Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 371 pages, Hardcover
Date Published: February 12th 2013
Find it on Goodreads: Sever
Source: Purchased

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.
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.

Ughhh guys.... I'm having such a difficult time trying to figure out what I'm feeling towards this book. I had SUCH a hard time getting into it. The first 100 pages, I was so bored and couldn't care less and ughh it was just so frustrating. And then, it started picking up but it was still so FRUSTRATING.

Okay, okay, Kristy, focus.

Let's start off with the good, shall we? The main thing that kept me reading this series is the writing. DeStefano's style is haunting and beautiful and I can't get enough. She weaves her sentences together into this amazing piece with captivating words and while there were some issues that I had with the pacing in the beginning, as well as the characters, overall, Sever was written very well.

It took me quite a long time to get through Sever. Probably because I hadn't been the biggest fan of Fever and Sever picks up right where Fever left off. I just couldn't get into it... It wasn't the right book for me at the time and so eventually I had to just tell myself "you need to finish this" and I sucked it up and read it.

While the book eventually picks up, there were lots of things that kind of bothered me, a lot, but it's hard to say what any of them are without spoiling the whole book. At one point I wanted to throttle Rhine because she basically just submitted herself and didn't try and fight but I can't go into specifics because SPOILERS!

UGH AND DON'T EVEN ASK ME ABOUT THE LOVE TRIANGLE.

 ...

I am actually heart broken. DeStefano basically ruined my heart with this conclusion... AND YET I LOVED IT EVEN THOUGH I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE CRIED.

Ahhh okay so basically the author pulled something that I've been craving to happen in a book for so long, not because I'm evil or anything but just because it's not done very often BUT I'D RATHER IT NOT HAVE BEEN THIS BOOK AND THIS CHARACTER.

ahh and I can't even say what it is because it's like.. THE MOST MAJOR SPOILER!

Alright, I realise that this review is mainly GIFs but they're the only way I can get my feelings out towards this book. For a conclusion, I did enjoy Sever. It was slow at the beginning and then began to speed up. Loose ends were tied up, surprises were revealed, we learned more about the world and there was a bittersweet ending. There were quite a few sad moments and others that were annoying and so many other things went on while I read this book. But all in all, I wasn't disappointed. It was a good conclusion to a unique and beautifully written trilogy.

Happy reading!
~Kristy