I'm not sure that I truly enjoyed this one as much as I thought I would. For one, I had a hard time connecting with Spensa from the start. She read as an incredibly immature 17 year old, though I suppose that can probably be explained by just how much her life was blown up as a child-- so much of her personality and ambition came about as a result of what happened to her father when she was seven. Reading from Spensa's point of view made me feel incredibly old as well, considering how much I just wanted to shake her and make her see sense. However, I was very glad to eventually see Spensa start to struggle and work through some growing pains.

The story itself was fine, though it wore through the same tried and true grooves as every other "outcast finds themselves in a new school and is determined to make something of themselves and be the best" trope. The writing didn't elevate that trope for me, unfortunately. Almost every plot beat was easy to predict, execpt for the ending. Sanderson can definitely write in a way that keeps stringing you along. I kept reading chapter after chapter desperately wanting to know what the end would bring.

I'm not sure I liked the end much, either. I got the answers I wanted and a decent hook for the second book, but I'm not so sure that I care to continue the series.

Also, M-bot was annoying. Doomslug was way better.