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stuckinafictionaluniverse 's review for:
In the Afterlight
by Alexandra Bracken
*Spoiler-free for the whole series!*
The more I talk about this final installment curse that I’ve made up, the more convinced I become that it’s real. I need to shut up about it, don't I?
Was this a good conclusion to the series? Yes. I can see why many readers will cheer and feel more than content with this final installment. Everything's wrapped up nicely, the answers we get make sense, and so on.
Was this a good book? I didn't think so.
In the afterlight's biggest flaw is that it suffers from a major slow book syndrome. At 550 pages, it is quite the chunk of a novel, and the snail-like pacing affected my rating for the worse.
It’s like riding a bike up a hill for hours just to see the spectacular view. Once you reach the top, you’re exhausted and sweaty. You were expecting a delightful sunset here, and you missed it so it's now just pitch-black. Sure, it isn't raining, but where is my promised sunset?!
The ending was good, and everything was resolved. However, it was anticlimactic. I feel like it was too convenient, rushed and happily-ever-after for such a dark dystopian.
Alexandra Bracken’s writing has become so much stronger throughout the series.
Before, my biggest pet peeve with TDM was the messy action scenes that I had to re-read many times before understanding what happened.
I sure didn’t have that problem with this installment - mainly because nothing happened for the first 350 pages - but also because the action scenes in this book didn't feel confusing or sloppily written.
The romance lost some of its tension and I was annoyed with Liam and Ruby for not communicating. Man, bad/lack of communication is becoming one of my biggest bookish pet peeves.
I started off this series by loving every single character. Here I am, at the end of the journey, and I feel... indifferent. I enjoyed reading about them, and I think the group of runaways was the best in book 1, and then lost some of its chemistry once they developed and got separated.
Clancy is still a fantastic, believable villain and he became a fully fleshed-out character in this book. He's scarred, brutal and vicious.
Also his faith was perfect for his character. I have no complains regarding his plotline.
The world-building was one of the better ones I’ve read in dystopian novels, if a little difficult to understand because of the jam-packed background.
I would recommend this series to fans of slightly more scientific dystopia and action, who don't mind slow pacing. It was a good ride, but I won't re-read the books (with the exception of The darkest minds, for sentimental value).
My ratings for the whole series:
The Darkest Minds: 4 stars (originally 5 because of that shocking ending).
Never Fade: 3.5 stars, pretty decent sequel.
In The Afterlight: 2 stars.
The more I talk about this final installment curse that I’ve made up, the more convinced I become that it’s real. I need to shut up about it, don't I?
Was this a good conclusion to the series? Yes. I can see why many readers will cheer and feel more than content with this final installment. Everything's wrapped up nicely, the answers we get make sense, and so on.
Was this a good book? I didn't think so.
In the afterlight's biggest flaw is that it suffers from a major slow book syndrome. At 550 pages, it is quite the chunk of a novel, and the snail-like pacing affected my rating for the worse.
It’s like riding a bike up a hill for hours just to see the spectacular view. Once you reach the top, you’re exhausted and sweaty. You were expecting a delightful sunset here, and you missed it so it's now just pitch-black. Sure, it isn't raining, but where is my promised sunset?!
The ending was good, and everything was resolved. However, it was anticlimactic. I feel like it was too convenient, rushed and happily-ever-after for such a dark dystopian.
Alexandra Bracken’s writing has become so much stronger throughout the series.
Before, my biggest pet peeve with TDM was the messy action scenes that I had to re-read many times before understanding what happened.
I sure didn’t have that problem with this installment - mainly because nothing happened for the first 350 pages - but also because the action scenes in this book didn't feel confusing or sloppily written.
The romance lost some of its tension and I was annoyed with Liam and Ruby for not communicating. Man, bad/lack of communication is becoming one of my biggest bookish pet peeves.
I started off this series by loving every single character. Here I am, at the end of the journey, and I feel... indifferent. I enjoyed reading about them, and I think the group of runaways was the best in book 1, and then lost some of its chemistry once they developed and got separated.
Clancy is still a fantastic, believable villain and he became a fully fleshed-out character in this book. He's scarred, brutal and vicious.
Also his faith was perfect for his character. I have no complains regarding his plotline.
The world-building was one of the better ones I’ve read in dystopian novels, if a little difficult to understand because of the jam-packed background.
I would recommend this series to fans of slightly more scientific dystopia and action, who don't mind slow pacing. It was a good ride, but I won't re-read the books (with the exception of The darkest minds, for sentimental value).
My ratings for the whole series:
The Darkest Minds: 4 stars (originally 5 because of that shocking ending).
Never Fade: 3.5 stars, pretty decent sequel.
In The Afterlight: 2 stars.