Monday, July 15, 2013

Sever by Lauren Destefano

Source of book: Library Date published: Feb 12 2013 Publisher: Simon and Schuster books for young readers Rating: five out of five running shoes
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. ************************************************************************************************************************************************ The conclusion to the chemical garden trilogy was as happy as it was sad. After recovering in the hospital, Rhine goes to Lindens uncle Reed's house. I really enjoyed this character, and I thought Destefano did a good job showing how much polar opposites Reed and Vaughn were compared to each other. Rhine continues the search for her brother, Rowan, before something happens to him because of his reckless behavior, and later for her search for Gabriel. Cecily did alot of growing up in this book, and I was happy to finally really witness her character fully develop. You also learn more about Rhine and Rowans parents which I thought was interesting and well put. I also liked how in the end, you are left to decide whether Rhine's parents and Vaughn were justified in their actions. That was still a tough decision for me because of the cruel nature of the experiments done by Vaughn...and Rhine's parents...and even though some were crueler than others, you are left to wonder if the ends justified the means. You also learn more about Madame, who is another character who will also puzzle you in the end in whether she is cruel or just sad about her daughter. Destefano did a marvelous job in intertwining all of the characters to each other and in creating a world that is unique and original, one that can never be created no matter how hard someone tries. I finished this book very quickly because I was desperate to find out what happened but not desperate to end. I would have ended quicker but I kept stalling because I didn't want to say goodbye. The ending was very well said and not over done. I liked how no one had babies (any more than they had) or got married....so it is up to you to decide what really happens. Rhine is ultimately a character I will never forget, from her name, to her eyes, to her incredible strength (on the inside) that she has inside herself. It was truly a fantastic book, and an even better series, one that I was glad to read. Destefano is an artist with her words and from within her mind she creates a world so beautiful and heart-wrenching, that the praise I give it will not ever do justice. And did you know that Linden Ashby is not just a character in these novels, but the name of an actor, more notably he plays Allison Argent's Father on Teen Wolf on MTV?

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