Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Synopsis: 
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 Review:
I really haven't been reading this series for all that long, but for some reason I almost feel like I have grown with these characters. Okay, maybe not completely, but I have definitely seen them grow throughout the trilogy, and could not help myself from becoming attached to them. I have witnessed Rhine grow more sure of herself, as well as make powerful realizations. I have seen Cecily prove that she is not a fragile little girl like everyone thought. I watched Linden be able to stand up against his father. The characters in Wither, Fever and Sever really stuck with me, and dragged me into their world to the point where I cannot forget it, and that is super cool.

All in all, I was very pleased with Sever. I thought that it was a perfect conclusion to a brilliant series. I completely devoured it. Last thing I knew I came home from school, telling myself I'd read a couple chapters before studying, and now it is the night, and I am still in that after-novel daze, like I just woke up from a dream that I didn't want to end, and reality hardly seems real.

You may have heard readers claim that they are in a state of emotional turmoil after completing this novel. (Yeah, they were right.) You might not go spiraling into a dark depression, but I would highly recommend some nearby tissues. Maybe some dark chocolates? Funny pictures of cats?

Emotional anguish aside, I also feel the need to point out that the last chapter (as well as the rest of the book, I just mean the last chapter especially) was absolutely beautiful. Stunning. The ideas that were discussed involved a great theme, topics that we can all live by today - even if the virus is not present in our own world. I know I mentioned my love for the characters before, and their growth alone makes them seem like excellent role models. What they learn is basis for what is important for all of us to learn - to make us better people and allow to actually live life.

Given that this is the third book of a trilogy, I do not want to give away any of the plot, so I am just going to avoid that route altogether.

I have to say, I completely loved the series while it lasted, and I am completely content with the ending. (Except for one detail. Of course, it works with the story, and makes it even more hauntingly beautiful, but it makes me sad.)

If you are new to the Chemical Garden Trilogy, then you should definitely check out the first book of the series: Wither. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...)

 

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