Stacey O'Neale

I was really timid about reading this book. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I'm not a big fan of dystopian novels. Well, Wither has changed my mind. The book starts off with Rhine being captured and sent to a house to be married to Linden along with two other girls. They share him, but it's not as creepy as it sounds. The youngest of the brides ends up falling for Linden and is really happy to be there. The oldest doesn't want anything to do with him, but goes with the flow. Rhine is right in the middle. She wants to be the head wife because she knows that the position will offer her more freedom. She wants to escape from the house so that she can find her twin brother.The house that she lives in is a mansion filled with illusions making an escape plan difficult. Within the house, each girl has her own glam squad and servants. One of those servants is Gabriel who Rhine grows close to. He becomes a love interest even though she is married to Linden. But Linden makes it very difficult to hate him. He truly falls in love with Rhine and they develop their own special relationship. I found myself actually cheering for him during certain parts of the novel. Rhine is a fantastic main character. She tough, smart, and funny. Wither had me on the first page and I couldn't put it down. I literally could not wait to see what happened next. I read the entire book in one day. This books offers action, adventure, suspense, and romance all tied up into a well written, original story. I'm so glad I gave this novel a chance. I consider this is a safe read for any teen with very subtle sexual situations. Stacey O'Neale is a full-time writer and co-owner of the Young Adult Fantasy Guide. She’s had several articles and book reviews published, but spends most of her writing time on the revisions to her debut young adult fantasy novel. You can read her advice for aspiring writers on her blog The YA Fantasy Freak or you can follow her on Twitter.