**spoiler alert** Honestly, I preferred the TV show, but this was really enjoyable too. I loved Alina's various dynamics with characters, even though **spoiler alert** Honestly, I preferred the TV show, but this was really enjoyable too. I loved Alina's various dynamics with characters, even though I also couldn't stand a lot of the characters' personalities (cough Mal, Baghra and Ivan cough). When will Alina admit she is just not heterosexual, with the way she thinks about Zoya and Genya?
Only taking a star off for how Alina's love for Mal basically drives her entire existence at the end of the book, because that's no fun and I cannot relate as an aro. Overall she's a great character though.
Kind of sad that I can't find it within myself to properly ship anything that's canon in this book whereas Mal and The Darkling were actually both compelling/interesting options in the show. That being said, the way Alina feels about The Darkling in this book is very relatable as an abuse/grooming survivor....more
You know what some of my least favorite things are in fiction?
"Bad boys" who are really just sensitive guys with leather jackets. Love triangles. SpeciaYou know what some of my least favorite things are in fiction?
"Bad boys" who are really just sensitive guys with leather jackets. Love triangles. Special snowflake main characters. "Love" without proper set up. Abusive relationships presented as "xe just LOVES xir!" (gender-neutral pronouns because any kind of relationship can be like that...) Unnecessary trilogies.
This book had all but one of these. Since it's a standalone, I don't think it requires any explanation which one it isn't.
I picked this book up at my local library with high expectations (I should probably stop having those — more than half of the time, they're dashed). I absolutely adore a well-written dystopia, and the concept (an app that controls people's decisions) was so cool.
I'm not going to bother doing much more summarizing because there's a summary right up there and you can just read it.
Problem #1
It was at about page 50 that my hopes started being dashed. It was when the main character, Rory (Aurora) realizes that she's a Hepta, which means she's basically the best of the brightest and able to study all areas of study and succeed.
Also, there hasn't been one of those in the past two years.
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No one's perfect like that. Except for our little special snowflake here. But that's okay right, because she's a dystopian main character and everyone is perfect in the future! :D
...
Anyway.
Problem #2
North.
Excuse me while I go get him a restraining order.
The first time he met her, he hacked a company's server and downloaded a profile of her strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Just because she was "so hard to figure out". He applied to college for her and wrote a personal essay on a person who inspired her...him. And she was grateful.
Also, the instalove. Barf. I couldn't see why they were attracted to each other for any reason — besides the superficial. And he kept on declaring his "love" for her.
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Other Miscellaneous Problems
- All the supporting characters were there for one reason only - to be accessories to Rory.
- The ending was SO unrealistic and Disney.
- It was way too long. (469 pages!) That's just about as long as Divergent, or one of the Mortal Instrument Series books. THOSE books can pull long off. THIS book can't.
Why it wasn't one star
I liked the moral dilemmas in the classes — the trolley one especially. The way the author incorporated Paradise Lost and the various Greek things were good. And it was suspenseful, so I wanted to know what the ending was. The dynamic with her best friend and his Gemini Gold worked well.
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