Review and Giveaway: Sever by Lauren DeStefano
8:00 AM
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: February 12, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Source: ARC received at Second Annual Ontario Blog Squad Meet-Up
Overall: 5 Stars
Summary:
Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.
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.
My Thoughts:
After Fever ended on such a suspenseful note, the months of waiting ahead for the final installment in The Chemical Garden trilogy felt unbearable. The stunning book covers usually offer clues about the events, so I deciphered it closely, searching for some sort of reassurance that everything would be alright for Rhine in the end. As I began reading Sever, I fell in love all over again with Lauren DeStefano's gorgeous prose. Her poignant style of writing leaves a haunting impression, and each page is infused with a rush of shattered emotions. Hope is the flickering light of a candle which threatens to give into the darkness of fear and despair.
Desperate to escape Vaughn's grasp, Rhine takes temporary refuge with Linden's uncle, a man named Reed who's nothing like his estranged brother, before she can finally search for Rowan, her twin brother. The more time passes, the more Rhine grows increasingly concerned for him. Rowan is caught up in an underground resistance protesting genetic research, and she can't shake the feeling it's only a matter of time before he's bound to get himself hurt. Rhine's journey will lead her to discoveries about her parents that she could never have imagined... and the reason Vaughn refuses to leave her alone.
Vaughn has always fascinated me as a villain because he's such a complicated man. He may be a brilliant doctor and geneticist, but his morals have become so twisted that he would do absolutely anything to discover a cure, even if it meant hurting other people. Cecily is determined to remain by Rhine's side and help find her brother, but I warily accepted Cecily's presence. She has a much stronger role in this novel, but even though Cecily may have good intentions, her assistance in the past has usually made everything much worse. I've always been ever so fond of Linden, so it was sad for me to see him come to the realization that his father is not the man he always thought he was. Linden has always lived in his own sheltered little bubble, but it finally bursts apart in Sever.
I had predicted in the very first novel, Wither, how Rhine would become such an important figure in her generation, so it was very satisfying to see that I was proven right. That being said, there were still so many surprises which I would never have guessed! Shocking revelations will challenge everything you thought you knew about this dark dystopian world that Lauren DeStefano has envisioned.
Emotional and even downright heart-wrenching at times, Lauren DeStefano's Sever explores the human condition and just how far we are willing to go to protect our loved ones. It was a perfect finish to a series which has captivated me from the very beginning. The conclusion to The Chemical Garden trilogy will linger in your heart long after you finish reading it.
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing this review copy!
*****
Giveaway! I have an extra ARC of Lauren DeStefano's Sever, so I'm giving it away to a lucky follower!
- please fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter
- giveaway is INTERNATIONAL
- giveaway will end at 12:00 a.m. on March 5, 2013
- winner will be contacted by email afterwards
- do not leave your email address in the comments
17 comments
Great review! Made me want to read the whole trilogy.
ReplyDeleteNice review! I honestly have no idea how the author's gonna manage to conclude this trilogy, it's been so unpredictable. Can't wait to learn more about Rowan and Reed :) Thanks for the giveaway Liz!
ReplyDeleteIt is by far the most realistic dystop I have read. This future where we die young due the consequences for our desire to be perfect, is well, just that, a perfect series that is so intelligent and hauntingly written!
ReplyDelete--V
This is a love/hate series for me, but I'm DYING to find out what happens.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad you liked the ending of the story. I never really got into the story but I know a lot of people liked it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read it yet coz I'm waiting for this one, and then read them all at once! Hope I win.
ReplyDeleteI'm dyiiingg to read book three in this series!!!!! I regret not having waited for the release of Sever before reading the first two books. lol! Great review, thanks for the opportunity :)
ReplyDeletei love the chemical garden trilogy because of the strength of the bond between the sister wives. don't get me wrong, linden and gabriel both are real sweet, but jane and rose were really awesome and i would love to have them as sisters! not wives, though ;)
ReplyDeleteThe storyline was good
ReplyDeleteI love The Chemical Garden Trilogy because the reality set in the story. I feel this is somewhat similar to now as both shows the youth "dying" earlier and how the generations and involvement has changed society in many ways. I loved the setting in the story, the characters, and the plot as well. The books brought me on an emotional roller coaster ride! I'm quite sad to see there aren't anymore books, but I will get over that and will wait to read Lauren Destafano's next book! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the trilogy because it's a new take on the dystopian genre!
ReplyDeleteI have only read the first book, but I liked how the relationships were built, not just the romance, but between Rhine and her 'sisters' as well.
ReplyDeleteThey are very different and intriguing!
ReplyDeleteI've only read the first one (so far!), but I love the complicated relationships between the character and the whole "what if" factor of dystopias.
ReplyDeleteI love the Chemical Garden Trilogy because of the unique idea behind it. They managed to cure cancer an all major diseases and it lead to something even worse. I like reading about how the strive for perfection ending up ruining the world and seeing the way the characters handle it all. This is one of my favorite YA series and I'm so sad to see it end.
ReplyDeleteI loved this series! This was a great twist and ending to a dystopian series!
ReplyDeleteI've read the first two and have been eagerly awaiting the finale! I may be morbid but I'm actually kind of hoping for some of the main characters to reach the age of death and actually die-it would show the real stakes of this world so well.
ReplyDelete