Review for "King of Scars" by Leigh Bardugo

Remember, he told himself, remember who you are. He felt his claws emerge, his teeth grow long. I am Nikolai Lantsov, privateer and king.



Rating: ★★★☆☆

Two books disguised as one, what a deal! This book is the continuation of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. And it was sort of a letdown!

Ravka was his first love, an infatuation that had begun in his early boyhood and that had only deepened with age. Whatever it demanded, he knew he would give.

I'm giving this 3 stars, which I feel like is pretty generous. I liked the emotion, and I love the parallels between Nikolai having a monster inside him and like how that relates to fighting inner demons (mental illness). I don't know if that is a crude/weird connection to make, but personally it helped me relate to Nikolai's character a lot. Which was needed because I didn't like Nikolai near as much as I did in Siege and Storm or Crooked Kingdom. I think that's because he was more serious, but I was able to still feel a connection to him. I just thought that based on his charm/wit from previous books, his inner monologue would be more witty/charming, but it wasn't really. Honestly I thought the Nikolai perspective was the most boring. But I digress. Another thing I liked in this book was Zoya's perspective, I thought the background added depth to her character and I just love seeing beyond her harsh facade. It's mentioned that men often think she's soft underneath, and the point of her POV is to say, no I'm not soft, I'm actually this cold and I'm powerful, deal with it. Speaking of soft: I loved reading Nina's inner thoughts about Matthias, and how he had a lasting impact on her. Last thing - I liked the addition of Hanne. I think she has a lot of potential for development in the next book.

So first of all, the obvious critique that I'd heard before I started the book: it's tediously slow-paced. I just don't know why. It feels like so little happened in 524 pages. It is just really frustrating.

Second of all, why were there two plotlines? I really thought they would collide at the end and that would make for a really grand finale, but no. The Zoya-Nikolai-Isaak story was literally complete separate from the Nina story, and they were even separated by an entire country. Other than Nina mentioning Nikolai a few times, and Nikolai mentioning Nina a few times, I'm tempted to say the plotlines were so separate they could've been just two entirely different novels. My assumption is that they will come together in the final book, but I just wish we had gotten a little more of the connection before that.

One small thing that bothered me was kind of the cheesiness/implausibility of certain plot points. The main one that comes to mind is Trassel. Like, really out of the ENTIRE country of Fjerda (Fjerda is big), Nina just happens to stumble upon Matthias's old wolf? Seems unlikely, and I think the Nina-Matthias emotional moments of this book were sufficient without the addition. Somehow though, even though I know it's unlikely and corny, it still makes me smile.

I really did not like the Saints plot of the story. I guess I just didn't really get it/the mythology is starting to seem a little bit too extravagant. I don't know. It just did not work for me.

I think the number one issue I had with this book is the blatant recycling of ideas. It seems like a good idea to continuously make books in the same fantasy world... until all the plots start to look the same. First of all, we have the Nikolai battling his inner demon plot, which I'm pretty sure was resolved at the end of Ruin and Rising so it kind of seems like the author ran out of ideas and just defaulted to that when she brought it back. And also why the Darkling. Why bring him back. I won't even dignify these questions with question marks. I am so over the Darkling. And it's kind of like, what was the point of the entire Shadow and Bone trilogy and Alina and Mal's sacrifices if he's just going to come back. I never liked the Darkling as a villain, and I just feel like it's lazy writing to bring him back instead of crafting a new villain. I'm over it. The last aspect I felt was recycled was the power build up. Every book it's like, ooh a new thing happened/a new thing was acquired and now I'm extra OP! Like in Shadow and Bone it happened when Alina realized the power of the stag belonged to her and not the Darkling, in Ruin and Rising it was when she killed Mal, and in this book it's when Zoya kills Juris to gain his power. There's just always another secret level of power to get to, and it makes the entire hierarchy of power useless. I just want the author to create a system of magic, explain it, and stick to it. This book has just been the author breaking the previously established rules of the magic system, and not in a creative way but in a lazy way.

I'm so over the Darkling, I'm not sure if I'll read the next book. I might read it just for the Nina/Hanne bits, but it honestly might depend on how long it is (how much time I would have to invest in it).

September 2019 Wrap-Up

What a whirlwind of books this month! I read 19 books 😱which I was not expecting to get that many in what with school starting and everything. But still, how frustrating that, once again, I couldn't get just ONE MORE in to get it to a solid 20. Here's some stats for the month:
Total books read: 19
Total pages read: 6044
Average rating: 3.35
Most read genre: Contemporary
Average pages/book: 318
Contemporary is not usually my most read genre, but this month it took it by a landslide because I read What If It's Us (see below), and it was so adorable I went and found as many cute teen gay romances as I could and have been reading them ever since. And more to come in October!
The books I read this month are definitely shorter than usual, but it's still a respectable average with 19 books considered.
Side note: I don't give ratings to books that are rereads, because obviously if I'm rereading them they were probably a four or five star book, so I don't want the rereads to skew the average higher than it would be. Rereads are purely for enjoyment. My average rating this month was kind of low, but there are a couple of one and two star ratings that probably contributed to that.

Here are the books I read in September:

1. Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: ★★★★☆
I liked this installment a lot more than the first book. I loved the addition of Nikolai, and I like the direction the series goes in from here.

2. Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: ★★★★☆
This was a solid conclusion to the Shadow and Bone Trilogy.

3. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: No rating (reread)
I love the Six of Crows duology!! This is actually the first book I ever in the Grishaverse, and rereading it after Shadow and Bone trilogy makes everything make a lot more sense. You can enjoy it without reading Shadow and Bone, but I personally recommend reading Shadow and Bone beforehand. Especially because Six of Crows is better (IMO), so the universe only improves.

4. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Read this for the hype, it has major "I'm privileged" vibes. Issues I had with it: You can’t simultaneously argue “you are in control of your own happiness, take responsibility for yourself” and “God is in charge of everything so you ultimately aren’t in control of your own fate.” Also the blatant humble bragging... we get it, you’re the best at everything which is why you are rich and famous and we aren’t. I was totally rubbed the wrong way by the sex chapter. Not because it was too intimate, but because she encourages women to force themselves to like sex even when they don’t.

5. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

Rating: No rating (reread)
As of yet, this is my favorite Shakespeare piece. And I think it's very important for young readers today. I first read this in high school, and just because of the themes about prejudice, I think it should be a required reading in all high schools (if need be, in place of Romeo and Juliet).

6. What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Rating: ★★★★☆
Obviously I liked this book more than the last Becky Albertalli I read, The Upside of Unrequited. I still saw remnants of the things I hated from that book like the signature unlikable supporting character that the narrator swears is the most amazing person in the world (Dylan) and super obvious telling-not-showing. But I shipped Arthur and Ben so hard. They were so delightfully awkward. This book was, to me, what I wish Eleanor and Park had been (that one was only meh for me). At times I was annoyed by Arthur and/or Ben, but then I realized, hey they are literally sixteen years old, and they’re just acting like they are. I can respect how the authors nailed the teenage romance perspective. Their actions and feelings feel immature at times, but that’s because they’re meant to because they’re kids. But seriously... i need a different ending!!! Or a do over ending! A sequel maybe...? Also - loved the narration in the audiobook, highly recommend.

7. The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg

Rating: ★★★☆☆
I really liked the serious parts of the novel, I think they are really important and those topics were handled well but it was still realistic and relatable. Can’t give this one over 3 stars because the best friend characters were so awful and for some reason they are a large part of this book. Like, all of them are terrible. Also there were some chapters that were completely pointless and unrelated to the book. Why did we have an entire chapter about how Jordan adopted his dog?
Another note: I didn’t love the narration of the audiobook. The Max narrator was okay but the Jordan narrator was not good. And for some reason they did these ridiculous voices when they were speaking another character’s dialogue. The Jordan narrator speaking as Pam was kinda stereotypically racist, like she was some 50 y/o sassy black woman and not just a teenager. And the Max narrator doing his two best friends was just bad.

8. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Rating: ★★★☆☆
I spaced out during some of this, but overall I really liked the stories of the mothers and their daughters.

9. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Rating: ★★★☆☆
This book did not turn out the way I thought it would. It was a pretty good story. My major takeaway: read this book if you want to be SAD. It is sad.

10. Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Just... read my full review HERE.

11. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Rating: ★★★★☆
I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I watched the movie afterwards, and I actually didn't hate most of the changes they made from book to screen. Some of them I even think should've been in the book in the first place, such as Jonas getting chased when he's trying to get Gabriel and then escaping.

12. Iron Man (Junior Novelization) by Peter David

Rating: No rating
I can't rate this... I love the MCU and I'm so partial to this story and these characters even if this was not the best rendition of them.

13. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: ★★★★☆
Very whimsical fairy tales. I enjoyed most of this. Some things were just way too descriptive. It's fun to read the actual Grishaverse books and catch some of the references to stories of "monsters in the thorn wood" or "rivers that could talk" knowing that these are those stories. My top three I really liked, and the bottom three bored me.
My ranking of the stories:
1. The Witch of Duva
2. Ayama and the Thorn Wood
3. Little Knife
4. The Too Clever Fox
5. When Water Sang Fire
6. The Soldier Prince

14. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Rating: ★★★★☆
The description of this book makes it seem so much more frivolous than it is. This is deep stuff. The book is told from the viewpoint of individuals who have died from HIV/AIDS as they watch over 7 gay boys trying to make their way through life and accept themselves. Craig and Harry, who were together but aren't anymore, are trying to break the world record for the longest continuous kiss. Peter and Neil have been dating a year, and they must consider their relationship through the difficulties of being a gay couple. Ryan and Avery have just started to go out, and they deal with homophobia and their pasts. Finally there's Cooper. When Cooper's parents find out he's gay through reading his messages in online chat rooms, they are furious enough to drive Cooper out of the house, and right into the arms of the other men in those chat rooms. Some of it is hard to read. The POV is really unique, and I think the story is told beautifully. I love all the different characters' circumstances, and how they're all kind of intertwined as you get to the end of the story. Hearing the narrators talk about the characters' situations while also referring back to when they were alive and fighting the disease was so powerful. I gave this four stars for being really excellent, not quite five stars because some of the lines were too poetic to the point where it felt cheesy and silly.

15. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: No rating (reread)
Still love this conclusion! It wasn't as magical as the first time around, but things rarely are *sigh*.

16. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera

Rating: ★★★★☆
I liked this story. I thought the contemplations of death that the boys were forced into were tragic and deep and really well developed. I think this is a relevant piece, especially for people would are familiar with grief and loss. I got very emotional at the conclusion of the book (the title says it all), and that does not normally happen to me with books.

17. We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Rating: ★★★☆☆
I guess my overall impression of this book is just underwhelmed. I read this 4 days ago and I can't even remember the main character's name. I know the mystery element was pretty good (but also I was a bit like "is that it?"), and I liked how the story is told in two different timelines. Loved the ending of the book, I thought it was a really good conclusion. But overall, compared to a lot of hard hitting contemporary, it's kind of unmemorable.

18. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Rating: ★★★☆☆
This book was a snooze fest for me UNTIL Tea Cake entered. Not that he was an amazing character, but things just picked up from there. Unfortunately that was literally 50% through the book. I would give the first half a two star and the second half a four star rating, thus three stars.

19. This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Check out my full review HERE.

Review for "Been Here All Along" by Sandy Hall

I really debated on whether to give this 1 or 2 stars, but I felt like it would be an insult to the redeeming qualities of my 2 star books. 



The plot is really basic, like it's basically that one Friends episode where Ross has to decide between his girlfriend (Julie) and his friend (Rachel) who he's actually in love with, so he makes a list of pros and cons, and Rachel finds her cons list and it's horrible. So the plot has been done over and over, and this was just not a good rendition of it. 

The viewpoint situation did not work for me at all. The story was told from four POVs - Gideon, the nerd; Kyle, Gideon's popular best friend; Ruby, Kyle's girlfriend; and Ezra, Gideon's brother. The POV switched so frequently, it was hard to keep track of who "I" was. The POV would switch in the middle of scenes. I admit this was interesting to an extent, because you could see how multiple people reacted to the same situation while it was happening. But I still found myself having to go back and check which POV I was reading. This might also be due to the fact that the characters' personalities weren't developed enough, so you can't tell whose POV it is just from the writing voice.
Speaking of, the characters were terrible. They did not have personality. Obviously we were supposed to see Gideon as the nerd and Kyle as the one dude-bro who isn't a jerk, but they were both so stereotypical that it seemed really fake. The one character that had some personality was given very conflicting personality traits. On one hand, Ruby was written to seem like a typical ruthless, self-centered mean girl, but then it was like you were supposed to pity her, and then she had this big redemption character development. 

Let's talk about Kyle and Gideon getting together. They really just randomly decided they liked each other at the exact same time. I didn't even ship it that much because there was no anticipation. They got together so early on, and there was no chase. Not to mention, it doesn't make sense. Why would they randomly decide they like each other as more than friends? And they both make this random decision at the same time, but without knowing the other's feelings. I can't.
A couple more logistic issues. How do you accidentally out yourself? Like I know that it can happen, but how was Gideon so dense that he literally told his brother "I'm gay" in those exact words, without realizing it? Also: Kyle got mad at Gideon for not telling him he's gay, but was also mad at Ruby for being mad at him for not telling her he's bi? Gideon does call him out on that, but that's an example of how the characters' logic just doesn't make sense.
Also does no one realize how brutal Kyle was to Ruby? Like she's made out to be really mean and superficial (caring about her image), but Kyle screwed her over, and we're just supposed to be okay with it because Gideon and Kyle are cute together and Ruby is a mean girl. I was uncomfortable by some of the horribly blunt things Kyle said while he was breaking up with Ruby. The man has no tact, which is especially conflicting with the fact that he's supposed to be so kind and wonderful.
The cliches in the book were over the top. Things like "I might be a little bit broken", "fall into a fitful sleep", and how groups of kids were stopping in the hallway, pointing and talking about Gideon. This is not Degrassi!!! 

Also, the book was supposed to have depth because the characters dealt with some really important issues, like financial problems and Kyle's dyslexia. But these problems are never resolved. They're just name dropped and used as a way to get us to sympathize with Ruby or to get Gideon's list to seem even worse. Another thing - how did a book about gay romance get away with not discussing homophobia at all? I'm not saying it has to be a major issue, but this must be a seriously utopian community they live in, because everyone is SO excited about Gideon and Kyle being together. Maybe I'm jaded that my city isn't like that, but I just honestly don't think it's realistic.
I wanted to give this 2 stars because I wasn't horribly bored or confused by the plot, but the fact is it's just too simple yet also problematic for that.

Review for "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson

A short and (not so) sweet review for this nonfiction on what being LGBT means and entails.



Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I take issue with a few things in this book.

First of all, I feel like there were many conflicting statements. There would be one statement, and then chapters later there would be something that contradicted it. For example, it was claimed that LGBT people are rarely seen in the media, but then stated that people might be inspired to come out when they see/hear about LGBT individuals on TV which is constantly happening. It was also claimed that being trans is "being born in the wrong body", but then it stated later that being trans is a choice/preference and can change daily. I distinctly remember the phrase "changing your gender", which just doesn't seem correct or very sensitive. Overall, I was not fond of how being LGBT was referred to as a "preference"; I don't really know why. The last major contradiction I had a problem with was how in the coming out chapter, sexuality/gender identity are referred to as central factors of someone's personhood (and that's why coming out is so important/a big deal/monumentally liberating), but then in the last chapter, the book emphasizes that being LGBT is "just a little bit" of a person's life and it's just one of many personality traits, likening sexuality to hobbies.

Other than the contradictions, some parts of this book were just spreading bad messages. In the section on online dating, the book says "If you don't give your age, weight, and height, people will assume you're old, fat, and tiny." I have never in my life seen a dating profile that included someone's weight, and only a fraction include their height. Yeah, not including your age can be sketchy, but nothing gives anyone the right to assume things about you, especially such shallow things. Or maybe you dodge a bullet when they don't match with you because you're too "old, fat, and tiny."

Two stars because I still liked the author's voice. The content was told in a funny and creative way, and in some ways the book did open my eyes to things I didn't consider before.

August 2019 Wrap Up

 In the beginning of the year I was reading so many more books per month! 😂 With school starting up again and work, I really do read as much as I can, but there is not that much opportunity. I'm still going strong toward my Goodreads challenge (a lofty 19 book cushion at the moment), and I will finish my 2019 reading challenge!

Here are my stats for the month. I read a total of 7 books, averaging 418 pages in length. That is definitely longer than the books I've been reading the past few months so I give myself props for that! My average rating was 3.5, which is lower than last month. I blame that on my last read this month... you can see all the details below:

1. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Rating: ★★★★☆
This was a really good book. I really loved the writing style, with the --ALL CAPS EFFECTS-- and the strikethroughs on people's names when they were dead. It really showed how the deaths weighed on Yael's conscience. She could've (should've) been so completely jaded from her past in the camp, and used that as unrelenting fuel to kill anyone who stood in the way of her mission. Instead, the death she witnessed gave her a kind of PTSD that made her terrified of death, including when she was the one doing the killing. I think that Yael was a complex protagonist, and I enjoyed reading her POV a lot. Check out my review for Blood for Blood (linked below at #6) for my review on the series as a whole.

2. Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins

Rating: ★★★★★
This is probably my favorite Kristan Higgins book so far (the fourth one I've read). It's definitely heavier topics and more serious, but I think Nora's giddy optimism kind of off sets that so I liked it. I really meant to write a review for this one, but didn't get around to it. 😕But I do highly recommend this book.

3. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Rating: ★★☆☆☆
This book had some of the most unlikable characters I've ever read, I'm really impressed! Yes, that's sarcasm, because I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to hate the main character or her twin sister, but here we are, with a 2-star review. Two main reasons for the two-star rating: the plot and the characters. And, well, those are two pretty important aspects of novels. To find out more, you can find my review HERE.

4. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Rating: ★★★★★
This book was an emotional roller coaster. I hated characters, I loved characters, I loved characters I hated, and hated characters I love. The author really knows how to write character development. There were a lot of tropes in here that have been so poorly executed by many (most) YA fantasy books (enemies-to-lovers, enemies-to-friends, the chosen one, evil overlord, powerful artifact, the quest. Like really guys, there's a lot.) But! I didn't even really notice these plot points as tropes until after I finished the book and was reflecting on it because they fit so well into the story. Check out my full review HERE.

5. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

Here's another children's classic that I just thought "meh" about. I didn't rate this book because I don't feel that I am the target audience, so I am not going to get out of it what was intended by Carroll. I'm sure this is a joy for children, I just didn't really grow up with the Alice stories, so I didn't care that much about it.

6. Blood for Blood (Wolf by Wolf #2) by Ryan Graudin

Rating: ★★★★☆
This series packs a serious emotional punch. I really enjoyed my time reading, and I was really invested in the characters. I loved the moral dilemmas the characters faced (especially Felix, like wowwww), and I think the 3rd person POV was used really well to tell the story as all the characters. The first book was really just about Yael, and while she's still the main character in the second book, the author really broadened the story by incorporating more characters. Read my full review HERE.

7. Wayfarer (Passenger, #2) by Alexandra Bracken
 
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
This book... where do I even begin? How about with the simplest thing... This book is boring. It does not excite the reader. I was not drawn into the characters or the plotline, much like the first book. The book was 532 pages, but I don't even remember most of the plotline because that's how unmemorable it was. For a second there in the middle, I thought I would end up giving this 3 stars because I was intrigued at certain points, but by the halfway point I was just dragging my feet to finish this. So what went wrong? Read my full review HERE.

Review for "Wayfarer" by Alexandra Bracken

What was history anyway but the lies of a winning few? Why was it worth protecting, when it forgot the starving child under siege, the slave woman on her deathbed, the man lost at sea? 


 

 Rating:★☆☆☆☆

This book... where do I even begin? How about with the simplest thing... This book is boring. It does not excite the reader. I was not drawn into the characters or the plotline, much like the first book. The book was 532 pages, but I don't even remember most of the plotline because that's how unmemorable it was. For a second there in the middle, I thought I would end up giving this 3 stars because I was intrigued at certain points, but by the halfway point I was just dragging my feet to finish this. So what went wrong?

There are so many characters, and none of them are written well. There are also characters just thrown into the mix, to be abandoned and then returned to at the end of the book. If this was supposed to be a twist, it's honestly just corny. Speaking of corniness... this whole book is a melodramatic cringe. There are too many quotes about destiny and love that just made me want to stick a fork in an electrical socket. Here's a quote from the final battle:

...when the Shadow stabbed at his heart, the bead caught the tip of the blade.

Awww the earring necklace that Etta gave to Nicholas as a token of her undying love saved him from dying, awwww. NOT. First of all, that just makes no sense. A SWORD was stopped by a... BEAD? Come on. And even if it did make sense, that's the cheesiest plot point I've ever heard.

We've covered characters and writing, and this segues me into the last flaw of the book: the plot itself. I mentioned that it's boring, but also it just doesn't make sense. There are so many plot holes with the time travel plot because it isn't well established in the beginning, and it makes the whole thing implausible. The author tries to make predetermined destinies coexist with free will, and by definition these two things cannot coexist. It just does not make sense. I was also confused by parts, I didn't understand what was going on with Li Min, or Rose's Grand Plan. Things were not explained well. It was incredibly frustrating.

There were also just some parts of the plot that made me laugh at how ridiculous and unnecessary they were. For example: the Shadows and the Ancient One. There was already enough going on with the Ironwoods, Lindens, and Hemlocks, why add in some scary spooky Shadow dudes just for the heck of it? If the author really wanted to add another competing group, why not add the Jacarandas, who were consistently mentioned but never actually showed up in the story? The Ancient One is, perhaps, the biggest plot letdown of this novel. I actually snorted at the part where Etta literally THROWS A TORCH at him, and he burns up like tissue paper. Like what??? This dude is the most powerful traveler, and everyone is afraid of him, and he has an army, and he's going to Thanos everyone out of existence, but he gets taken down by little more than a lit match? I think that is the epitome of the lack of logic in this book.

My overall series rating: 1.5 stars. Obviously, I didn't like it. It was kind of a waste of my time, and I do not recommend this time travel story. I do plan on reading The Darkest Minds (also by Alexandra Bracken) in the future, so fingers crossed that I like that one better!

Review for "Blood for Blood" by Ryan Graudin

"You and I are not monsters. If anything, we're miracles."


 

Rating: ★★★★☆

This series packs a serious emotional punch. I really enjoyed my time reading, and I was really invested in the characters. I loved the moral dilemmas the characters faced (especially Felix, like wowwww), and I think the 3rd person POV was used really well to tell the story as all the characters. The first book was really just about Yael, and while she's still the main character in the second book, the author really broadened the story by incorporating more characters.

The story didn't really go in the direction I thought it would. It was shocking at times, but not in a way I'm sure I liked. The first book was more of a quest plotline while this book was more of a political war plotline, and I just think some of the twists were unrealistic/corny. That's my personal opinion, obviously I still really like this series as I give it 4/5 stars.

Overall on the duology, I can't decide which book I liked more (and they both got 4 stars from me, so I guess that makes sense). The first book was stronger in plot, but the second book was stronger in characters. Normally strong characters would win out, but I only say the characters were stronger because there were MORE of them. Yael was still an amazing character in the first book, and seeing her struggles with her past and making hard choices in the first book was really great. I really loved the writing style in this book, with the --ALL CAPS EFFECTS-- and the strikethroughs on people's names when they were dead. It really showed how the deaths weighed on Yael's conscience. She could've (should've) been so completely jaded from her past in the camp, and used that as unrelenting fuel to kill anyone who stood in the way of her mission. Instead, the death she witnessed gave her a kind of PTSD that made her terrified of death, including when she was the one doing the killing. I think that Yael was a complex protagonist, and I enjoyed reading her POV a lot.

I also really liked Luka's development. It's mentioned several times in the book how he went from the National Socialists' poster boy to national rebel. In the first book, we don't get his POV, so we don't know any of his history. Knowing his past was really cool, and it made sense with how he makes his decisions. I'm torn over whether or not I liked the Luka-Yael romance or if it was unnecessary, like the author was just putting it in there because he felt that a YA should have a love story. I really thought it was sweet how Luka's inner monologue was admitting that he was staying and joining the resistance for Yael, but I think their admissions of loving each other in the end of the book were a bit rash and corny. To be fair, they were in the middle of an extremely dangerous mission where they could very likely die so I mean YOLO, but still it felt weird to read. I liked [ Luka's honorable death, like I like that he died for a cause he only just joined because he knew he was making up for time spent being the face of a horrible government (hide spoiler)] but I wasn't a huge fan of how that all went down exactly. I just felt like he deserved something bigger and more dramatic.

Now Felix was interesting. We definitely got more of him (compared to Luka) in the first book because with Yael impersonating Adele it went into their family history a bit. But Felix's moral dilemma in this story was so, so well executed. His motives are almost the exact same as Yael's, but in an opposite context. Yael knows that killing the bad guys in order to prevent more death in the future is worth it, but she still has trouble doing it. Felix knows (thinks) that betraying the resistance will save his family's lives, but he still has so many doubts and regrets about it. His panic is portrayed really well, and I think it makes it hard to hate him, even if he did ruin things and was wrong. I don't love Adele, but Felix, FELIX, was an awesome character.

One last thing about the series as a whole - I can't decide if I loved or hated the skin shifter plotline! And that was like the main part of the story. It was just a bit too science fiction (in a book that felt more historical fiction) for me to completely jump on board. The science to me just does not make sense, and it made things a bit too convenient throughout the story (except of course, Yael ruined that by have 5 large conspicuous wolf tattoos on her arm, but I suppose she had a pretty telling inmate tattoo to begin with). The skin shifting was interesting, but then when SPOILER Miriam came in and was ALSO a skin shifter... it just felt kind of silly. It was fun, but it brought down the novel's level of legitimacy.