Post #2: First Impressions

Book: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

"I wait. They keep us in the dark for so long we lose sense of our eyelids" (DeStefano 1).

When I read this first line, I thought that it was extremely creepy. Later on this page, the main character, Rhine, mentions that she doesn't know whether she has been there for hours or days. If this were me, I would be freaking out. This makes me empathize with Rhine immediately, which tells me that the author needs the reader to feel this way to understand the entire text.

On page 9, Rhine realizes what has actually happened to her. She understands now that the Gatherers have abducted her for a man, more like boy, that is ready to have children. In this society, people only live to twenty-twenty five years of age. The government is desperate to keep the human race in tact, so they arrange for these girls to be taken, and they are forced to have children in these polygamous relationships. This scene in the book is important because the reader finally understands what is going to happen to Rhine, and at this point, the beginning of the book makes sense. I like this part because it was a moment of clarity for me and I finally was able to understand why Rhine was so concerned.

Rhine remembering her brother is another moment that is vital. She realizes that her brother must be flipping out, because their parents are dead and know he doesn't know where his sister is. In this scene, Rhine reminisces a time that her brother warned her about these people, and that she should always be alert. I like this scene because it helped me understand her past and how this must be affecting her and her brother. Also, it allowed me to connect to this strange situation because I too would be concerned if I did not know the whereabouts of my brother.

I chose this book because it is my favorite genre and I have heard good things about. So far, I have enjoyed this book and have not wanted to put it down. It is suspenseful and you don't ever know what's around the next corner. Based on the first 40 pages of this book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes a suspenseful dystopian novel.