3.5 stars

CW: gore, blood, death, human experimentation, explosions, cannibalism

Some miscellaneous thoughts:
- This was an interesting sci-fi/dystopian story with a lot of twists.

- Some of the twists were a bit predictable, though.

- I liked the protagonist, Cat, but I didn’t really connect with her.

- Cole grew on me but Dax can stay far away.

- Similarly, I’d like this love triangle to stop before it gets started, please and thank you.

- The world-building was a bit broad, but it was unique nonetheless. The virus was especially creative, although disturbing.

- Many aspects of this book were disturbing, to be honest…I’m naturally squeamish. But seriously, someone’s ear gets bitten off, someone’s kneecap is removed, people explode, there’s a bit of cannibalism…ew.

- I liked the focus on coding, as it’s not something I’ve seen often in YA.

- I’m not particularly invested in this story or these characters, but I plan to continue the series out of curiosity.

I’d recommend this to those in search of twisty storylines, and that don’t mind frequent grotesque details.