this might just be my favorite in the series even though it is a novella. the writing is peak, the characters are well done while not being the most perfect people... and the plot😭 honestly, my only issue is how this story relates to the rest of the series (mak) i think i forgot to mention this in my powerless review, but i tandem read powerless and powerful. also, on this reread i annotated powerful.

⚠️WARNING⚠️
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR OTHER BOOKS

THE CHARACTERS💜
adena: adena, my love💛💛 she pictures mak as God's favorite, but she is truly His blessing. i put adena amongst a group of angels who i will quickly list here: beth march, bessy higgins, jane bennet (not passed on, thankfully) and georgiana darcy (also not passed on)🪽 the first time i did not cry during that scene, but i absolutely lost my mind this time around, for why do all the perfect people have to die?? and yet somehow it makes the cruelest sense. i lvoe, adena, and one day i will see you in the stars🤍⭐

mak: or should i say makoto... how do i write this now knowing the rest of his story? he is one of the best grumpy characters and although not necessarily my type, he and adena just click. and she makes him smile!!! i really cannot express him, and my heart💔

THE PLOT💜
since this was a novella, the plot is kind of different. it still contains action, but i found more of the focus on the romance, which i did not mind in the least. i guess there is really not much to say on it except maybe how paedyn understands the stars too in powerless.

THE WRITING💜
the writing in this is tied with fearless for the best. on this topic, i also do not have much to say, but for those who have not read this, please do!!! especially if you need a good cry.

my powerful playlist🎧
cardigan by taylor swift (theme song from lauren roberts)
before you by benson boone
little runaway by benson boone
need you now by dean lewis
all for you by benson boone
let me go by benson boone

can you tell i think benson boone fits adena and mak?

the first time i read this book, it was my everything, mainly because it was the first book to make me cry, and i cried multiple times before finally sobbing at the end. i loved the banter, the plot, the tension, but upon this reread my feelings have changed. so without further ado, my final review!

THE WRITING💜
usually i would try to go in alphebtical order for the elements of the book, i.e., characters, plot, then writing, but this was my biggest issue with the book and something worth touching on. i am also listing it here to get my ranting out of the way. starting with, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU USE THE PHRASE "SHELL OF HER EAR?!??" like, no, just no. i counted it at least three times in this book alone, and once was already enough for me. there are plenty of ways to desribe whispering into someone's ear or being super close to someone, and this is just not it. another issue i had was the constant three-word repetition. at first i really enjoyed it as it added to the lyrical prose of the novel, but as the book wore on, it was more and more overused and lost its initial impact. dear miss lauren roberts, it does not need to be used on every. single. PAGE. my last problem on the writing was the misspelling of the word "eyeing." in the book it was "eying" and i still cannot believe i caught that, but it did, so yes, i have to agree with some of the lower-ranking reviews: this book needs an editor. now for the positives: i absolutely ADORED the description. as mentioned above it is lyrical and poetic but also detailed and engaging with the senses. overall with the writing, i suppose i cannot be too harsh because this is her debut novel, but these are just some things i have kept in mind.

THE CHARACTERS💜
the best part in my opinion.

paedyn gray: GIRLLLL, I LOVE YOU!!!! OUR WONDERFUL SILVER SAVIOR, YOU ARE SO STRONG AND AAAAACCKKKKKKK🤍✨ her character is very consistent throught especially in regards to her feelings with kai, and i just love her so much.

kai azer: MY POET!! i really have no words for him and the way he is so in love with paedyn. he has been through IT and yet the way he continues moving on, and his soft spot for kids??? again, no words, but maybe i will find them again for my fearless review.

kitt azer: i actually liked you,

but i am not a fan of love triangles nor sort-of love triangles, so i hated you all the same...

note: adena is not mentioned here because she is in my powerful review, which i tandem read with this one.

THE PLOT💜
as with everyone else, i also have mixed feelings about this plot because it is quite similar to the hunger games and supposedly even more so to the red queen. yes, there are less original ideas in tis world, but it... just... argh.

something i did like though was that blair won the trials (even if it was in the most terrible way😭) with so many books where the main characters win every single thing, it was really refreshing to see them "lose" for once.

aside from the "clearly copied" plot, it was enjoyable to read, and i think my favorite plot of the trilogy (aside from powerful)

FINAL THOUGHTS💜
i know i just straight up roasted this book in the review, but i still recommend it for the ya, true enemies-to-lovers, fantasy fans out there. i think you will enjoy it🙂

p.s. i wish i could share my three hour long playlist on here, but i suppose i will be fine with just sharing a few songs.

yellow by coldplay
demons by imagine dragons
teeth by 5 seconds of summer

in the stars by bensoon boone (iykyk)

hero by david kushner

this BOOK!!!
i love the valentine's themes so much, and i am so happy that i reread it and annotated it. i just love this story so much, and it is just so cute.

CHARACTERS ♡
emilie hornby: she is... interesting. she kind of gives "i am not like other girls" vibes, nad that is an overrated trope in my opinion. honestly, emilie is the exact same as liz in better than the movies, and i know it is the same author, but it just really bothers me. i do like emilie's character development, but i wish she kept some of her original values

(northwestern for example)

. i love her confessions at the beginning of each chapter, and overall, i think she is an okay character.

nick stark: eeeek!!!! nick may or may not be my favorite book boy from lynn painter. he just respects emilie (kind of) and is spontaneous and really sweet.

at the endish when he would not talk to emilie, i was kind of frustrated.

the ending-ending though?!!??!?! OH MY GOODNESS- we love him.

PLOT ♡
this is definitely the most "out there" of lynn painter's ya books. i mean, there are literal repeating days. it is weird though because this book is definitely still a contemporary. but the repeating DAYS!!!!

and the jacket!!!

maybe i am picky, but i wish there was a better explanation for the days. i do not know. this book is really just a lighthearted read,

and i will say that the day of no consequences did not stress me out as much this time around, but the thirty or so pages afterwards are still hard to get through. the parental dynamic in the end is unrealistic in the way everything is magically resolved. also, page 230 has an error on the floorplan of emilie's dad's house.

i realize i have spent this whole review bashing the book, but it was okay and just a really cute valentine's romcom.