Sever: The Chemical Garden, Book 3

Gr 9 Up—Sixteen-year-old Rhine was near death, but is now recuperating. Although her father-in-law's tortuous experiments caused her hospital stay, her husband Linden is in denial. Rhine's sister-wife, Cecily, though fiercely loyal to Linden, knows that Rhine's accusations are true. Vaughn, a world-renowned, wealthy doctor, is desperate to cure the "virus," a genetic defect that kills "new" generation women at age 20 and men at 25. While most U.S. residents live in poor and decaying circumstances, Vaughn's wealth and power shield his family from hardships, except for the virus that will not yield to fame or money. Rhine, too, is desperate—desperate to find Gabriel, the boy she loves, and her twin brother, Rowan, a rebellious activist who strikes hospitals that experiment on the new generation. Helped by Vaughn's brother, Rhine sets out with Linden and Cecily as her unlikely and strained companions. She hopes to find answers, but what she learns about her brother, Gabriel, her deceased sister-wives, and her past aggressors, Vaughn and Madame, is as startling as it is disturbing. Two dramatic events in this volume (2013) bring DeStefano's trilogy to a wistful, yet ultimately hopeful conclusion. Angela Lin turns in a fine narrative performance. Rhine is soft-spoken, resigned, and often submissive, matching the mood of this mostly bleak dystopian future. The novel's strength is its well-developed and believable characters. Those familiar with Wither (2011) and Fever (2012, all S & S) may find some revelations here inconsistent with earlier characterizations; however, fans of the series should be pleased. For libraries circulating the previous titles.—Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ