Review - Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Sever

Author: Lauren Destefano

Series: 3rd (Wither, Fever)

Pages: 371

Published:  February 12th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 

ISBN: 9781442409095

Source: Personal Copy

 

Description: 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. 

I Give This ...

For the most part, this series has been an enjoyable read.  So, I was looking forward to this book.  But, I'm always nervous when it comes to the last book in a series.  I wasn't exactly disappointed with this book.  It just a couple different routes than I expected.

After all that has happened, it seems crazy to me that Linden still doesn't believe that his father might be the bad guy.  It's like he honestly things its all one big misunderstanding or that Rhine was entirely coherent.   I get the fact that it's his father, but I think its taking the bond a little too far.   But, it many ways he is putting Rhine and Cecily above his father.   At the same time, I don't think he every had the upper hand.

I found Reed to be an interesting addition to this story.  Especially because he's Linden's uncle.  A far cry from the type of man that Vaughn is.   He's probably the only person besides Rhine to stand up to Vaughn.  Oddly enough Vaughn also respects that.  He may threaten, but I wondered if he was slightly afraid of Reed.  He has ties to the underground resistance which helps Rhine locate Rowan.

I was surprised at the directions this book took.  We ended up visiting past locations and learning some shocking truths.   Oddly enough so many things that have occurred are tied to Rhine and Rowan right from the very beginning.  But what was truly shocking to me was that once Rhine learns the truth about her past its like she gives up all she has been fighting for.  I expected way more fight from her and that was disappointing.  

So the ending was far cry from what I was expecting.  But, I can't picture how this would have worked to get any sort of happy ending.  While this had a lot of heartache in it, there was also a feeling of hope at the end.  So, I decided to take it as it was.  In the end, I enjoyed the story even if I felt Rhine wasn't entirely true to herself.