Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1)
by Lauren DeStefano
Wither by Lauren DeStefano holds a well received rating of 3.81 out of 5, based on 84.8K reader ratings. First published in 2011. The book spans 358 pages.
About Wither
By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Lauren DeStefano |
| Published | 2011 |
| Pages | 358 |
| Genres | Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy |
| Average Rating | 3.81 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 84,776 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Wither?
Wither is categorized as Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Fantasy.
Is Wither worth reading?
Based on 84.8K reader ratings, Wither has an average score of 3.81 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received." Its large number of reviews suggests broad reader appeal.
How many pages is Wither?
Wither has 358 pages.
Who wrote Wither?
Wither was written by Lauren DeStefano. It was first published in 2011.
What is the ISBN for Wither?
The ISBN-13 for Wither is 9781442409060.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
