I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. After the first part, I thought it was okay, but as it progressed I realized how special it was. This book is more complex than any of the other dystopian/YA books I've read. The characters are so strong and I really enjoyed reading about them. Though the book got darker and gorier than I thought it would be, it really worked. I kept forgetting that most of the characters were teenagers, as they became sneaky scheming warriors. Darrow becomes a completely different person throughout the book and I hope as the series progresses he finds himself again, because right now he is a rare filled almost monster. I hope we learn more about the other "colors" because I think that's such an interesting aspect of this world. I can't wait to read the next one!