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tyheronthorn 's review for:
The Midnight Star
by Marie Lu
HOOOO HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT.
(This review may contain spoilers, I've tried to spoil the obvious things but. I suck.)
This book series was really, really, really good. It's refreshing to see in a world of YA which tends towards lighter morality. I'm not saying that dark = good, but to have such a compelling antihero and a cast of characters who are just as morally ambiguous as she is - it's nice. It's interesting. Adelina is, without a doubt, one of the best antiheroes I've seen. She's dark and ruthless and unforgiving but she has such strong motivations for being so awful that you sympathise with her anyways. A lot of how she is is a reaction to her abuse and betrayal - how she doesn't want to give up her powers because they're her defence; how her father keeps appearing in her hallucinations. A lot of it she can't help, because her own powers are taking over her. She's a fascinating character.
And the other characters are just as fascinating. Magiano, Teren, Raffaele, Maeve, Violetta ... my favorites are Raffaele, Magiano, Violetta, and surprisingly, Teren. You saw that he was more than just another villain by the first book. This one expanded so much on him that you really understood his motivations and felt sorry for him, even though you know he's done awful things in his life. Adelina and Teren really are two sides of the same coin. They finally saw eye to eye in this book. Violetta! Violetta, as always, was radiant. I love her a lot. She is strength in quiet and softness. It's so good.
I love how Lu wove the delicate web of relationships because no one was completely committed to another person. Yet through betrayals and hatred, characters you would never expect to ally did, and they saved each others lives, and they mourned for those who we'd thought were on the other side. It was incredible.
Also, the death toll. Fuck. Some of those were completely unexpected. I felt like I had the breath knocked out of me
The ending - holy shit.
Keeping whether Adelina truly comes back because of Violetta's bargain on the ambiguous side was a good choice; it allows readers to decide what actually happens rather than: Magiano found Adelina and they lived happily ever after.
Sidenote: I love that the only couple that gets a solid, direct happy ending is a f/f couple thank you Marie Lu for this and thank you for not killing off Raffaele because GOSH he was my favorite and I guess yeah thanks for not killing off the queer characters.
(This review may contain spoilers, I've tried to spoil the obvious things but. I suck.)
This book series was really, really, really good. It's refreshing to see in a world of YA which tends towards lighter morality. I'm not saying that dark = good, but to have such a compelling antihero and a cast of characters who are just as morally ambiguous as she is - it's nice. It's interesting. Adelina is, without a doubt, one of the best antiheroes I've seen. She's dark and ruthless and unforgiving but she has such strong motivations for being so awful that you sympathise with her anyways. A lot of how she is is a reaction to her abuse and betrayal - how she doesn't want to give up her powers because they're her defence; how her father keeps appearing in her hallucinations. A lot of it she can't help, because her own powers are taking over her. She's a fascinating character.
And the other characters are just as fascinating. Magiano, Teren, Raffaele, Maeve, Violetta ... my favorites are Raffaele, Magiano, Violetta, and surprisingly, Teren. You saw that he was more than just another villain by the first book. This one expanded so much on him that you really understood his motivations and felt sorry for him, even though you know he's done awful things in his life. Adelina and Teren really are two sides of the same coin. They finally saw eye to eye in this book. Violetta! Violetta, as always, was radiant. I love her a lot. She is strength in quiet and softness. It's so good.
I love how Lu wove the delicate web of relationships because no one was completely committed to another person. Yet through betrayals and hatred, characters you would never expect to ally did, and they saved each others lives, and they mourned for those who we'd thought were on the other side. It was incredible.
Also, the death toll. Fuck. Some of those were completely unexpected. I felt like I had the breath knocked out of me
Spoiler
when Teren died. I saw Violetta coming about halfway through; I knew Enzo was going to bite it, but Teren. If anything, I'd thought he would have been redeemed. But going back on the Adelina|Teren thing: it makes sense. Both die. Both pay the price for their crimes in death. All the deaths made sense. None of them seemed extraneous, but no one lived when they shouldn't have - which is something that's rare in books, the perfect balance. *cough* Fred and LeoThe ending - holy shit.
Spoiler
I expected her to die from the beginning; it felt like simply having her live was too nice. It wouldn't give her the retribution or the punishment she deserved. But I wasn't expecting it to happen like that - I wasn't expecting her to trade her life for Violetta's. The choices both sisters make in the final few pages shows the strength of their bond and their love for each other. Adelina gives up everything she's ever dreamed up for her sister, and Violetta has such incredible love in her heart that even though Adelina has hurt her over and over again, and many more, she does the best she can.Keeping whether Adelina truly comes back because of Violetta's bargain on the ambiguous side was a good choice; it allows readers to decide what actually happens rather than: Magiano found Adelina and they lived happily ever after.
Sidenote: I love that the only couple that gets a solid, direct happy ending is a f/f couple thank you Marie Lu for this and thank you for not killing off Raffaele because GOSH he was my favorite and I guess yeah thanks for not killing off the queer characters.