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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Wow. This was just so incredibly satisfying in literally every possible way. I loved it so much. The characters developed but stayed true to their personalities and there were twists and UGH SO GOOD!!!!! The ending is just so satisfying, I don't know any other way to describe it. All of the loose ends were taken together here and came together to create something so beautiful and good and amazing. I can't get over it. And there continue to be these questions about power and corruption and new questions are introduced about who gets to choose about what happens to you (that sounds vague because spoilers, but trust me, it's great.) Overall, this book just wrapped up everything in the first two books unbelievably well while still retaining its own plot.
It's the third in a trilogy so I don't give a little blurb thing, but you should read ALL OF THEM and then the only blurb I'll give is it wraps everything up.
SPOILERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS DISCUSSION!!!!!!!!!!!!
First of all, the last line of the book is about the open road, right? And that was Julian's version of the future, an open road after a thunderstorm (and I don't know what the hell all of the stuff that's gone on in these books would be called if not a thunderstorm.) It was JULIAN'S future, he was still with them all no matter what, that beautiful, beautiful boy lived on with them. I cried like nobody's business at that. So freaking good.
Ruby is such a strong character. Sometimes, her strength can be a pain in the ass and totally unnecessary and her independence drives me CRAZY (I'll talk more about that later) but it must be said that she is incredibly strong. She walked out of that freaking camp on her own two legs, despite it all. She learns to own herself, and all of the parts of herself. She learns how to control her powers, and not let them control her. She goes back and (of course, with a lot of help) helps the family that she made there escape. She protects those that she loves with absolutely EVERYTHING that she has in her. Is she a well-rounded character? No. But she's someone you want on your side, no matter what.
That being said, jeez she's not all that great at being in a relationship. That whole communicating thing just doesn't come easily to her and that pissed me off on so many different occasions. She and Liam just needed to talk to each other and trust each other to go out and do what they needed to do. They spent so much time trying to protect each other that they just ended up growing farther and farther apart (and then making out so everything was fine, but really.) I obviously love their relationship, but the fact that they just COULDN'T seem to talk to each other or fully trust each other grated on me and created SO much unnecessary angst (and we had enough necessary angst anyway.)
CLANCY!!! FRIGGIN' CLANCY!!! That whole twist was built up so well. With the sleep-walking that she started doing and the footage missing and… I just thought that the way that was put together was really skillful and I, for one, didn't see it coming. Clancy is just such a horrible person, and I think that all of the realizations that Ruby comes to at the end were just so important to keep her from becoming like him. I hated him, but I also pitied him.
Again, I love the writing in here. It definitely has a quality that seems very real to it that I really appreciate. I don't know what exactly makes that the case, because this book didn't have any scenes that stuck out to me so profoundly as some did in the last book (check out my review.) That being said, the writing continues to feel very raw and exposed in a way that I really appreciate, while still retaining humor and heart.
Also about the writing, the use of swear words has (I feel) upped in each book (in no small part due to Vida's addition to our merry band.) I feel like as the writing got rawer (in response to the content getting rawer) there was this addition of cursing, and I feel like it was done really well. It's hard for me, because oftentimes, I find, in YA lit, it's either all swearing all the time ([b:Looking for Alaska|99561|Looking for Alaska|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394798630s/99561.jpg|919292]) or a lot of kind of juvenile replacements for swearing that just feels kind of fake ([b:Rebel Belle|8475505|Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371650817s/8475505.jpg|13340323]) and I feel like this book avoided both of those pitfalls and managed to be really realistic (at least, to the amount of swearing that I find in my life as a teenager.) There are characters who swear more and the more tense the situation gets the more swearing etc. That's just a kind of weird thing to make me really happy, but it truly does.
VIDA AND CHUBS!!!!!!!!!! I love them separately, and DEAR GOODNESS I LOVE THEM TOGETHER!!!! That whole conversation with Chubs and contraception and… so good, that made me so happy. Also, just putting this out there, but I totally called them getting together.
And Vida is so strong and such a badass and Chubs cares so deeply and is so amazing and I just love the family that was created here so much.
I love the relationship that slowly but surely developed between Vida and Zu. That they were just helping each other so much in developing strengths in areas that might not have come so easily to them beforehand. It was just SOOOO sweet.
AND WHEN ZU TALKED OUT LOUD AND AHH I LOVED THIS WHOLE BOOK SO, SO, SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!
Nico was really interesting to me. He betrayed them, kind of, but also he was so in love with Clancy and did his best to try to help Clancy become a better person and help them all out… and he's just kind of on the fringes of the group and he's been hurt so badly and… I don't know, he was just very interesting to me and I wish that there had been a little bit more detail about his life and what happens to him etc.
Liam and his rules when they made out in the closet just UGH, MADE ME SO HAPPY!!! Also, I know that I'm like the only person who fangirls over guys (and people in general, obviously, but it tends to be exemplified YA lit through guys) who are, like, super clear about a base of enthusiastic consent and saying and communicating if you're not feeling it or whatever and that he included that just made me so happy.
Personal YA pet peeve that happened in this book as well as other ones (for example, [b:City of Heavenly Fire|8755785|City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)|Cassandra Clare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389748702s/8755785.jpg|13629068]) where there are like, making out scenes that go… far enough in a reasonable amount of detail and then the second that it's the big sex scene it's like "and then he kissed me and then he was inside me the end." That's just annoying to me.
Was I the only one who felt like some of the "our bodies we get to decide what happens to them" thing was basically a pro-choice political statement? I mean, I love that, of course, but it just stood out to me.
Also, I thought that whole progression of events (especially Chubs just coming into his own there, love) was really great. And them fighting for the right to control what happens to them and learning to love the parts of themselves that are so important to them. LOVE!!!
Ruby getting connected to her family again. Grams was amazing and her descriptions of everyone were spot on and fabulous. And Ruby restored the memories to her family, that was amazing and then they were together again.
And when she went back to her cabin and she was with her family there again and the story and restoring all of the memories to Sam…
I love that the ending (as far as the romance part of it) was both a melding of what the dream was in book one, just two normal people meeting and falling in love in a normal life, and also was very much Liam and Ruby. Like, they still have their powers and they still have everything that they've learned thus far about themselves and each other, but also they have to apply that to driving to meet each other and curfews and… it's just really great. It was their dream meeting with their reality and I think that they're going figure it out famously.
Let's end on the fact that I will be picking up any and everything that Ms. Bracken writes from now until eternity.
FFFFFFFFIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant, brilliant ending to a trilogy I've truly loved: 96%
It's the third in a trilogy so I don't give a little blurb thing, but you should read ALL OF THEM and then the only blurb I'll give is it wraps everything up.
SPOILERSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS DISCUSSION!!!!!!!!!!!!
First of all, the last line of the book is about the open road, right? And that was Julian's version of the future, an open road after a thunderstorm (and I don't know what the hell all of the stuff that's gone on in these books would be called if not a thunderstorm.) It was JULIAN'S future, he was still with them all no matter what, that beautiful, beautiful boy lived on with them. I cried like nobody's business at that. So freaking good.
Ruby is such a strong character. Sometimes, her strength can be a pain in the ass and totally unnecessary and her independence drives me CRAZY (I'll talk more about that later) but it must be said that she is incredibly strong. She walked out of that freaking camp on her own two legs, despite it all. She learns to own herself, and all of the parts of herself. She learns how to control her powers, and not let them control her. She goes back and (of course, with a lot of help) helps the family that she made there escape. She protects those that she loves with absolutely EVERYTHING that she has in her. Is she a well-rounded character? No. But she's someone you want on your side, no matter what.
That being said, jeez she's not all that great at being in a relationship. That whole communicating thing just doesn't come easily to her and that pissed me off on so many different occasions. She and Liam just needed to talk to each other and trust each other to go out and do what they needed to do. They spent so much time trying to protect each other that they just ended up growing farther and farther apart (and then making out so everything was fine, but really.) I obviously love their relationship, but the fact that they just COULDN'T seem to talk to each other or fully trust each other grated on me and created SO much unnecessary angst (and we had enough necessary angst anyway.)
CLANCY!!! FRIGGIN' CLANCY!!! That whole twist was built up so well. With the sleep-walking that she started doing and the footage missing and… I just thought that the way that was put together was really skillful and I, for one, didn't see it coming. Clancy is just such a horrible person, and I think that all of the realizations that Ruby comes to at the end were just so important to keep her from becoming like him. I hated him, but I also pitied him.
Again, I love the writing in here. It definitely has a quality that seems very real to it that I really appreciate. I don't know what exactly makes that the case, because this book didn't have any scenes that stuck out to me so profoundly as some did in the last book (check out my review.) That being said, the writing continues to feel very raw and exposed in a way that I really appreciate, while still retaining humor and heart.
Also about the writing, the use of swear words has (I feel) upped in each book (in no small part due to Vida's addition to our merry band.) I feel like as the writing got rawer (in response to the content getting rawer) there was this addition of cursing, and I feel like it was done really well. It's hard for me, because oftentimes, I find, in YA lit, it's either all swearing all the time ([b:Looking for Alaska|99561|Looking for Alaska|John Green|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394798630s/99561.jpg|919292]) or a lot of kind of juvenile replacements for swearing that just feels kind of fake ([b:Rebel Belle|8475505|Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle, #1)|Rachel Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371650817s/8475505.jpg|13340323]) and I feel like this book avoided both of those pitfalls and managed to be really realistic (at least, to the amount of swearing that I find in my life as a teenager.) There are characters who swear more and the more tense the situation gets the more swearing etc. That's just a kind of weird thing to make me really happy, but it truly does.
VIDA AND CHUBS!!!!!!!!!! I love them separately, and DEAR GOODNESS I LOVE THEM TOGETHER!!!! That whole conversation with Chubs and contraception and… so good, that made me so happy. Also, just putting this out there, but I totally called them getting together.
And Vida is so strong and such a badass and Chubs cares so deeply and is so amazing and I just love the family that was created here so much.
I love the relationship that slowly but surely developed between Vida and Zu. That they were just helping each other so much in developing strengths in areas that might not have come so easily to them beforehand. It was just SOOOO sweet.
AND WHEN ZU TALKED OUT LOUD AND AHH I LOVED THIS WHOLE BOOK SO, SO, SOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!
Nico was really interesting to me. He betrayed them, kind of, but also he was so in love with Clancy and did his best to try to help Clancy become a better person and help them all out… and he's just kind of on the fringes of the group and he's been hurt so badly and… I don't know, he was just very interesting to me and I wish that there had been a little bit more detail about his life and what happens to him etc.
Liam and his rules when they made out in the closet just UGH, MADE ME SO HAPPY!!! Also, I know that I'm like the only person who fangirls over guys (and people in general, obviously, but it tends to be exemplified YA lit through guys) who are, like, super clear about a base of enthusiastic consent and saying and communicating if you're not feeling it or whatever and that he included that just made me so happy.
Personal YA pet peeve that happened in this book as well as other ones (for example, [b:City of Heavenly Fire|8755785|City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)|Cassandra Clare|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389748702s/8755785.jpg|13629068]) where there are like, making out scenes that go… far enough in a reasonable amount of detail and then the second that it's the big sex scene it's like "and then he kissed me and then he was inside me the end." That's just annoying to me.
Was I the only one who felt like some of the "our bodies we get to decide what happens to them" thing was basically a pro-choice political statement? I mean, I love that, of course, but it just stood out to me.
Also, I thought that whole progression of events (especially Chubs just coming into his own there, love) was really great. And them fighting for the right to control what happens to them and learning to love the parts of themselves that are so important to them. LOVE!!!
Ruby getting connected to her family again. Grams was amazing and her descriptions of everyone were spot on and fabulous. And Ruby restored the memories to her family, that was amazing and then they were together again.
And when she went back to her cabin and she was with her family there again and the story and restoring all of the memories to Sam…
I love that the ending (as far as the romance part of it) was both a melding of what the dream was in book one, just two normal people meeting and falling in love in a normal life, and also was very much Liam and Ruby. Like, they still have their powers and they still have everything that they've learned thus far about themselves and each other, but also they have to apply that to driving to meet each other and curfews and… it's just really great. It was their dream meeting with their reality and I think that they're going figure it out famously.
Let's end on the fact that I will be picking up any and everything that Ms. Bracken writes from now until eternity.
FFFFFFFFIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brilliant, brilliant ending to a trilogy I've truly loved: 96%
Esta última parte de la trilogía me ha decepcionado un poco. Aun así tiene buenisimos puntos que destacar, el discurso final de Chubs es fantástico y tiene alguna reflexión que se podría aplicar a cualquier conflicto actual que tenga que ver con la raza o las enfermedades mentales. Ser diferente no es malo, ni peligroso. That's it.
The evil is finally defeated.
This is the longest it has ever taken me to finish any series.
Why in the world was this book 535 pages?? Sis..... It is literally packed with so much unnecessary shit and pointless events that don't affect the outcome in any single way. Like everything happened in the last 90 pages, I am basically rating the last 90 pages 4 stars, everything 3. That said those last pages really got me going sis, and everything wrapped up nicely with no loose ends, sis let me breathe for once.
Now, I saw a comment on Reddit saying that Ruby and Liam have the best relationship in YA. First of all, if you think that's a good relationship please call this number: 1-800-799-7233, cause sis u must be in a domestic. Any time there was any conflict, it was just a waste of time cause for the previous two books we have already seen the pattern that UwU their love is so strong no discourse can keep them from being in love.
Lastly, let's talk about sex.
Alexandra Bracken writing virgins having sex catapulted me the sex-repulsed side of the asexual spectrum. Like it wasn't even necessary, I don't wanna read about awkward virgin foreplay and then him being "inside" you. Oh and let's not forget her obsession with her subtle hints at condoms and protection. SIS SHUT UP. WHAT WAS THE REASON? Those scenes were so uncomfortable and unnecessary like we get it they love each other, you could have spared my eyes reading that.
I'm so glad this journey is over, I don't know why I engaged in this self-masochism, definitely gonna have to talk to my therapist about this relapse into self-harm that was reading this book.
Alexandra Bracken, I still wanna fight you.
This is the longest it has ever taken me to finish any series.
Why in the world was this book 535 pages?? Sis..... It is literally packed with so much unnecessary shit and pointless events that don't affect the outcome in any single way. Like everything happened in the last 90 pages, I am basically rating the last 90 pages 4 stars, everything 3. That said those last pages really got me going sis, and everything wrapped up nicely with no loose ends, sis let me breathe for once.
Now, I saw a comment on Reddit saying that Ruby and Liam have the best relationship in YA. First of all, if you think that's a good relationship please call this number: 1-800-799-7233, cause sis u must be in a domestic. Any time there was any conflict, it was just a waste of time cause for the previous two books we have already seen the pattern that UwU their love is so strong no discourse can keep them from being in love.
Lastly, let's talk about sex.
Alexandra Bracken writing virgins having sex catapulted me the sex-repulsed side of the asexual spectrum. Like it wasn't even necessary, I don't wanna read about awkward virgin foreplay and then him being "inside" you. Oh and let's not forget her obsession with her subtle hints at condoms and protection. SIS SHUT UP. WHAT WAS THE REASON? Those scenes were so uncomfortable and unnecessary like we get it they love each other, you could have spared my eyes reading that.
I'm so glad this journey is over, I don't know why I engaged in this self-masochism, definitely gonna have to talk to my therapist about this relapse into self-harm that was reading this book.
Alexandra Bracken, I still wanna fight you.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If it were possible to give 4.5 stars I would. The only thing I wish was better was a little more action in the beginning. This series took me on a ride I will never forget and I look forward to re-reading it all so many more times. Here's to wishing I was an Orange! :) or a Blue.
This book was one of the ones where when you finish it, you just want to sit down and cry. Not because it had the most gut-wrenching, heart-breaking endings ever, but because it was so beautiful. I fell in love with every single one of the characters, and it may be stupid to say it but I'll miss them. You invest so much time and love into a book, or series that it doesn't matter if you've read a thousand other books, this one instantly becomes the best you have, or will ever read. I am proud to be the type of person who can make friends with fictional characters, to know their flaws and strengths as if they had told you them to your face. That's just how I am, and I have fallen in love with so many books like I did this one, but each heartbreak is so different, and in ways so much worse. The hours I spent reading these amazing books were not wasted, I would gladly do it all again.
What can I say? This was the perfect ending to an absolutely incredible series, and my face muscles hurt so much from smiling! It was without question as unputdownable as the past two books and I would willing become bankrupt to buy Alexandra Bracken's other books (which if not bought by relatives for my birthday will be most certainly added to the Amazon basket asap). I loved the reunion with both Zu and then later Sam and her parents. It truly is an amazing read, and I urge everyone to buy a copy as fast as you can!
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such a bitter sweet ending to a fantastic trilogy. The Darkest Minds sucked me in, Never Fade broke my heart, and In The Afterlight gave me hope. This was a very satisfying conclusion to this trilogy. I felt like every lose end was tied up and all my questions answered. I love how the series did not end with the complete elimination of the "disease". Instead, they are working towards a future where the "infected" children are given the choice that has been denied them for so long. It showed that there are no easy fixes in life & that things often take time. I grew attached to these characters and they deserve a happy ending after everything they have been through. Ruby's final interaction with Clancy left me speechless. That was way more than he deserved but I am glad someone finally showed him some kindness. Great book, great trilogy, & I would definitely recommend it.
Oh my! I can't believe its over! No!
I love Liam. Ruby has grown so much. Oh & Zu... Can't really think clearly right now. What an intense journey. Recommend this whole series...
I love Liam. Ruby has grown so much. Oh & Zu... Can't really think clearly right now. What an intense journey. Recommend this whole series...