Wither

"Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)" by Lauren DeStefano
Hardcover: 358 pages
Published: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (March 22, 2011)

Description:
Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.

This was a fantastic book!  I absolutely can't wait to continue this series when the new books are published.  I only wish that I didn't have to wait.

This book reminds me a lot of the book "Matched" that I did a review on.  I really like these kinds of futuristic events type books.  This book is about a future society that has women only living until the age of 20 and men until the age 25 due to messing with genetics in the past.  A perfect genetic society is created from the remnants of the older society with health problems, diseases, etc.  They create a society that doesn't get sick and get cancer, etc.  Only after creating them, do they realize that they don't live long.  Many of this new society become experiments to determine the exact cause in hopes of finding a cure.  The children born of this new society also are the subject of experimentation.  Many of the women/girls of this perfect society are married off and auctioned off to help create a new generation.  This book is the story of one such girl that is kidnapped against her will, and forced to marry.  She is constantly trying to find a way out of her prison.  The imagery in this book is wonderful and beautiful.  I really loved it.

The next book in this series: "Fever" due out on 2-21-12

Beastly

"Beastly" by Alex Flinn
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Teen (October 1, 2007)

Description:
Now a major motion picture starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer
I am a beast.
A beast!
Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll, stay this way forever ruined unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.

I thought this book was way better than "Cloaked" by Alex Flinn.  If all of Alex's books were like this, then maybe more would be made into movies.  I didn't think I would enjoy this after reading "Cloaked" but I was wrong.  It was cheesy in some parts, but it is after all a re-tell of the classic "Beauty and the Beast".  Just make it in today's time period, and there you go.  I'm looking forward to seeing the movie now that I've read the book, but I've heard that they changed some very important parts in the movie that should have been left alone.  We'll see, I guess.

Not Enough Time

Uughh!!!  I just can't find the time to read this summer...I'm quite bummed by this.  I really wanted to read "Delirium" but had to return it to the library because it was due.  This is the second time that has happened with this book...maybe it's a sign?  Anyway, I'm back to trying to start to read "Uglies".  Hopefully I will finish it before summer is over.