"Perfect Ruin" by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 356

From Goodreads: "On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose."

While I only consider myself to be a mild fan of Lauren's "Chemical Garden" series (liked "Wither", hated "Fever", LOVED "Sever"), I was beyond excited for this. Why? Because Lauren's way with prose is like no other (I do, in fact, measure all other prose against hers) and because she is able to create worlds never seen before. That being said, that excitement did admittedly begin to wane the further and further I got into this novel.

I think that this book's biggest pitfalls were it's pacing, it's overall world building, and it's main character. It took me near a week and a half to get through this book (something that is almost unheard of before me, typically able to finish one or two books a day). Why? Because I found the plot to be so drawn out, almost coming to a complete standstill at times. I found that the book only really started to pick up towards the last 3/4 (if not 5/6). Additionally, I thought that the world created in this novel was a tad too similar to her "Chemical Garden" series for myself. I would LOVE to see Lauren branch out from dystopian, truly stretching herself as an author/ putting her talents to work- perhaps a hardcore science fiction or fantasy (or *gasp* a contemporary)? My largest complaint with the main character, Morgan, was that I found that she had little to no personality and, at times, leaned too much on others around her.

That being said, I LOVED the character of Basil. He is, without a doubt, my most favourite of Lauren's characters to date (out of both male and female characters). He was just so gosh darn good and you couldn't help but be swept off your feet by him. Furthermore, I did really like Morgan's brother, Lex, and his wife. While their relationship wasn't perfect, it was extremely relateable.

All in all, despite my complaints, I do believe that I will continue on with this series as I'm sure that, like her "Chemical Garden series, each book in this series will get progressively better and better.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way. 

ARC Review: "Sever" by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "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."

While I was a fan of "Wither" (not a super fan like some, just a fan, fan- while I did enjoy it there were a number of things about it that irked me) I WAS NOT a fan of "Fever" (I couldn't, for the life of me, get into it, with the crazy carnival, Rhine continuously going in and out of consciousness,  and so forth), and, as such, I was quite hesitant to read this book. That being said, after finishing it all I can do is shake my head at my earlier stupidity- it was as if this book took all of my favourite characteristics from the previous two books and increased them by tenfold.

My most parting prominent thought about this book is, "Wow, Lauren knows how to write." I know that that may sound silly, her being an author and such, however, it wasn't until I read this book, really read it, that I understood what people are talking about when they say that an author has beautiful prose. Lauren? She haz it. And then some. Lauren is to make the most simplest of thing beautiful, all while not overwhelming the reader, making them feel that her writing is too heavy or detailed. Furthermore, the thought processes that Rhine goes through are second to none.

My second parting thought? "HALLELUJAH! WE HAVE CHARACTER GROWTH!" While I did like Cecily, to a degree, in the earlier books, it was nothing compared to this. While Lauren has beautiful prose like no other, Cecily has strength like no other. Numerous times while reading this book I forgot that Cecily is only 14 years old because she exuded such strength and maturity (as icky as I feel like writing this, I do truly believe that having a child was the best thing that ever happened to her). I also really, really, REALLY liked Linden in this novel. I loved that he saw the light and assumed responsibility for his father's actions in this novel.

That being said, like the previous two books I do also have a few problems with this. Namely, I find the ending to be quite a cop-out. Rather than the characters truly getting the opportunity to take control of their lives that, which they are so deserving of, fate intercepted, ripping it from from them. I feel like there was such a build-up of epicness and that the ending fell flat. However, as becomes evident from my 5 star rating, that fact didn't wreck this book for me as the other elements were able to make up for it.

All in all, I think that despite its ups and downs this is overall an enchanting series by Lauren. I personally cannot wait to see what she has in store for us with her "Internment Chronicles" series, slated to be released in 2014!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

ARC Review: "The Evolution of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin

Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 544

From Goodreads: "Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?"


Warning: This review is admittedly a bit jumpy and erratic, but I figure that fitting for "Mara", no? ;)

Admittedly I was quite on the fence about "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer"- while I on the whole enjoyed the first 3/4 I didn't enjoy the last 1/4 near as much, which I think is attributed to the genre. I had been under the impression that TUoMD was a contemporary thriller of sorts, however, a speculative fiction story line was also thrown into the mix, which, at the time, was anything but what I wanted. That being said, while reading this book I really enjoyed the speculative fiction aspect of it, which is partly attributable to having had quite a bit of time to process it and thereby come to terms with it and also because I believe that it was ferreted out much better than in its predecessor- questions were answered with answers, not with more questions (which seems to be the trend in YA).

I don't know if these books are the most genius thing I have ever read before or the most cracked out- from flashbacks to India, to a creepy doll, to residents at a psychiatric hospital. At any given time I admittedly only understood between 27.8% and 43.4% of what was going on. But what I do know is that these books are utterly addicting. It becomes evident that the books biggest weakness is also its biggest strength- in not knowing exactly what the book is about the reader feels the need that they HAVE to finish it (and finish it quickly, after all, the quicker you finish it, the sooner your burning questions will be answered).

That being said, prepare yourself... This book not being as much of a 'kissing' book than the first was, an aspect which I think that we all enjoyed (as I can recall I described Noah as 'sex-on-legs' in my review of "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer"). However, it is still enjoyable without all of the obvious romance. If I had to describe Noah and Mara's relationship in this book I would say that it is beyond romantic (despite said lack of kissing), but on the other it was utterly dysfunctional- Noah is willing to do anything, even risk his own sanity, to save Mara's. Either way it truly is the cherry on the top of this book.

Aside from Noah and Mara's relationship another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the reintroduction of Jamie. I was a huge Jamie fan in the first book and therefore was devastated when his time was cut short in TUoMD, however in this book we not only see a lot of him, but he plays a hugely instrumental role.

All in all, it becomes evident that Michelle has grown tremendously as an author between this and TUoMD- this is truly a keeper, I will be adding a finished copy to my shelves! Therefore I obviously cannot wait to see what Michelle has in store for us in the third book in the series, "The Retribution of Mara Dyer" (especially with the ending of this book which rips your heart out- I'm going to suggest that you have a box of Kleenex on hand)!


Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Stacking the Shelves

To support my fellow Canadian bloggers I have decided to participate in Stacking the Shelves created by Tygna over at Tygna's Reviews. As Tygna writes, "Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!" 

So... This is probably the most epic STS I have ever had before- but only because this is the first STS post that I have had in a month (since before my hiatus).

For Review

• "The Evolution of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin (Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada): I recently read this and absolutely LOVED IT- I can't wait to get a finished copy in a couple of weeks!
• "Adaptation" by Malinda Lo (Thanks to Hachette Canada): I recently read and reviewed this on the blog! 
• "Black City" by Elizabeth Richards (Thanks to Razorbill Canada): I've heard such great things about this book that I can't wait to start reading it! 
• "Stealing Parker" by Miranda Kenneally (Thanks to Raincoast): I also recently read this, the review will be up in the next little while! 
• "The Diviners" by Libba Bray (Thanks to Hachette Canada): I also recently read this, the review will be up on Tuesday, I believe! 
• "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer (Thanks to Raincoast): This is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2013- I can't wait to reread "Cinder" and then start on this! 
• "The Broken Lands" by Kate Mildford (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "Sons of the 613" by Michael Rubens (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son) 
• "What Came from the Stars" by Gary D. Schmidt (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "Dead is a Killer Tune" by Marlene Perez (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "The Casual Vacancy" (Not pictured- Thanks to Hachette)

Bought

• "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin: I finally replaced my ARC with this finished copy- bought at Chapters for a mere $4.99! 
• "Avengers Season One" by Marvel: I bought this alongside my DVD of "The Avengers" 
• "Fury" by Elizabeth Miles: After borrowing my library's copy of this I knew that it was a keeper- and it comes at the perfect timing, author Elizabeth Miles will be coming to the Ontario Blog Squad's meet-up in a couple of weeks! 
• "Spellbound" by Kelley Armstrong: I finally got this after waiting for a year for the Canadian paperback to be released! 
• "Graveminder" by Marissa Marr: I have always been really curious about this therefore when I saw it at Chapters for $5.99 I couldn't pass it up! 
• "Red Glove" by Holly Black: Again, I couldn't pass this book up when I saw it for $5.99 at Chapters! 
• "The Eternal Ones" by Kirsten Miller: Ditto w/ "Red Glove"
• "The Nine Lives of Chloe King: Volume 1" by Liz Braswell: You can't really do much better than the first three books in the series for $4.99! 

Won

• "Rage Within" by Jeyn Roberts (Thanks to Jen over at Lost in the Library and S&S Canada!)

ARC Review: "The Unnaturalists" by Tiffany Trent

Release Date: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320

From Goodreads: "In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world."

When I first got my hands on an early copy of this book I was ecstatic- it sounded like something right up my alley, an  however, as I delved deeper and deeper into this book my excitement started to wane until it almost completely fizzled out.

There were a number of reasons why I had difficulties getting through this book, one being that I just found that there was too much stuff going on- from a Victorian revival-ish era, to a dystopian/ post- apocalyptic ruling body, to witchcraft, to fantastical beings, to a gypsy-like community and throw in a lot of steampunk (I personally believe that Lia Habel's "Dearly, Departed" is a good example of how to do this right- how to write a complex story without overwhelming the reader).

Furthermore, I felt that there was a bit of lack of context when it came to the fantastical beings that they referred on numerous occasions- I believe myself to be fairly knowledgeable about said beings, but I had no idea what half of them were in this book, especially those who played an instrumental role in the storyline.

That being said, I think that author Tiffany Trent should be applauded for her creativity- because, this book, being a dystopian/ post-apocalyptic book that is set in a steampunkish revival of the Victorian-era where fantastical creatures run rampant and one girl holds the key to saving life as she knows it, is quite literally unlike any other book I have ever happened across before.

All in all, while I was personally not totally satisfied with this book I would still recommend it to fans of the aforementioned "Dearly, Departed" by Lia Habel. Furthermore, I believe that fans of Lauren DeStefano's "Chemical Garden" series would enjoy this book as would fans of Bethany Griffin's "Masque of Red Death".

Rating: 6/10

I received this book from the publisher to read and review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

ARC Review: "Between the Lines" by Samantha van Leer and Jodi Picoult

Release Date: June 26th, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse

From Goodreads: "What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale." 

I must admit that I really quite enjoyed this book, despite feeling conflicted by a number of different things. I think that I enjoyed it so much was because of outside factors influencing my opinion of it (after having read a number of heavy dystopians it was nice to read a lighter/ fluffier read).

One of the things that I can't help but wonder is whether this book would have been published had her mother not been world-renown author Jodi Picoult/ had her name attached to it. Overall I found everything about this book to be quite young and juvenile (I would personally recommend this book more so to MG readers than YA readers)- from the writing, to the characters themselves, to the clipart circa 1995 graphics contained within it (though I do believe the hand-drawn illustrations were beautiful and brought something to the book).

From a writing standpoint I have read numerous breathtaking written books by young authors (ie. authors under the age of 20) and I am afraid that this is not one of them (as mentioned, I found the language to be too juvenile and everything, from the plot to the characters, was quite underdeveloped or too melodramatic). But from the story itself standpoint I do think that it is an interesting concept- I think that all of us have at one point or another wondered what our favourite characters do when we close the book or how they would be in real life (not unlike how we fantasize what it would be like to be locked in a store/ mall without any adult supervision a la Emmy Laybourne's "Momument 14" or what our toys do when we go to bed a la "Toy Story"), so I found it nice that someone actually gave those fantasies of ours a voice.

All in all, despite my complaints I do think that Samantha Van Leer should be commended for penning a novel at such a young age, it is an arduous task that few her age (or heck, people even a decade or more older than her) would be able to accomplish. I am very curious to see whether she continues to pursue a writing career in the future.

Rating: 8/10

I received this book from the publisher to read and review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

"Surrender" by Elana Johnson

Release Date: June 1, 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 480

From Goodreads: Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...."

In my review of "Possession" by Elana Johnson, the first book in her "Possession" series, I noted that on multiple occasions I was EXTREMELY confused by exactly what was going on in the novel, for a number of different reason- constantly changing relationships, lack of context/ explanation, and the likes of. However, I did not find that to be the case WHATSOEVER with this book. Everything in this book was so beautifully described, well executed and the likes of- it becomes evident that Elana has grown tremendously as an author since she penned her debut.

That being said, I must admit that when I first started reading this book I had A LOT of difficulties differentiating between the narrators of this book and of "Possession", I felt that Raine and Gunner were essentially Vi and Jag 2.0. Vi and Raine had the same sort of "I don't give a freck" attitude, had many of the same mannerisms and used a lot of similar slang (despite having lived in cities that were almost entirely removed from one another). However, as the book progressed I found myself less and less bothered by this as I felt that the characters started to come into their own.

Furthermore, I also really enjoyed Gunner and Raine's relationship. In my opinion it seemed much more natural and much less forced than Vi and Jag's relationship (as I made note in my review of "Possession" Jag's and Vi's relationship is BY FAR one of the biggest instances of insta-love I have ever encountered before)- I have realized that I prefer seeing a relationship slowly, but surely, come into being rather than feeling that it came out of left field or was to 'in my face'.

All in all, I am EXTREMELY glad that I decided to stick with this series as I believe this book to be better in every way than "Possession" was. This series is quickly becoming one of my more favourite dystopian/ post-apocalyptic series, surpassing other such series as Ally Condie's "Matched" series and Moira Young's "Blood Red Road"- I cannot wait to see what Elana has in store for us (and the gang) next!

Rating: 10/10

I received this book from the publisher to read and review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

"Possession" by Elana Johnson

Release Date: June 7, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
 Pages: 416

From Goodreads: "Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play." 

This book's biggest weakness was also it's biggest strength- because I never fully understood what was going on I found myself all the more engaged and intrigued, wanting to figure out what was going on by piecing together its rather haphazard components.

I never fully understood what was going on in this book for a number of different reasons- one being that author Elana Johnson continuously made reference to various things (usually technology, but also people/ occupations, and places) without explaining what/ who they are/ without giving us the proper context (almost as if she believes that stickers, tech, thinkers, etc. are everyday/ common occurrences).

Another reason why I had difficulties comprehending this book was due to the almost complete lack of world-building (I have read numerous dystopians lately and this is BY FAR the least developed of all of them).  I think (?) that the world within this book is divided into a few sectors of peope/ locations- the Goodlands where 'goodies' live, brainwashed people who full abide by the laws of their government, the Badlands where 'baddies' live, those people who possess 'freer' will (RE: they are not entirely free from their government- they are not brainwashed on a daily basis), the outlying districts such as Seaside where political asylum seekers are allowed to thrive and Freedom, the capital city which is the most rigid and controlled of them all. But then again... I could be mistaken as there are various elements I don't understand- like, what exactly are the treaties? If Vi fit into the category of aslyum seeker than why was she still obtained in Seaside? Also, I would have LOVED some explanation as to how this world came into being.

Additionally I was irked by both main characters, Vi and Jag. They are BY FAR the most contradictory characters I have ever encountered before and together HANDS DOWN the most dysfunctional couple. I actually feel as if I am suffering from whiplash from their relationship constantly volleying back and forth from a love one to a hate one (BTW by forewarned, this book has one of the biggest cases of insta-love that I have ever encountered before- within a week of meeting one another they are declaring their undying love for one another despite Vi already having a predetermined life partner who she also loves).

That being said, I found Vi and Jay (okay, more so Jay than Vi) to be utterly charming/ swoon-worthy (which I know to be quite ridiculous as A. he is a huge jerk and B. has few redeeming qualities). I thought that all things aside they were quite fun and entertaining characters and they brought a smile to my face when few characters as of late have.

As mentioned, the convoluted-ness of this book was also its biggest strength- as while reading this book I kept thinking to myself, "Maybe in the next chapter everything will be revealed? Oh, it isn't? Well, maybe the next chapter!" (BTW it wasn't). Perhaps what was the best thing about this book though (and I know that I am going to sound totally contradictory, not unlike Vi and Jay) is that despite having very little idea about what this book is about, I don't regret reading it in the slightest, nor do I feel that I wasted my time in doing so. This book is quite unlike anything I have ever read before and I do hope to one day understand it in its entirety. Until then I will continue on with this series.

Rating: 8/10

Stacking the Shelves: The Simon & Schuster Edition

This week instead of participating in IMM I thought that I would give Tynga over at Tygna's Reviews new feature Stacking the Shelves a go! As Tygna writes, "Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"

Bought

• "The Last Echo" by Kimberly Derting

Won

• "Unholy Night" by Seth-Grahame-Smith (Thanks to Hachette Canada)

For Review (I almost fell over when I got these ARCs this week- big thanks goes out to Simon & Schuster Canada!)

• "Between the Lines" ARC by Jodi Picoult

• "Surrender" ARC by Elana Johnson (I must admit that I have yet to read "Possess", even though its been on my wishlist FOREVER, so this will give me an excuse to buy it!)

• "Envy" ARC by Elizabeth Miles (same with "Possess"- must buy "Fury"!)

• "The Unnaturalists" by Tiffany Trent (I must also admit that I had never heard of this book prior to having received it, but it sounds AMAZING- right up my alley- I really want to start reading it ASAP, but I think that I better hold out until August when it is released)

What did you get this week to add to your shelves?

"Fever" by Lauren DeStefano

From Goodreads: "Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever."

I must admit that it took me a really long time to get into this book (I struggled to get through the first sixty or so pages of this book, I could literally only read ten or so pages a day, and then after having read the first sixty pages I set the book down for about a month or two before picking it up once again)- something that is quite unheard of for me. The main reason why I struggled through the first bit of this book was because I found that it didn't jive whatsoever with the world that we had come to know and love (errrrr.... perhaps "love" is not the best word to use when describing a world in which young girls are forced into polygamous marriages and die in their early twenties ;) ) in "Wither", the first book in the series. However, once I was able to get past the first sixty pages, I found that the book was a lot more manageable and I was able to read the remainder of the book within a couple of hours.

There were a number of things that irked me about "Wither" (for instance, did Rhine and Gabriel technically have a relationship, Rhine didn't give Gabriel a choice in running away, etc.) and I very much appreciated and was quite surprised by the fact that this book addressed almost every single problem that I had had (it gave me a new found respect of everything that went down in "Wither", not to mention a different perspective). Furthermore, I did quite like a few of the newly introduced characters (Maddie especially) and the reintroduction of old characters (old characters who I frankly didn't think we would ever see again). 

That being said, while I quite liked all of my burning questions being answered in this book and the introduction of new characters, I was overall quite a bit disappointed by the plot of this book overall. I felt that very little was accomplished in this book- that the plot was a vicious circle of sorts and that Rhine and Gabriel ended up exactly where they started. Furthermore, I felt that the big reveal (the big reveal surrounding Vaughn and Rhine) was almost too far "out there", that nothing in "Wither" led up/ gave any indication that that was going to happen (that it very much came out of left field). Also, (as I have mentioned numerous times) I personally quite dislike it when a character fades in and out of consciousness  throughout the book as I find that it makes the plot unnecessarily convoluted (I mean, how do you know what is real?) and therefore I disliked that that happened with Rhine.

All in all, while I did not enjoy this book near as much as I enjoyed its predecessor, I will still read the last book in this trilogy. Here's hoping that it will be just as good, if not better than, the original!

Rating: 6.5/10

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.