Wither: 15th Anniversary Edition

For the first printing only! This special 15th anniversary paperback features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.

A teen fights to escape the wealthy family who kidnapped her to produce their heirs in this first book in the riveting, New York Times bestselling dystopian young adult trilogy reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale.

Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect humanity has left all males with a lifespan of twenty-five years, and all females with one of twenty--and the world has fallen into a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and girls are kidnapped off the streets and forced to serve as wives and bear children for the scions of the rich and powerful.

Despite her every precaution, Rhine is kidnapped and forced to become a bride. Kept under tight guard, and tossed into a glittering world of illusion, Rhine is given wealth and luxury beyond anything she's ever dreamed. Her every need is met...every need except freedom. With the help of sweet, caring Gabriel--a servant in the manor--Rhine will do anything it takes to escape, go home, and reunite with her twin brother.

But Florida is a long way from Manhattan; her father-in-law, a scientist from the perfect, healthy "first generation" who is obsessed with finding a cure for this early death, is watching her every move and hoarding corpses in the basement; and her husband, Linden, is a far cry from the monster she imagined him to be. But in a world that continues to decay, and with only four years left to fight for, is there any room for someone like Rhine to choose her own path?

Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 01/27/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781665981934
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.2
Point Value: 13
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 143644 / Wither

About the Author
Lauren DeStefano is the author of The Internment Chronicles and the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden trilogy, which includes Wither, Fever, and Sever. She earned her BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut. Visit her at LaurenDeStefano.com.