Not quite at my reading level, I don't think, and a little heavy on the conspiracy theory/monster-under-the-bed focused for my taste. (Side note: I was one of those kids who read Psssst! It's Me...the Bogeyman like a million times.) The ending felt too happy-go-lucky, and the moralistic themes - "what's best for you"/"stranger danger" - weren't very appealing to me.

The book was funny, but the stereotypes were ridiculously, offensively exaggerated (particularly the gay best friend!). The setting felt a little off, and most of the references flew right over my head.

Pretty similar to most YA books where the protagonist's best friend moves away. Marcus Flutie may have been fascinating, but he didn't make my fictional-boyfriends list. And imo, the Hy thing was totally blown out of proportion.

I rather liked Sophie and her family, but Liv's a selfish, judgmental brat. I found

Spoiler

"Oh I love her so much, I'll give up my job and ethics for her"

unrealistic; not my type at all.

Not sure the "Alice in Wonderland" perception was really conveyed, but at least it fit with all the references (Narnia <3). I kind of figured out by the middle

Spoiler

that it was William

, but I loved her reaction and it played out really well.

Not quite a full 4 stars, to be honest, but it was pretty good.

Very strong beginning, but the style wavered and even dragged in the middle and end. The corruption and culture - all very idyllic. I'm a little disappointed that Myrmex was basically cut (minus one brief scene) after

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they all split up

.

Quite well-written; even the lulls in action didn't bore me. The idea is absolutely fascinating, and her final choice was unexpected in a good way. I really enjoyed seeing all the differences between each world, including who lived and died. Probably missed some nuances but greatly appreciated the book in its entirety.

Um, nope. Macbeth-esque delusions, transparent ploys, dense and hard to follow. Not very well-written, and there didn't really seem to be a direction. The insights didn't seem genuinely thoughtful, and there just wasn't really anything I particularly liked about this book.

Not too bad as far as dystopian competition stories go. Disliked America's name on principle, but the backstory/justification was decent. Honestly, I'm not sure which boy to root for, though right now my money's on

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Aspen

.

I didn't notice the Bones connection the first time - pretty sure I wasn't watching the show at the time, though - but I don't think that would have won me over. I wasn't a fan of the MC, the POV choices seemed arbitrary, and the "twists" were all super obvious. Not into the black-and-white morality and ignorant parents trope.