Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: (The Chemical Garden #2)
Published: February 21st 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
 

It’s the second book, and I still don’t know what I specifically liked about this book series. And my impression remains that it’s a book you either will hate or will love. As for myself, The Chemical Garden Trilogy and I have no common ground. There’s no neutral place for me when it comes to this book. I liked it, flaws and all.

It some strange way, I’m somewhat morally vague in some issues. This is just me, purely my opinion, but if Rhine didn’t escape the mansion she’ll be in a better condition than she was right now. From the moment she stepped out of the comfort her prison mansion, dragging Gabriel along with her, they ended up in far worst situations than what they originally was. They into what? Prostitution, drugs, illness. Now, I sorta agree on Jenna’s decision on just sticking to her polygamous relationship than getting worst out of life outside the mansion. Or perhaps, that was just me. I’m not a risk taker.

But I do get why Rhine wanted to go outside (and I also see the book’s direction). I liked that the author tried to explore the society of that time. But it wasn’t as I expected it to be. Or maybe because there’s no exploration happen. Or if it did (granted the thing happened with her and Gabriel is a norm there) I saw no significance. It’s nothing new. I think the story can progress just fine without knowing it. Or maybe if it was just me who did not see the important of it, I hope she didn’t just drag it that long. When they were in club, carnival, or whatever it was, I sense no relevance to the story. What does it add to the story? Nothing. Except exposing Gabriel to drugs and getting herself dragged into prostitution. And it wasn’t just that, much more the events after that. They were, for me, kinda meaningless. The only thing I see worthy about it was Lilac is connected to Claire; where they temporarily stayed until she was again caught by Linden’s father. And now she’s back again to the place she tried to escape. In a pitiful condition no less.

And since I brought up the issue of morality, I have to say this; I don’t completely disagree with Linden’s father on finding the cure for their faulty genetics. Nor do I see him as an entirely evil person. I just don’t agree how he does it. Using people, forcing them in his experiment without their consent is what made it all wrong. But in the grander scale of things it wasn’t really that evil. I can see his frustrations as a doctor, as a father, as a human. And I can see why he does what he does. But his method, his means to his ends made it horrible.

When Wither end, my only question is—now what? It’s general. Now, when this book ended I have more specific questions. Like, what happened to Gabriel? What’s Rowan doing there? How about Linden and his father? Among others. If only majority (not only just the last few pages) of the book spend more in important things (plot-wise) instead of their uninteresting, futile escapades I would have enjoyed it better. But like I said there’s no gray area for me when it comes to this series, the story was obviously flawed, but I still liked it.