Winter | Marissa Meyer

96/100

It's two days into my winter break and I just finished reading Winter (see what I did there) and again I remembered the feeling of just falling back into a book, the feeling of becoming invested and even attached to the characters and actually caring about what happens to them. If you haven't picked up the Lunar Chronicles or heard of them I highly recommend you do. It's essentially a fairytale-retelling in a science-fiction dystopian world, definitely something worth checking out. There will be some spoilers ahead, since this is the fourth and final book, so if you haven't read the books, read them and come back. In the meantime I'll link my reviews to the three other books in the series.

Cinder
Scarlet
Cress
Fairest

+5 Cover Design

All of the covers have been styles of classic fairytales and this one just continues the trend. I really like the trend of revamping the main focus of classic fairytales into this science-fictiony theme, so I give this cover a 5/5. 

+5 Writing Style

The writing style was fantastic, just as all the other books have been. It was so easy to start reading and begin to lose myself in the world of Luna. 

+5 Plot Development

Since Winter was the finale book to the series, it was crucial that it include everything that happens.  Usually one of two things happen: the first being that the author simply shortens the book without including any of these details (*cough* Blood of Olympus *cough*) or they decide to divide it into two books because "everything won't fit" (*cough* UnDivided *cough*). But Marissa Meyer wrote and published 800 pages of beautiful conclusion, and it worked. 

I thought the plot itself was developed perfectly. There were a perfect amount of twists and turns for it to be believable and still work out, and early on in the book we were on the edge of our seat towards the build up of the conclusion. 

+4 Character Relations

If there was anything I had a problem with, it was character relations, mostly because I really didn't enjoy the sets of couples we had. Multiple couples working together to overthrow the dictator just sounds unrealistic, I mean, there's got to be at least one single person in the group. It just seems too convenient that every couple ends with a 'happily ever after'. 

While Wolf and Scarlet are my least favorite couple, my biggest issue was with Cress and Thorne. There was one scene in particular when they're sneaking into the coronation and Thorne ends up kissing some random Lunar, which makes Cress go ballistic. Now if this were real life, Cress would admit she likes him and he would slowly break it to her that he's not interested in the same way, creating awkward tension between them for the rest of the book. But of course, books don't reflect the disappointment of reality so instead he passionately kisses and admits that he loves her too. Classic. 

While I didn't have any major, specific issues with Wolf and Scarlet or Winter and Jacin, something about them just irked me. Their bond was too forced. Wolf and Jacin were both too dominating males, risking everything for their partner. It kept getting in the way of the logical approach of the revolution. 

The only couple I had respect for was Kai and Cinder. For a majority of the book they weren't together, but when they were apart they wouldn't mindlessly worry about one another. Sure, it was in the back of their minds but they knew they had a responsibility to their people first. Kai understands that Cinder is a strong, independent woman (though I guess the same can't be said about the rest of the female characters) and is able to let her go without too much of a fight. I respect the fact that they don't necessarily need to be around each other, they just want to be around each other. 

+5 Character Development

So we could talk about the character development of Cinder finally becoming a queen, but we all know how that turns out. I want to take a moment to talk about Levana. We saw a bit of her side in Fairest and a bit more of her perspective in Winter. 

I think Levana is one of the best villains I've read in a while. There's something so interesting about her character since she truly believes she's in the right. I think it's so easy to take Levana as the bad side and Cinder as the good, but I was able to really see where Levana was coming from. She was raised in an environment where killing and torturing were accepted, even encouraged as methods of rule. So it's no surprise that her rule mimics this. 

Her hate for Winter also mimics this. She's been raised to know beauty and manipulation, but Winter's world only consists of beauty, one of the reasons the public likes her so much. Levana does feel some amount of jealousy for Winter, but I genuinely think she doesn't understand why people like her so much. She doesn't understand the concept of not controlling someone, because the idea of letting someone have control of their emotions means that they can easily turn against her, something that has happened so often in the past. 

Most villains in other books have understood their evil position, and the fact that Levana doesn't understand she's on the "bad" side is an interesting perspective, especially when you attempt to get to the root of her problems. 

+4 Likability of Protagonist

Cinder is fantastic and I love her, but since the book is named after Winter I'm going to consider her as the protagonist. I understand she had the Lunar sickness, but she lacked some crucial common sense throughout the book. One example is the initial spread of the mutated letumosis. She runs off because she thinks she's seen Jacin and some old woman intercepts her and tells her that Jacin left her a piece of candy to proclaim his love for her. Winter, you've known Jacin since you guys were toddlers, does this sound like something he would do? But of course, she doesn't take notice of the inconsistencies and brings about yet another subplot of the letumosis. 

+5 Necessity of Minor Characters

I really don't think I even need to touch on this, but everyone was crucial to the plot. Each character had his/her skill set that contributed to the plot. The only character that seemed mildly unnecessary was Winter, she didn't really do much except coax the wolf soldiers to their side.

+5 Setting Description

Like I mentioned before, it was so easy to get lost within the pages and that was partly due to how well the scene was set out. The visual imagery of Luna and the castle, especially when Cinder was looking up at the palace from the lake was stunning and so easy to picture.

+5 Interesting Storyline

Of course the storyline was interesting, otherwise there's no way I would have gotten through an 800 page book in two days.

+3  Predictability

There wasn't some big reveal or any element of surprise really. We knew that Levana would be overthrown and Cinder would step in her place. We knew all the couples would get together and stay together. All we were reading for was how it happened, and in this case that was satisfying enough.

+50 Finished

Final Total: 96/100 ; A

Overall this was such a great book to get me back into reading. It's been less than 24 hours since I've finished the book and yet the feeling of book depression still hangs over me. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend, and if you have read it, let me know in the comments below what you thought! 

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson | Discussion Post #1

Summer break is the perfect time for buddy reads and Courtney from CourtneyReads and I are reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Series. As we get through certain parts of the book, we'll be posting discussions consisting of questions and answers.

Here's out discussion for part 1:

1. Did you have any expectations going into the novel?

Courtney: This is my second reading of the novel, so I already knew what I was getting, but I still had high expectations. I was hoping to be just as, if not more so, impressed than I was the first time around. I guess I was expecting a lot of action and world building, which I’m getting.

Saloni: Brandon Sanderson has been floating around on BookTube for quite some time now. Thus hype leads to high expectations. Known as the “King of Fantasy” Brandon Sanderson has been set to some high expectations, which I can already tell he’s going to exceed.

2. Who is your favorite character (at this point)?

Courtney: Picking a favorite Sanderson character is one of the hardest things anybody could ever ask me to do. Kelsier is intriguing, Marsh fascinates me, and Vin is both annoying and relatable. The rest of the crew is brilliant as well, so I guess that doesn’t completely answer the question. If I absolutely had to pick, then I guess Kelsier is my favorite at this point.

Saloni: I can already tell these characters are going to be complex and fascinating. I have to admit, right now, Vin is my favorite character. Her refusal to trust anyone combined with her strength and stubbornness make for a very interesting character. But all of these characters have a sense of realism to them, which isn’t very common these days.

3. What relationship are you most interested in seeing explored? Do you think it will be?

Courtney: There are so many good friendships and things being introduced or hinted at that picking one is hard, just like picking a favorite character. The one that intrigues me most though is the relationship between Marsh and Kelsier. I would like more information about them growing up and what life was like for the pair of them. Since I’ve read this before, answering the second question seems like cheating, but I honestly don’t remember how much exploration this gets, so I’m going to say that I think it will be explored and explained further, I’m just not sure it will go as far as I might enjoy.

Saloni: As of now, the only relationship that really stood out to me was between Vin and Kelsier. I think that’s my problem with high-fantasy is that I end up forgetting all the minor characters like Marsh and Breeze, so I focus a lot more on the main heroes. Not only that but I’m excited to see how Kelsier begins to break the wall Vin has up around her. Vin continually questions Kelsier’s motives, fairly I would say, and Kelsier continually assures her that he isn’t manipulating her or using her. I think if this type of interaction continues for a while, it might get a little boring, but I want to see Vin gradually begin to trust him and others.

4. What do you think of the writing style so far?

Courtney: Sanderson’s writing is brilliant in my opinion. The characters are beautifully depicted, the mist itself seems to live, and the action scenes. Wow. I know there haven’t been many yet, but what we have had was just beautiful. Everything just flows, naturally, like you’re watching it and not reading it. It’s overall just very readable.  

Saloni: I completely agree with Courtney. While I don’t LOVE the action scenes, they’re just a bit too long for my taste, I absolutely love the intricacy behind each character and the way the plot is developing. It’s complicated, but not too complicated, a perfect balance.

5. What are you looking forward to most throughout this book?

Courtney: Finding out more about Allomancy. I find the magic system completely fascinating. Exploring the use of the metals and the different abilities they give will be fascinating. I’m excited to see how the magic really progresses as the novel goes forward and what new discoveries are made (again, I really can’t remember enough of the details).

Saloni: I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really looking forward to the character development, specifically Vin’s character. To me, she has so much potential and I really hope she uses it all throughout the series.

6. What is your favorite aspect of this novel so far?

Courtney: Kelsier’s crew and their working dynamic. It’s fascinating how they’re all thieves, but good and honest (in most ways at least). They all play off of each other so well and I get excited to see their interactions. A large, interesting cast of characters is always a good thing.

Saloni: My favorite aspect of this novel so far is definitely the characters. All of the characters, or at least the ones I’ve paid attention to, have had so much depth and complexity to them. While I expected an incredibly story and my expectations were set high, the characters completely blew me away.

Have any of you guys read the Mistborn Trilogy? If so, what did you think of it, let me know in the comments below! And if you haven't read it yet, feel free to read along with us. The more the merrier!

Fairest | Marissa Meyer

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her "glamour" to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story- a story that has never been told... until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

My only reason behind buying this book was so I could read the first few chapters of Winter previewed at the end of this book. Tumblr told me there was a chapter showing some flirtation between Kai and Cinder, which I NEEDED. Of course, that was chapter four of Winter, and my book only gave me the first three chapters of Winter. 

Needless to say, it was a very frustrating time for me, and as a result I was extremely disappointed with this book. After my disappointment curbed, I decided to backtrack and read Levana's story. I might as well, I already had the book. 

Levana's story was interesting to say the least. But although it explains her tyranny, it by no means justifies it. Throughout the entire book I pictured Channary as Kourtney Kardashian and Levana as the younger Kim Kardashian, though I'm not sure why; the faces seemed to fit the personalities. 

Levana was entirely cringe-worthy in this book, especially her "love" story with Evret; pretending to be his wife, forcing him to marry her, etc. It made me very uncomfortable. She has some kind of sadistic part of her that makes me fear for her mental sanity. She's not evil, she's not misunderstood, she's just not sane. In a completely medical way.

My favorite part of this book was the glimpses of the baby cast we saw. Princess Winter, Princess Selene (Cinder), Jacin, and even Kai. 

I just want it to be known that Channary shipped Kaider before any of us.

I need Winter. In my hands. Now. 

What was your favorite part of Fairest? Let me know in the comments below! Mine was definitely seeing the baby versions of all the characters we already know. They were so adorable! 

Cress | Marissa Meyer

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Where do I even start with this book? Hands down, the best book in the series (so far). I loved everything about this book except for a total of three things, which I will get into later. 

If you haven't gotten into this series yet, I highly recommend it. In comparison, the first two books aren't as good, but it's definitely worth it for Cress! 

I'm going to jump straight into my spoiler-filled discussion, but I will link my reviews to both Cinder and Scarlet if you want to check those out before this one. 

Spoiler-Filled Discussion

Where do I even begin. Immediately in the first chapter we're introduced to Cress, though I immediately liked her more than I liked Scarlet. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we saw a glimpse of Cress in Cinder, so we had some idea what connection she had to the entirety of the plot. 

We jumped immediately into the action when Sybil came to Cress's satellite and essentially ripped the gang apart. By kidnapping Scarlet and severely injuring Wolf, we knocked out my two least character, which I was surprisingly ok with. 

I loved that we switched mainly between Kai, Cinder and Cress's perspectives, because to me those were the most important ones and the most interesting ones. 

I thought it was an AMAZING coincidence that Thorne and Cress landed in Africa which just happened to be where Cinder landed to find Dr. Erland. (Do you note the sarcasm there?) While I'm glad the gang is back together, that was entirely way too convenient. 

Cinder particularly grows in this book. Previously oppressed by her stepmother and stepsister, she used to be so hesitant in taking up any roles of responsibility. But as this book progressed, she finally understands what she needs to do in order to prevent this war and steps up to take the responsibility. She even harnesses her power and completely crushes Sybil. She is, without a doubt, my favorite character in this book and I can't wait for her to dethrone Levana and take her rightful place as Princess Selene. 

Dr. Erland was also an interesting character during this book. I liked seeing him again, though his connection with Cress seemed way too rushed and just thrown in there. Unless that information plays a useful role later in the book, I don't think that was necessary. If anything I'd rather have seen a little more interaction between them. They talked all of two times in this book and one of those times he was acting as though he had bought her to conduct scientific experiments on her. 

The plan to stop the wedding was by far my favorite part. Iko was fantastic, infiltrating her way through the android catering staff. The entire plan worked perfectly until Sybil recognized Cress's amazing hacking skills and went after them, but even then she was beat so hard by Cinder and the gang. 

THEN we go to kidnap Kai. Cinder just shoots him and drags him with her to the Rampion, talk about commitment. God, I love her. 

We finally get to see some Kaider in this book! About time. But before I proceed to fangirl about the couples, mostly Kaider, let's just talk about how DUMB Kai is. Don't get me wrong, I love him to death, but he's so dumb. 

Kai: So, what do you guys plan to do, overthrow Levana....unless...you guys found Princess Selene?!

Cinder: *nods* Yeah we did. 

Kai: Ohmigod where is she? Is she the blonde chick? 

Cinder: No. 

Kai: How bout the red-head? 

Cinder: Nope. 

Kai: Um...where is she??? 

Cinder: I should tell you, there's something different about her. 

Kai: Um...ok. 

Cinder: She's missing a few limbs. Ya know how she was badly burned by the fire. She may or may not be cyborg. 

Kai: I- um ok. Can we meet her? 

Cinder: *sighs* It's me. I'm Princess Selene.

Kai: *stares in shock* You're kidding right. 

Me: 

I can't tell if he was just in denial or honestly could not figure it out from all of the bits and pieces he's found. But I'm glad he's funny and hot because intelligence doesn't seem to be a strong point for him. 

Finally, it's time to get a good portion of fangirling in. I love love love Kaider, I love Cress and Throne (Crone?), and I hate Wolf and Scarlet. 

When Kaider kissed: 

When Crone kissed: 

Cress's slight obsession was a bit cringey, but once she began to suppress it a little, Crone got so much better. I love their cute awkward relationship. 

When Wolf moped over Scarlet: 

He's known Scarlet for like two weeks and is claiming they're in love and I'm honestly not buying it. They're relationship is way too cringe-worthy (and not in the good way). 

Concluding thoughts: I need Winter. 

I have by no means covered everything in this book, so let's start some discussions down below! 

What are some of your predictions? I think Kaider should make out a bit more, and then of course defeat Levana, get married and have a peaceful nation, happily ever after. 

Scarlet | Marissa Meyer

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I'm not going to lie, I was fairly disappointed with this book, to me it seemed like a filler book, simply bridging the gap between the first and third book. 

As this is the second book, I will be going into a spoiler-filled discussion, however if you haven't read this series and are a fan of fantasy/dystopian books, I highly recommend this book. If you want to know a bit more about the world, I'll link my spoiler-free review of Cinder as well

Cinder | Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Yet another highly hyped book I was hesitant to read. Though after finding a wonderfully priced hardcover copy on BookOutlet, I caved and bought it. It wasn't until months later I actually picked it up and began reading it. My reasoning was to wait until Winter came out so I could binge the entire series together. Nonetheless I read it and really enjoyed it. It's somewhat of a fusion between the typically dystopian setting and the fantastical fairy tale world. 

The characters were honestly amazing. I loved Cinder, I loved Kai, I loved Peony, I loved Iko. All of them had such distinct personalities and I loved their interactions with other characters. 

In an effort to keep this review fairly spoiler free, I'm not going to talk about the plot all that much, but I will say that I am incredibly excited to continue the series! 

If you've read Cinder, let me know in the comments below what your favorite part was! 

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer | Laxmi Hariharan

A YA thriller, with strong dystopian undertones and a kickass protagonist, taking you on a white knuckle ride through a disintegrating Bombay City. 

A girl desperate to rescue her best friend.

A cop willing to do anything to save the city he serves. 

A delusional doctor bent on annihilation. 

When Ruby Iyer's best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr Kamini Braganza, she will do anything to rescue him. Anything, including taking the help of the reticent Vikram Roy, a mysterious cop-turned-rogue on a mission to save Bombay. The city needs all the help it can get, and these two are the only thing standing between its total destruction by Dr Braganza's teen army. As Bombay falls apart around them, will Ruby be able to save her friend and the city? Will she finally discover her place in a city where she has never managed to fit in? And what about her growing feelings for Vikram?

While the plot itself was fascinating, I couldn't find myself getting into the book all that much. There are several reasons why and I'll get into each of them. 

1. Writing Style 

Personally I like dialogue over detail. I like things happening and people talking over the detail of a setting, and personally I thought there was too much detail and too many analogies for my taste. Several sentences at a time would be dedicated to setting up the scene, which isn't necessarily bad, but to me it felt like too much. I would frequently skim these long paragraphs of description and ended up missing crucial information to further the plot. I wish more of the substance was focused on the characters and their relationships, which brings me to my next issue.

2. Characters/ Relationships

I didn't feel any type of connection with the characters. I was super excited when Vikram and Ruby's romance started, but the way it played out wasn't how I was expecting it to be, and I didn't exactly love the way it played out. The relationship between Panky and Ruby was mediocre. Though I did feel their relationship was strong, it didn't strike any emotional chord in my body. 

Like I said, I think the plot was fairly intriguing, I especially loved the bomb/terrorist scenes, but the plot alone wasn't enough to get me completely hooked. Another thing I liked about this book was the frequent plot twists near the end. I thought those were well done and did a good job of wrapping up the whole book, making connections to the events and thoughts from the beginning.

Overall, I wish I liked this book more but if you are someone who is extremely visual, this book does a really good job with providing a large amount of sensory information about the setting. The plot was interesting and action-packed so if you're someone who enjoys a good thriller, you should definitely think about picking up this book. 

Heir of Fire | Sarah J. Maas

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she grown to love? 

This book. A roller coster of emotions. But the best thing about this book wasn;t the intense plot not was it the beautiful worls built by Sarah J. Maas. No, the characters were what made this book. The development of each cahracter within this book was phenomenal. We saw sides and stories we didn't previously know and each one had some type of importance in the plot.

There are three more books in this series. THREE. I am so excited to get the rest. I need them. 

I'm now going to talk about everything within these glorious pages, so if you don't want to be spoiled, read the book and come back so we can talk about the beautifulness of this book together. 

Crown of Midnight | Sarah J. Maas

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. 
It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far more loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closet relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances- not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for. 

Slowly I'm being entangled into this web of intense plots and realistic to-die-for characters as the plot gradually transitions from the simplicity I thought it was going to be to the complicated mess it will become.

There's honestly no way for me to discuss any part of this book without spoiling some aspect of it, and every part of this book should be experienced firsthand. So if you haven't already done so, definitely give this book (and series) a try, you will not regret it.

Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined. 

Whether it was the procrastination that prevented me from studying for my finals, or the sheer awesomeness of this book, I couldn't tell you, but I could not put this book down. Recently, I haven't found a book that I truly enjoyed, until I came across this one. I loved the characters, the plot, the setting, everything. It had a Hunger Games meets the Selection vibe to it, which I honestly really enjoyed. The romance in this book was adorable and the plot was fascinating, and I'm honestly so excited to see where this series leads.