"Sever" Book Review

Sever by Lauren DeStefano
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book isn't as long as it looks at first glance. There's a lot of space on the pages and the print is pretty big.

This was a disappointing read and I was ready to have my mind blown because I liked the first two, so much! I'm actually very upset about this.

This book could easily have been called "Rhine Severs Her Brainstem" and it would've been more factually accurate. Rhine doesn't think in this book. The strong woman who kept escaping the clutches of vile doctors and mad madams (while under the influence of drugs she was forced to take, by the way), who fought with all her heart to be free, doesn't THINK in this entire third book. In the first part of the book she eats, cleans, hides from Vaughn, and plays with wildflowers, all pretty much thoughtless activity. And in the second part, she's just stupid. She might be thinking, but she keeps any and all important information from the other people around her who need it, which makes her ability to think absolutely pointless.

There's many a time where the narration says she moves before she even realizes she has moved, which explains most of her stupid actions, which consists of:

• running towards an empty plot of land where a building would've stood if her brother hadn't blown it up. This wouldn't be so bad, except it results in her friends and herself being captured by a mob.
• not saying anything that could defuse a horrible outburst between Linden and Cecily. Her reason: "I'm not a sister-wife anymore. It's not my battle." Okay, be useless, you stupid, lazy bitch.
• When the evil doctor Vaughn shows up to collect her idiot brother and herself and explain his flimsy reasoning behind murder, entrapment, and enslavement of other people, her only reaction is, literally, "Okay."

What the hell, DeStefano? She's obviously upset (having needles shoved in your eyes will do that), but you didn't have to completely cut her balls off and make her an auxiliary character. She's supposed to be the one making the story move, not just have a story move around her.

I liked how Linden's character changed - "Oh my god, everyone has been telling me for ages how much of an asshole my father is. And now, I can't believe how right they are, or were, since most of those people are now dead as a result of my father's insanity." Unfortunately, it was pointless. If only every story could be satisfactorily completed with the death of a much-beloved character. But then every conclusion would probably look like this:

"As they looked to the horizon, they smiled and hugged each other for warmth

against the chill of a new day. They had the rest of their lives to be together.

"And then the world exploded."

The End.

Technically, that is a definite ending, no bullshit and no future bad sequels to worry about, but not one I want to read from every new author. (I'm looking at you, Suzanne Collins! Although I thought your surprise death made more sense than this one did.)

I will say this though: DeStefano is at her best when she's writing about despair over the loss of a loved one.

I was even okay with the cover on this. Seriously, am I the only one in this universe okay with the color green? Is it bad or something? Does it spit in everyone's morning coffee and steal their favorite chair in the lunch room while I'm not looking? It's just a background, you idiots! Not everything in the young adult section has to be red, black and white. "Oh no, it's a bright color! My eyes cannot handle it!"

I don't understand Rowan at all. At the beginning of the trilogy he doesn't trust anyone and always goes into protective mode around his sister. And then his sister 'dies'..... and he trusts the first person he meets. That is so completely random, I don't know what to say about it, except maybe he shouldn't have been in this book series to begin with if that is all that happens with him. Also, when she shows up, he's just like, "Hey! Join the party! Here's my evil doctor friend!" Dude, show some compassion or something; why were you written so badly? And then at the very end, he almost seems pliable: one insult towards his sister and he's on her side without having been told anything.

Believe it or not, I actually did find things that I liked about this last book and helped it earn the 1.5 stars it did get:

• Cecily wasn't just a hateful piece of regret wandering around. Her callousness had a use this time!
• Reed was cool.
• Vaughn dies; it wasn't as horrible a death as I would've liked to have seen (for that I suggest Stephen King - he brutally murders his bad guys and it is awesome.) and it wasn't a surprise, but it was nice to see happen.

To be honest, I am not sure if I will read any more of DeStefano's books. Most of the book was disappointing and the ending was just okay.

View all my reviews

I give this book 1.5 out of 5 stars.