Liz Long sent me copies of these books in exchange for my honest review, and I have to say, they one hundred percent fit into my reading interests. Long created a unique futuristic world and achieved something many YA dystopian authors have been criticized of--she included diversity. Not only does Reina have (multiple) female love interests, she also is a person of color, supported by many other people of color throughout the story.

While there were scenes within the book that felt similar to those in other YA dystopian texts (particularly The Hunger Games), the majority of these were included at the end, leaving the rest of the story feeling fresh and original. There were also a lot of parallels between this duology and real life--things that maybe felt way too familiar. Some people might find that this is a bad thing; however, I like when a text closely aligns with the political issues in real life, as it can provide hope to its readers.

Read more over on my blog at between-the-shelves.com