Review originally posted at between-the-shelves.com!

Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for sending me an early copy of this book to review! Adam Silvera is one of my favorite YA authors, and I had such high hopes for this book. What I expected: a fantasy woven with strong, diverse characters, a unique world, and an emotional ride. Sadly, the book overall fell a bit flat for me.

Honestly, Silvera's other books are categorized as contemporary, but they always have a sci-fi aspect to them. Some element in society that's futuristic, different than our own world. So, I figured this would be similar! For me, Silvera is known for creating authentic, well-rounded characters who work their way into their heart. Unfortunately, this book didn't have it for me. Emil, one of the main characters, was probably the most fleshed out to me. His chapters were the strongest, and the ones that kept me reading.

However, the other characters in the book kind of fell flat. Ness was interesting, but we didn't get his point of view nearly enough. I wanted to know more about him--maybe we'll get more in a second book? Brighton was mostly defined by his need and desire for fame, making his chapters difficult for me to read. Like, I get it. But your want is blinding you.

The world building also fell a bit flat for me. Usually, I can do okay being dropped into a fantasy world as long as there are details included throughout that orient me in the world. That wasn't the case here. I still can't really tell who are the bad guys and who are the good. And what happened in the Blackout? How does it factor in to what's currently happening? All I can say is that a lot of these questions better be answered in the second book. Because nothing really wraps up in this book, so there better be a second one.

All in all, a bit of a disappointment for me. Personally, I feel like Silvera should just stick to writing his contemporary, surrealist fiction. That's what I love him for!