I think this is the best of the trilogy - even better than Salt, which I really enjoyed. I think what I like best about Gee's YA books is the sort of unsentimental, unflinching nature of both story and prose. It doesn't froth and get over-emotional; it doesn't look away from cruelty and horror and consequences, but it doesn't wallow in it either. And there's rarely any sickly-sweetness in the protagonists, or any dependency. Hana and Ben are half-feral and they're not sorry. Nor should they be - and it makes for really refreshing protagonists.