Gypsy Reviews

Originally posted at Gypsy ReviewsWither sucked me right in from the very moment I started reading, I wasn’t sure if I would like this story at first but I did. There’s something about DeStefano’s writing, she is able to keep you engaged from chapter to chapter even though nothing big is revealed or gives you a shock. She just makes you want to keep reading and leave you craving for more. I finished this book within 3 readings, the first I’ve finished a book so fast in a while. That’s a testament to how much I enjoyed this book and I’m so glad I enjoyed it so much.I really liked Rhine, she was a pleasant MC and it was interesting to see how she transitioned from being a girl forced into a marriage to a first wife loved by her husband. She kept the hope of escaping within her throughout in a way that wasn’t preachy, thank goodness. You could really see the relationship between her and her sister wives develop and see that they grew fond of each other. Each of the sister wives have their own different past and unique personalities and I really liked that whole dynamic. Jenna had her two sisters, Cecily had been in an orphanage and Rhine had been with her twin brother. All their attitudes towards Linden were different as well and at first I wasn’t too sure if their whole relationship would work but somehow it did. I was envisioning a lot of fighting going on and family politics going around.The whole concept of a time bomb ticking away inside of you is heartbreaking as you see how it affects everyone, well except Vaughn. It did infuriate me at how only the women were being forced into prostitution or kidnapped and sold as brides. What about the men? I feel like this could have been expanded on too, my inner feminist was just going “NO”. I’m quite interested to see more of the history on the whole men dying at 25 and women dying at 20 because I kind of peeked at Sever’s synopsis and it says Rhine’s parents had kept some of the truth about this from her. So I’m looking forward to that in the next two books.Gabriel and Rhine! Oh gosh, I loved them together. I really liked how their relationship was gradual and not at all rushed. In a way, their romantic relationship doesn’t make too much sense because they might not necessarily be in love with each other. That they’re only in this because they both want to escape and they have both found this will inside each other. I would love to see how their relationship gradually develops in Fever.I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Linden, at first like Rhine, you feel hatred for him for putting the three wives into this predicament. Slowly, you realise that Linden is as much as a prisoner like his three wives, his entire life is a life spun of lies given to him by his father. His reality is an entire new world that is nothing like the true reality behind everything. Speaking of his father, Vaughn just gives you shivers down your spine when he comes into a scene. His whole presence is frightening and what he does in his basement is just despicable. You can’t help but wonder, is he really finding a cure to prolong his son’s life? Does he really believe it?I absolutely loved Wither although I was hesitant at first because I’d heard some negative reviews on this series but despite all of it, I’m still going to check out Fever and Sever. Wither is a great start to an engaging read that seeks to grab your attention from the moment you start reading with characters that you’ll fall in love with and mourn over as the clock ticks. Wither serves as a reminder that time stops for no one, especially if your days are numbered.