A review by looseleafellie
Destined by Alexandra Moody

4.0

This review is going to be a little long, because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS, so please bear with me ....

I've been waiting for Destined for a while, and I'm pleased to say that it provides a very satisfying conclusion to the ARC series.

I liked seeing Elle develop her powers, and how she adapted to the different challenges she was faced with. She is my favorite kind of strong female character -- she's kind and loving, but she's also no damsel in distress. If anything, she's the knight in shining armor, riding to save her loved ones even when victory seems impossible.

I also liked Hunter's character development. I'm thrilled that
Spoiler he wasn't really a bad guy. Perhaps the whole I-was-just-being-mind-controlled thing is a little corny, but I can forgive it because I was devastated when he supposedly turned on Elle in [b:Fractured|26205966|Fractured (The ARC, #3)|Alexandra Moody|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1441142266s/26205966.jpg|46184516]
.

And RYAN. Oh my goodness, I did not see that coming. I did feel like there were a few flaws in the solution, though.
SpoilerFor example, despite the fact that he's wearing contacts and is about thirteen years older, I found it a little unbelievable that Elle wouldn't recognize her childhood friend. Also how did Elle not know that Sebastian's middle name is Ryan?
Still, props to the author for a brilliant reveal.

And the ending, the most crucial part of any series? In my opinion, absolutely stellar. I kid you not, I genuinely thought for a second that they weren't going to make it. There was just the right amount of threat (lots), death (not saying whose, though!), and ultimately, happiness. Perhaps it was a bit frolicking-off-into-the-sunset right at the very end, but whatever, I'm a sucker for happy(ish) endings.

One final note before I finish. The grammar in this book isn't the best. There are a few run-on sentences, lots of adverbs, and passive voice. Also, if I had a nickel for the number of times when Elle's heart was "beating in her chest" ... well, actually, I'd have 90 cents. I just searched on my Kindle and it happened 18 times in the entire book, which I guess isn't bad for a 400-page novel (seriously, though, where else is your heart going to be beating? Your big toe?).

My overall verdict is four stars. As a series ender, Destined works perfectly. Now that it's all wrapped up, I can safely say that the ARC series is perfect for anyone who loves YA dystopia, superheroes, or just a cracking good story.