A review by matttruss
The Departure by K.A. Applegate

emotional hopeful 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

This book...this series...my goodness.  If you think you're in for a light, fluffy children's sci-fi series, think again.  Here we deal with some serious moral quandaries and the concept of loving your enemy and finding peace over violence.  Cassie is amazing, I want to be Cassie, everyone should be like Cassie, but at the same time, she's not 100% correct in all her decisions.  It's fascinating and Applegate does not leave us with a "this is the way" conclusion, instead, asking you to dig into the nuance, look at yourself and what you believe, and realize there is no right answer.  Shine a light in the dark and hope that hope is what wins out.  The most Hopepunk of all the books in the series so far and I loved it.  A ding for ableism and some backwards writing to prove a point, but overall, very very good.