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christinereads1823 's review for:

The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh
3.0
challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

After the lushness of the first three books, to say I was disappointed by The Ruined is an understatement. This is the most dissatisfied I have been with the ending of a series in recent memory. 
Ahdieh's writing style is as gorgeous as always, but even that cannot save the plots and characters left unresolved, as well as the searing pain of
callously killing off a character she just spent an entire book on
. The changing of Celine's personality is unsettling at best and anger-inducing at worst, not to mention the complete disregard for the members of La Cour des Lions despite the characters' continued insistence that they are their chosen family. 
Unfortunately, my good opinion of this quartet was ruined by The Ruined.