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kristinescorner's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
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
4.0
i can't believe in the year 2025, i finally finished a series. round of applause please.
in all seriousness, this was a great ending to a great series. it did tend to feel really lonnnnnng but if i sit and think about what needed to be taken out to make it shorter, i come up blank. it felt like every action, every event, had a reason.
i wish we got more personality from jacin, i felt like his character was never fully fleshed out. and i feel the same way about wolf. i felt like all other male characters were fleshed out except them, they were just caricatures of their character.
i'm unsure whether or not i want to read stars above, i think if i ever want to revisit the series, i'll definitely read that first ♡
also series side note - i still can't believe marissa meyer thought it was a good idea to have thorne be 20 and cress 16 and put them togethe
in all seriousness, this was a great ending to a great series. it did tend to feel really lonnnnnng but if i sit and think about what needed to be taken out to make it shorter, i come up blank. it felt like every action, every event, had a reason.
i wish we got more personality from jacin, i felt like his character was never fully fleshed out. and i feel the same way about wolf. i felt like all other male characters were fleshed out except them, they were just caricatures of their character.
i'm unsure whether or not i want to read stars above, i think if i ever want to revisit the series, i'll definitely read that first ♡
also series side note - i still can't believe marissa meyer thought it was a good idea to have thorne be 20 and cress 16 and put them togethe
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
sara_heathers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.5
I loved the characters and story. This is probably one of the most well-crafted YA titles I’ve ever read and it was a splendid finish to the series. It tackles complex ideas like hegemony, prejudice, mental illness, war, etc. while still being engaging and enjoyable. Just very well done. It’s one of my favorites, for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
iyin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5/5 - mainly because this was entertaining and I couldn't put it down. However, I do have some issues with it.
What I liked
- Apart from this being long, it was a fun and easy read for me. I feel the same way about the other main books of the series.
- The incorporation of fairy tales (which I love so much). I'm glad this wasn't a complete 'copy-paste' of Snow White. I actually forgot it was based on that at times.
- It was also inspired by Sailor Moon which I loved when I was younger.
- I liked most of the characters and was rooting for them the whole time
What I didn't like
- There was too much going on and the story felt crowded. I forgot some characters existed while I was reading until they popped up again. Everything and everyone felt so... disconnected from anything else. In the first two books, there were fewer characters which left more room for their personalities to come through and for us to connect to them. While reading Cress, I realised how crowded the story had become. We didn't get to see newer characters develop relationships with the older ones (aside from their love interest), they mainly talked at each other but I didn't mind too much as this story was more plot > characters.
- I only read the Hunger Games once a long time ago and I don't remember much but even I could see how Luna resembled the world in HG.
- Also, when did this series become so violent and dystopian?
- Winter felt like a side character in this book more than the main character.I understand this is the final instalment of the main series and everything has to be neatly tied into a bow, but if that was the case, what was the point of this Winter character? I would've rather the final book be named something else and focus on the 'overthrowing Levana' plot with help from Winter (as a side character) instead of believing she would be the main character and not living up to the role.
- Winter was a bit childish to me. I imagined her in pyjamas carrying a stuffed rabbit throughout the entire book. I did feel a bit bad for her at first and I disliked how mean Scarlet was to her at times but it got tiring listening to her after a while.I kind of wish Winter didn't have lunar sickness and was more level-headed. It would've been cool to see Cinder hand over the Luna throne to her so she could go off and marry Kai on Earth.
- Cress' obsession with Thorne - I get that she was meant to be naive but the obsession and jealousy over how Thorne treated other women was too much. I like how he proved her wrong about him being a good person. It would've been interesting to see Cress go off on her own to learn more about the world and herself so that someone who loved her could find her. But nooo, she just HAD to have him because she wanted him. She saw the red flags (he TOLD her himself, multiple times, that he was no good for her) but she didn't listen. He didn't show much interest in her throughout the books but I think he liked that she put him on a pedestal in her mind and decided to keep her because he can do no wrong in her eyes. I hated the part where she got angry at him for kissing a Lunar (he was being controlled and she knew this) then they start arguing and kissing until they got caught...while trying to overthrow the queen. Ugh
- Did everyone have to be paired up? I would've preferred Kai and Cinder to be the main couple in this series with less focus on the others. The other pairing just took up pages and pages of random fight-and-make-up scenes which was annoying to read through.
Regardless of how I feel about this book, I have to admit that the entire series would make an amazing animated TV show. Fingers crossed that it happens someday.
What I liked
- Apart from this being long, it was a fun and easy read for me. I feel the same way about the other main books of the series.
- The incorporation of fairy tales (which I love so much). I'm glad this wasn't a complete 'copy-paste' of Snow White. I actually forgot it was based on that at times.
- It was also inspired by Sailor Moon which I loved when I was younger.
- I liked most of the characters and was rooting for them the whole time
What I didn't like
- There was too much going on and the story felt crowded. I forgot some characters existed while I was reading until they popped up again. Everything and everyone felt so... disconnected from anything else. In the first two books, there were fewer characters which left more room for their personalities to come through and for us to connect to them. While reading Cress, I realised how crowded the story had become. We didn't get to see newer characters develop relationships with the older ones (aside from their love interest), they mainly talked at each other but I didn't mind too much as this story was more plot > characters.
- I only read the Hunger Games once a long time ago and I don't remember much but even I could see how Luna resembled the world in HG.
- Also, when did this series become so violent and dystopian?
- Winter felt like a side character in this book more than the main character.
- Winter was a bit childish to me. I imagined her in pyjamas carrying a stuffed rabbit throughout the entire book. I did feel a bit bad for her at first and I disliked how mean Scarlet was to her at times but it got tiring listening to her after a while.
- Cress' obsession with Thorne - I get that she was meant to be naive but the obsession and jealousy over how Thorne treated other women was too much. I like how he proved her wrong about him being a good person. It would've been interesting to see Cress go off on her own to learn more about the world and herself so that someone who loved her could find her. But nooo, she just HAD to have him because she wanted him. She saw the red flags (he TOLD her himself, multiple times, that he was no good for her) but she didn't listen. He didn't show much interest in her throughout the books but I think he liked that she put him on a pedestal in her mind and decided to keep her because he can do no wrong in her eyes. I hated the part where she got angry at him for kissing a Lunar (he was being controlled and she knew this) then they start arguing and kissing until they got caught...while trying to overthrow the queen. Ugh
- Did everyone have to be paired up? I would've preferred Kai and Cinder to be the main couple in this series with less focus on the others. The other pairing just took up pages and pages of random fight-and-make-up scenes which was annoying to read through.
Regardless of how I feel about this book, I have to admit that the entire series would make an amazing animated TV show. Fingers crossed that it happens someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
sydley_wibbly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Ableism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, and Death of parent
skirts_afire's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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
4.75
This was my first read through the entire series and many years since I'd read the first 2. I don't think the 3rd was out at the time, that's how long.
I really enjoyed how the author tied seemingly insignificant things back around to have big impact. How the stakes kept being raised and the heroines weren't made of Teflon. Their injuries and losses kept building and weren't forgotten. It was a very good series.
But gosh teenagers and their hormines are annoying!
I really enjoyed how the author tied seemingly insignificant things back around to have big impact. How the stakes kept being raised and the heroines weren't made of Teflon. Their injuries and losses kept building and weren't forgotten. It was a very good series.
But gosh teenagers and their hormines are annoying!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Ableism
lilawsahar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ravenauthor1013's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
You go on EVERY step of the journey with the characters, especially with the multiple POV, but the story wraps up in this book and it’s worth the whole read to see everything resolved!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Suicide, and Blood
elenikin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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
4.75
Really enjoyed this book! It wrapped up a lot of major elements of the story and brought a lot of happiness to the main characters, which was deserved. I loved Cinder's bravery and truly all of the FMCs' bravery/growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, and War
mj_86's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
kkuecker218's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, and Classism