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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Still fast-paced, with a good number of plot twists. I couldn't get into this book as much as the first two in the series. Westerfeld had a chance to cleanly end the series here, and he didn't. On to book 4, I suppose.
I enjoyed it overall, but I’m equally dreading/looking forward to the next one.
Pros:
Getting to explore the city more from the perspective of the common people, and how they’ve found ways to communicate despite the spy dust, and that a group of people like the spy dust because it keeps the peace and/or they live their whole lives for history because it’s all recorded. This was fascinating, and makes complete sense! Of course there will be widely varying reactions to the system that’s ruling/spying on them, and of course people would find a way to circumvent the restrictions - that’s human nature, really.
I feel like Frey has been doing a lot of growing and becoming more independent, and that continued here even as her life is still largely dictated by the whims of others. I also appreciate that she still automatically goes for the ‘emotions at the press of a button’ when she doesn’t want to feel her own actual emotions. I also really loved the exploration of Frey getting an entirely different body, and how that changed her perspective and both gave her freedom in some sense but also dysphoria - it was pretty fascinating.
All of the political intrigue and agendas at cross purposes were interesting, even if it was hard to tell what they were because Frey was largely outside of most of the politicking.
Cons:
This series just kills me because there’s so many good ideas but the more I read the more I wish we were following Rafi instead of Frey. Everything I learn about her makes her seem more fascinating - from how she ended up taking control of the gang (and the gang leader was her girlfriend for a bit???), to how she apparently was helping foment rebellion with her elite friends even before escaping the city, to how she is just very proactive! She doesn’t just react to situations, she creates situations through her own efforts and will! And she can be cutthroat but does seem to genuinely love and want the best for her sister, even if she doesn’t always demonstrate that in the best ways. So many interesting facets to explore, but yet again she is offscreen most of the book. And all of Frey’s friends seem to try to encourage Frey to stop trusting her/break away from her, which I suppose makes some sense but on the other hand I’m annoyed by because I want them to interact more!
I may take this back depending on how book 4 goes, but I’m dreading Rafi becoming the ultimate villain of the series. Between all of Frey’s friends unsubtly warning her about Rafi, to Rafi’s ease with lying for convenience, to her being forced to kill Frey’s bland boyfriend and ending up in charge of the city, that seems where the story is headed. And especially the boyfriend part I’m irritated with, because that of all the issues is the real dealbreaker for Frey? Not the taking of her name/persona, for example? Like, I would have made the exact same choice! She was given three options: do nothing and have everyone in the room and city die. Kill Frey, her beloved twin who seems to be the only person she cares about. Or kill Frey’s boyfriend, who she barely knows but who Frey loves. Like, Frey sees this as a huge betrayal but honestly what choice did Rafi have? And they were working so well/in synch beforehand, too.
I think ultimately this may be a me-problem, with me wanting things that the book never intended to give me, which is hardly the book or author’s fault. However, that doesn’t change the way I feel. There were some very interesting identity things, with Rafi taking the one thing Frey had (her name) but also giving her the perfect gift and (seemingly) having Frey as the only one she truly cares about. It is interesting seeing Frey become her own person outside of her twin/being a body double, and how having an entire different body fed into that. But it just is so annoying to me that it looks like the ultimate split will happen because of boyfriend dying, which Rafi really didn’t have a choice in, rather than the above issues with Rafi hiding things and taking advantage and whatnot, which would have been way more interesting to me. At the end of the day, the twin relationship was what most interested me about this story and I just hope it ends in a satisfying manner.
Pros:
Getting to explore the city more from the perspective of the common people, and how they’ve found ways to communicate despite the spy dust, and that a group of people like the spy dust because it keeps the peace and/or they live their whole lives for history because it’s all recorded. This was fascinating, and makes complete sense! Of course there will be widely varying reactions to the system that’s ruling/spying on them, and of course people would find a way to circumvent the restrictions - that’s human nature, really.
I feel like Frey has been doing a lot of growing and becoming more independent, and that continued here even as her life is still largely dictated by the whims of others. I also appreciate that she still automatically goes for the ‘emotions at the press of a button’ when she doesn’t want to feel her own actual emotions. I also really loved the exploration of Frey getting an entirely different body, and how that changed her perspective and both gave her freedom in some sense but also dysphoria - it was pretty fascinating.
All of the political intrigue and agendas at cross purposes were interesting, even if it was hard to tell what they were because Frey was largely outside of most of the politicking.
Cons:
This series just kills me because there’s so many good ideas but the more I read the more I wish we were following Rafi instead of Frey. Everything I learn about her makes her seem more fascinating - from how she ended up taking control of the gang (and the gang leader was her girlfriend for a bit???), to how she apparently was helping foment rebellion with her elite friends even before escaping the city, to how she is just very proactive! She doesn’t just react to situations, she creates situations through her own efforts and will! And she can be cutthroat but does seem to genuinely love and want the best for her sister, even if she doesn’t always demonstrate that in the best ways. So many interesting facets to explore, but yet again she is offscreen most of the book. And all of Frey’s friends seem to try to encourage Frey to stop trusting her/break away from her, which I suppose makes some sense but on the other hand I’m annoyed by because I want them to interact more!
I may take this back depending on how book 4 goes, but I’m dreading Rafi becoming the ultimate villain of the series. Between all of Frey’s friends unsubtly warning her about Rafi, to Rafi’s ease with lying for convenience, to her being forced to kill Frey’s bland boyfriend and ending up in charge of the city, that seems where the story is headed. And especially the boyfriend part I’m irritated with, because that of all the issues is the real dealbreaker for Frey? Not the taking of her name/persona, for example? Like, I would have made the exact same choice! She was given three options: do nothing and have everyone in the room and city die. Kill Frey, her beloved twin who seems to be the only person she cares about. Or kill Frey’s boyfriend, who she barely knows but who Frey loves. Like, Frey sees this as a huge betrayal but honestly what choice did Rafi have? And they were working so well/in synch beforehand, too.
I think ultimately this may be a me-problem, with me wanting things that the book never intended to give me, which is hardly the book or author’s fault. However, that doesn’t change the way I feel. There were some very interesting identity things, with Rafi taking the one thing Frey had (her name) but also giving her the perfect gift and (seemingly) having Frey as the only one she truly cares about. It is interesting seeing Frey become her own person outside of her twin/being a body double, and how having an entire different body fed into that. But it just is so annoying to me that it looks like the ultimate split will happen because of boyfriend dying, which Rafi really didn’t have a choice in, rather than the above issues with Rafi hiding things and taking advantage and whatnot, which would have been way more interesting to me. At the end of the day, the twin relationship was what most interested me about this story and I just hope it ends in a satisfying manner.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This could have been done here, why is there another book???
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
You got it - my usual boilerplate complaint against present tense formatting. (I will never omit the complaint until the publishing industry gets the hint and removes the utterly unnecessary trend) Pair it up with what is essentially a travel volume in a series, and it becomes particularly tedious.
Given the previous two volumes, I anticipated revelations from Mr. Westerfeld this time, similar to what he presented in the Uglies series. I wanted to see the foundations shake, find rot in the basement, or discover someone standing in the wings. (No, I don't consider the final two words much of a surprise) But everything fell into the established pattern from the first book, adding nothing of merit. From the beginning, he created such a domineering evil that there's nowhere to go. It's disappointing.
Even more so, Frey's fractured personality has yet to gain new facets. She continues to limp along as a cast-aside doll. There's nothing empathetic in her character. On the one hand, it's a credit to his descriptions of her upbringing. But on the other hand, it makes her an unreliable protagonist. (S.J. Kincaid created a veritable monster in The Diabolic series, but she added touches of genuine emotion and trauma that bled through the robotic facade) Frey - and everyone else in the rebellion - is wooden and unrelatable. You feel like a scientist observing bacteria in a petri dish.
Not the best set-up for a dystopian tale.
Ironically, the most interesting "characters" are the cities. The collective AI consciences offer the most intrigue in the tale and present a point of contention for Shreve - the only city to lack such depth. It's at least one reason to complete the series with the final volume.
Once it's out of hardback, at any rate. (The reading potential isn't THAT good)
Given the previous two volumes, I anticipated revelations from Mr. Westerfeld this time, similar to what he presented in the Uglies series. I wanted to see the foundations shake, find rot in the basement, or discover someone standing in the wings. (No, I don't consider the final two words much of a surprise) But everything fell into the established pattern from the first book, adding nothing of merit. From the beginning, he created such a domineering evil that there's nowhere to go. It's disappointing.
Even more so, Frey's fractured personality has yet to gain new facets. She continues to limp along as a cast-aside doll. There's nothing empathetic in her character. On the one hand, it's a credit to his descriptions of her upbringing. But on the other hand, it makes her an unreliable protagonist. (S.J. Kincaid created a veritable monster in The Diabolic series, but she added touches of genuine emotion and trauma that bled through the robotic facade) Frey - and everyone else in the rebellion - is wooden and unrelatable. You feel like a scientist observing bacteria in a petri dish.
Not the best set-up for a dystopian tale.
Ironically, the most interesting "characters" are the cities. The collective AI consciences offer the most intrigue in the tale and present a point of contention for Shreve - the only city to lack such depth. It's at least one reason to complete the series with the final volume.
Once it's out of hardback, at any rate. (The reading potential isn't THAT good)
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced