Author Description

Wilted Milkweed tells the story of Finnian Everett, a boy taken to the Garden-a so-called orphanage that's actually a prison for children whose parents have died from a disease known as R.O.T. (Rapid Onset Thanosis). The disease was secretly spread by the Garden itself through genetically modified mosquitoes. On his first day, Finn's bunkmate takes his own life, earning Finn the name "Titanic"-a term for those who "sink" by suicide. It's the start of a harsh reality Finn never asked for, but must now endure. As Finn navigates this nightmarish world, he bonds with a group of other kids: Leo, Ezra, Bobby, Cole, and Kelsey. Together, they try to survive the Garden's twisted rules, which include the Fishtank-a brutal, one-on-one arena match designed to cull the population. They also face the constant threat of the Keepwatchers, guards who enforce the Garden's cruel order. One of those guards, Wolfe, watches over the kids with a growing sense of guilt, wondering if there's any hope left in a place built to destroy it. Finn and his friends must endure the Garden's horrors, all while holding onto a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, they can escape the nightmare before it breaks them all.