They say that you should judge books by their cover, but judge I did. When I saw The Bane, I thought the cover looked awesome, but I passed over it. As the days went on, I kept going back to that cover and eventually requested the book on NetGalley. The Bane turned out to be a gripping dystopian novel that was action-packed and, overall, a great read.

What I loved about the book:

1. The concept. The overall idea of the Bane was intriguing and reminded me of Iron Man 3. The action scenes were thrilling and I really enjoyed reading about it. The world was so realistic drawn and the imminent danger was almost palpable as the characters found their way through the Bane.

2. I loved Eve's badassery and the fact that she was like the number one soldier type in their small camp. Badass characters are always fun to read about. Her attitude and dedication to her friends-turned-family and those she loved was admirable and at time detrimental on her part.

3. The other characters. They were all very different from each other, no two acting the same as the other. This is always a good thing for novels, because reading about the same people is often irritating and boring. I loved Avian and West, as well as Gabriel, Bill, Sarah, and a number of other characters. They helped pull the novel together and created a makeshift family for Eve that felt real and diverse.

What I wished had worked better:

1. The love triangle. While I'm all for a good love triangle, I hate when the romance overtakes the plot. I loved both West and Avian, and was honestly surprised and yet not surprised when she made her choice in the end. However, the on and off, hot and cold thing got old, fast. Feelings of confusion, jealously, and internal debate blurred the plot and the characters' mission, and that bothered me, and caused a lull part way through the book.

2. Though the writing, overall, was fine, there were a number of grammar and spelling throughout the novel. It wasn't enough for me to throw the book out of the window in annoyance, but it definitely didn't go unnoticed (Note: I am 99.9% sure that I didn't receive an ARC copy, but I could be wrong...).

All in all, The Bane proved to be a thrilling read. Although it wasn't quite a homerun for me, I found that the novel, which promised action, fear, and the discovery of love, delivered on all points (though some more than others). With twists and turns, this book will take you on a journey through a destructive and frightening world, and you'll love every moment of it.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.83/5

A copy was provided by Keary Taylor through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

-review by Between Printed Pages