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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
Honestly, it just felt like nothing was happening for most of the book. I felt like there was a lot of opportunity for action and excitement, but...it just wasn't there.
Ally Condie's way of writing is lovely, the characters were alright (for the most part), and I liked the ending well enough, but it was overall just a boring book for me.
Ally Condie's way of writing is lovely, the characters were alright (for the most part), and I liked the ending well enough, but it was overall just a boring book for me.
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Very underwhelming.
The book seemed to drag on and ramble about the Society and the Rebellion and the Society and the Rebellion, without much actually happening. Several hundred pages worth of angst over trying to remember a single memory that confirmed what we already *basically* knew and what had no real effect on the plot. After two pretty interesting books leading up to the REVOLUTION, book three could have been so action-packed and so thought-provoking but instead fell totally flat. The revolution happened in 12 seconds at the very start of the book and the rest of the story was filled with a lot of literal immobility, with the majority of the country riddled with the disease that left them lying motionless.
So, so bored.
The book seemed to drag on and ramble about the Society and the Rebellion and the Society and the Rebellion, without much actually happening. Several hundred pages worth of angst over trying to remember a single memory that confirmed what we already *basically* knew and what had no real effect on the plot. After two pretty interesting books leading up to the REVOLUTION, book three could have been so action-packed and so thought-provoking but instead fell totally flat. The revolution happened in 12 seconds at the very start of the book and the rest of the story was filled with a lot of literal immobility, with the majority of the country riddled with the disease that left them lying motionless.
So, so bored.
Can't remember exactly how good I thought this was at the time, but it was my least favorite of all of the trilogy and a disappointment if I remember correctly.
Considering I reread this entire trilogy because I had been thinking about one specific scene in the first book, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the whole series dragged. The first time around, I already knew that the second and third books were not my favorites, but now, I've come to re depressing conclusion that I don't even love the first one as much as I thought. Still, the final installment in this drawn-out trilogy, while much longer than I would've liked, was also much better than I remembered. The key is to start with low expectations, but also to let many years pass between rereads so the twists are still thrilling. After this reread, it'll be a very long time before I decide to pick these books up again, if ever, but I'll always have a soft spot for the first one.
A much superior, in my opinion, Ally Condie book would be her middle grade "Summerlost," which, one, is middle grade (can't get better than that), two, features an Asian American protagonist, and three, is about summer. Those are just three reasons why I love that book with all my heart and if you have a heart, or if you don't, you need to read it.
A much superior, in my opinion, Ally Condie book would be her middle grade "Summerlost," which, one, is middle grade (can't get better than that), two, features an Asian American protagonist, and three, is about summer. Those are just three reasons why I love that book with all my heart and if you have a heart, or if you don't, you need to read it.
Plot: I’m not gonna lie, this one felt a little weird to read, since we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. So, I could kind of understand the anxiety that basically all of the characters felt about the plague… *has flashback to me laughing like a mad woman when I found out that the third book featured the plague and that I was reading it in 2021 because IRONY*
I was also impressed with how well written the plague was. Like, Condie DID HER RESEARCH, because there was never even one moment that I thought, “this is so unrealistic, this would never happen.”
Characters: Cassia’s transformation in this book was breathtaking. I loved how we got to watch her grow over the course of these three books… It was really beautiful, and I just love her to pieces.
Xander literally became a man in Reached. He grew so much and I was so proud of him and how he learned to be the man that he needed to become…not the man that Cassia needed him to be. He learned how to be his own person and really came into his own, and I’m honored to have been part of his journey.
Ky, my baby. He came a long way by the end of this book. And I have too many feelings, so don’t make me try to put them into words because I CAN’T!
ALSO, can we just talk about how we got ALL THREE OF THEIR POVS IN THIS BOOK? Like I was so happy to see inside of all three of their heads, it was beyond satisfying.
Final Thoughts: It was the perfect ending to a beautiful trilogy. Condie tied up the loose ends in a way that satisfied me and I was really happy with the growth of all the characters. It was a bittersweet kind of ending, because people were ultimately lost in the journey, but that’s also what made it feel real to me: Nobody got out unscathed. Every single person in the story was impacted, in some way, by the events that transpired and people they met. Everybody had scars at the end…but those scars don’t define them…instead they are a reminder of who they have become.
The Content Review (taken from Common Sense Media)
Violence: Some deaths from the Plague are a little grisly. A character is accused of killing someone and faces execution. Several characters die, but the deaths occur off-screen. And there’s a fleeting, hinted threat of sexual violence against a secondary character.
Sex: There are a few brief kisses.
Language: None.
Drinking/Smoking: None.
I was also impressed with how well written the plague was. Like, Condie DID HER RESEARCH, because there was never even one moment that I thought, “this is so unrealistic, this would never happen.”
Characters: Cassia’s transformation in this book was breathtaking. I loved how we got to watch her grow over the course of these three books… It was really beautiful, and I just love her to pieces.
Xander literally became a man in Reached. He grew so much and I was so proud of him and how he learned to be the man that he needed to become…not the man that Cassia needed him to be. He learned how to be his own person and really came into his own, and I’m honored to have been part of his journey.
Ky, my baby. He came a long way by the end of this book. And I have too many feelings, so don’t make me try to put them into words because I CAN’T!
ALSO, can we just talk about how we got ALL THREE OF THEIR POVS IN THIS BOOK? Like I was so happy to see inside of all three of their heads, it was beyond satisfying.
Final Thoughts: It was the perfect ending to a beautiful trilogy. Condie tied up the loose ends in a way that satisfied me and I was really happy with the growth of all the characters. It was a bittersweet kind of ending, because people were ultimately lost in the journey, but that’s also what made it feel real to me: Nobody got out unscathed. Every single person in the story was impacted, in some way, by the events that transpired and people they met. Everybody had scars at the end…but those scars don’t define them…instead they are a reminder of who they have become.
The Content Review (taken from Common Sense Media)
Violence: Some deaths from the Plague are a little grisly. A character is accused of killing someone and faces execution. Several characters die, but the deaths occur off-screen. And there’s a fleeting, hinted threat of sexual violence against a secondary character.
Sex: There are a few brief kisses.
Language: None.
Drinking/Smoking: None.
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A