Wither (2011) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Rhine Ellery: Rhine is heterochromic, which means her eyes are two different colors--in her case, one green and one brown. Rhine is smart, independent, and eager to learn about the world. She has a twin brother: Rowan.
• Rowan Ellery: Rowan is Rhine's twin brother. He lives in Manhattan with Rhine until she is kidnapped. He has not appeared in the present time as of yet.
• House Governor Linden Ashby: Linden is an architect and Rhine's husband (as well as Ceciliy's and Jenna's). He is blissfully ignorant to the reality of the world outside his manor. He is in love with his first wife, a dying woman named Rose. He is 21 at the beginning of the book, meaning he has only four years left before he dies.
• Housemaster Vaughan Ashby: Vaughan is Linden's father, a total creeper with questionable motives. He is a scientist and is trying to create a cure for the mistake made many years ago that gave people a short lifespan. He is of the first generation which means he is older than 25. Evil.
• Jenna Ashby: Jenna is the eldest of the sister wives, being at the old (for them) age of eighteen. She has dark hair and was a prostitute before being gathered to be one of Linden's wives. She becomes a close friend of Rhine's.
• Cecily Ashby: Cecily is the youngest sister wife, and the only one who is excited about marrying Linden and eager to please him. She is only 13 and is described as having red hair and acting spoiled even though she grew up in orphanage.
• Bowen: Cecily's and Linden's infant son.
• Gabriel: Servant at Linden's manor who is introduced bringing food to Rhine when she first arrives at Linden's manor.
• Lady Rose: Linden's first wife. At age 20, she has reached old age. She is very sick and dying of the illness that kills women at age 20 and men at age 25. Linden's true love, she befriends Rhine.
• Deirdre: A young orphan and Rhine's "domestic" in the Ashby Mansion.
• Elle: Cecily's Domestic.
• Adair: Jenna's Domestic.
• Housemaster Vaughn: Add a description of this character.

Quotes edit see section history

• “Life is much different from the days when there were lilies in my mother's garden, and all my secrets fit into a paper cup.”

  Rhine

• “...they are startled, then delighted. Their doll has a voice.”

  Rhine

• “Fate, I think, is a thief”

  Rhine

• “I have always been fascinated by the ocean, to dip a limb beneath its surface and know I'm touching eternity, that it goes on forever until it begins here again.”

  Rhine

• “..you catch more flies with honey than vinegar..”

  Rhine

• “I think she has wanted to set fire to this place for a long time.”

  Rhine

• “The world seems so clean if you only look up.”

  Rhine

• “But instead of tears, when I press my face against the pillow, a horrible, primal scream comes out of me. It's unlike anything I thought myself capable of. Rage, unlike anything I've ever known.”

  Rhine

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• I’ll tell you something about true love. There’s no science to it. It’s natural as the sky.

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• Fate, I think, is a thief.

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• Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.

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• I always knew I was an excellent liar; I just didn’t know I had it in me to fool myself.

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• And here we are: two small dying things, as the world ends around us like falling autumn leaves.

  Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers

• Love is natural. Even the human race can’t claim to be natural anymore. We are fake, dying things.

  Highlighted by 23 Kindle customers

• Life is much different from the days when there were lilies in my mother’s garden, and all my secrets fit into a paper cup.

  Highlighted by 22 Kindle customers

• It doesn’t matter how much his mother loves him; love is not enough to keep any of us alive.

  Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers

• Freedom, Gabriel. That’s what you can’t get here.

  Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers

• THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS NOT WITH A BANG BUT A WHIMPER. T. S. ELIOT, “THE HOLLOW MEN”

  Highlighted by 10 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Manhattan: Rhine and Rowan's home.
• Florida: The state Linden's manor is in.
• New York
• Japan

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• June Bean: Unusual candy that turns your mouth different colors

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Dystopia: Describe this theme.
• Fate, destiny
• Love of Family
• Lost Youth: This has to do with Cecily, one of the sister wives who is only the age of 14.
• Death and loss
• Love and Friendship
• Timebombs, Hourglasses: For people in this society, they know for a fact that they will die at 20 or 25. so it is almost like there is an hourglass signalling when they are to die; the sand going to the bottom pretty fast.
• Reproduction: The upper classes of the society have commoditized reproduction and objectified women as aides-to-reproduction. Girls are stolen and sold to be used by their "husbands" as vessels for pregnancy. The power of money creates the right/ability to have children.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Fever.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Lauren DeStefano (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: 2010021347
• Dewey: <Fic>

Notes for Parents edit see section history

It doesn't really have language, but it has some violence. rather inappropriate too. I would say 13 (if mature enough) or 14 +* contains controversial ideas such as underage marriage and sex, as well as a implied sexual/marrital slavery. I would recommend for 14+ But only for YA's that can handle such material with maturity

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › People & Places › Social Issues › Death & Dying › Fiction
• Books › Teens › Social Issues › Dating & Intimacy › Fiction

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• The Chemical Garden Trilogy: The official website of the series.

More Books Like This edit see section history