paperbacks_and_planners's reviews
1185 reviews

3.5 stars
This book was good and the audiobook was really well done - Cynthia Hopkins did a great job narrating. The story itself was unique and clever and overall enjoyable.

I loved being able to see Levana's backstory. I liked getting some insight into how she got to where she. BUT, there were a lot of uncomfortable moments for me in this book.

Spoiler

Forcing Evert into bed with her being at the top of the list.

And a lot of the story just solidified that she was always screwed up and evil. While there were a few (very few) moments I sympathized with Levana, they were usually quickly squashed sentences later.
Overall this was a super quick read that gave me some backstory that I was looking for before jumping into the final book, Winter.

I really enjoyed this book. Celeste Ng's writing was spectacular as always. The characters were all so well written and dynamic. Everyone was flawed and relatable. I was a little underwhelmed by the ending as it was extremely open ended. By then I was so attached to each of the characters and wanted more.

I'm having a hard time reviewing this book. It was beautifully written and absolutely heartbreaking. This story covers so much - gender, race, family pressures, suicide, cheating, resentment, sexual orientation.. And Ng handles it all beautifully. The story felt so real and personal, like I was looking in on someones life. It's uncomfortable and raw and I couldn't put this down.

Favorite book of the series!!
This book is so long and I was worried that it wouldn't hold up for over 800 pages. But I was hanging on every word. I loved Winter - she quickly became one of my favorite characters. I loved how many points of view we got to see in this book. I loved how all the characters came together, how the uprising grew, the final battle, the ending. I honestly loved all of it.
And I'm still in love with Thorne and Cress. They are so precious.

This is my favorite book of the series so far!

I loved Cress as a character. She was a super fun and quirky addition to the group. But Thorne!! Oh my god... He made this book for me. I wanted a million more chapters of him and Cress together. I just loved watching them grow together. They are too cute to handle.

And that ending!!

Spoiler

Winter's character holding Scarlet captivate and confessing that she's going crazy from not using her power. And then Cinder successfully kidnapping Kai. It was all so good!

I can't get to Winter fast enough!

This is officially one of my favorite series of all time.
The writing is so magical and atmospheric, I just couldn't help but get sucked into the world. And I grew so attached to all of the characters.

Spoiler

I don't know if I've ever shipped anyone as hard as Ronan and Adam <3 <3

This book had me teary and frantically turning the pages. And the ending did not disappoint!
My only criticism of this book is Henry. I don't understand the point of his character and kinda wish he'd just been left out. Luckily he wasn't intrusive enough to bother me too much.

I read this for the first time about 12 years ago and it became my all-time favorite classic. But reading it now as an adult I just didn't have the same experience unfortunately. I can absolutely see why I connected to these characters so much as a 16 year old. But not having that same connection stopped me from being as invested in the story.
There were parts of this I completely loved - insight into how mental health was handled historically, the discussion of gender roles (especially a woman's), family and societal pressures, etc. But a LOT of this just went over my head. I couldn't tell if I was missing actual details or if I was just not comprehending metaphors. But there was a number of instances of me re-reading sections not understanding what was going on or what was being referenced.
I also had to actively remind myself that this book was written over 60 years ago because the language used was really jarring - especially in reference to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, and mental health.
I enjoyed this classic. I thought it was a difficult reminder of how mental health and women's roles were handled in the not so distant past. But it's not a top favorite for me anymore unfortunately.