her twin brother. Linden's father chases after them as they meet his brother, Reed, who agrees to shelter them from a life that could kill them all. What happens next?

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Okay, I decided to hide this review because of the potential spoilers contained in this review. WHY did Linden have to die??? I think that's the biggest thing that broke my heart with this one. It hurt more than Rose's death and Jenna's death.

And, I mean, Jenna's death HURT. I was expecting Rose's death because she had been sick for so long beforehand but did Linden really have to lose his life in this book? What was the point of it? I don't get it!

I think I feel the worst for Cecily because she was so young when all of this happened. I mean, she was, what, 15 years old? Who wants to have two children and see their husband die all before their 16th birthday???

I understand why they marry young people so young and all that but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it. I had to suspend my disagreements and my disbelief for this series because I know it's fantasy. And that's all it is - fantasy.

I can't imagine the trauma Rhine and Cecily now have to deal with. I can't imagine the years it will take for the two of them to move on. If they ever give themselves the chance to do so. Now that they're cured, I hope that happens.

I'm not sure I'd recommend this trilogy unless you like elements from Divergent and The Hunger Games. Post-apocalyptic, dystopian, and all that. I think this series was a bit slower-paced and it took me longer to get through, which detracted from my enjoyment of it, honestly. That's just me.

good story

I loved the characters in it and each of their stories. it was a little slow in parts but, I liked the story.

My review of the trilogy...

Wither: Intriguing. My internet is peaked. A great premise and good world development.

Fever: ugh. This suffers from Second Book Syndrome. Definitely the weakest book of the trilogy. Let me sum it up for you: Rhine is high on opiates against her will or strapped to a bed, drugged and experimented on. I don't think anything else happened.

Sever: Here we fo again. Rhine is held against her will and experimented on for the middle 3rd of the book. Things happen rapidly in the final 3rd of this book. It's like the author didn't know how to wrap up the story so she threw a bunch of crap together and washed her hands of it.

Cecisly has a great character development.

The narrator is pretty good although it sounds like she needs to blow her nose.