I really appreciate what it was like to read this book. I understand the criticisms and praises. Fairly impactful. Solid read. 

     Although I liked it more than the first installment, that hardly means anything! I believe that this is the weakest and most unoriginal novel of hers I've ever read. I was so underwhelmed by the predictability of the plot, one-dimensional characters, and the flatness of it altogether. Don't ask me how to play the actual Warcross game, because it doesn't make any sense to me. Why is everyone in the world obsessed with it? Seems incredibly dreadful. Many hype up her descriptions in this, but they fall flat to me. It's such a basic futuristic world. The plot was so predictable that the only time I felt somewhat intrigued was when Zero's past was actually revealed, but that was short lived. I hate the motif of evil technology has to go away! But, wait, what if we can make it better? Also, Hideo literally caused so many deaths and took control of human beings. You would think they would've looked a little further into it than just asking Jax what happened. The characters fall flat. Hideo and Emika were just okay. This all fell so flat. How disappointing from a Marie Lu novel. From the woman who made me fall in love with reading.

     Listen, I’m a big Marie Lu fan. However, this book just didn’t particularly do it for me. I found the plot to be rather predictable. The futuristic concept didn’t strike home for me at all. I was not interested in the Warcross game and honestly couldn’t even tell you how it works. I’m intrigued enough to see what happens in Wildcard, but I was essentially underwhelmed by this book :(

     I listened to the audiobook, which added to my experience as someone who isn't really a poetry person. Hearing the author herself read the novel was wonderful. Who else could do it justice? The passion in her voice sent chills through me. I adored Xiomara and a few of the other characters. I've heard people complain about the lack of complexity in other characters but the novel is fairly short and focuses on Xiomara. I loved her best friend and her brother. They show that different people can have very different ways of showing that they care about you. Scenes with her mother were chilling and made me feel sick in my stomach. Religion turned into a rationale for abuse. It's truly sickening. I cannot imagine what it is like for Xiomara and Xavier to grow up in such a suppressive and conditional home. I connected and empathized with the characters. The book was incredibly character-driven but the plot wasn't slow or uninteresting. The writing was lovely as usual with Elizabeth Acevedo. I enjoyed Clap When You Land, but this novel really knocked it out of the park. 

     I'm conflicted as I rate this book 4.25 stars. I think I've grown spoiled reading the Grishaverse and I take for granted the complexity of it all. The characters are amazing and heartwarming. The world is spectacular and engaging. The plot is interesting. The writing is gorgeous. I think my rating is in relation to other novels in the Grishaverse, not in relation to other novels generally because Bardugo wipes everyone out of the waters. Zoya's backstory was heartbreaking but made her character feel complete. Nikolai and the whole rest of the cast we know are some of my favorite characters of all times. I love a good political intrigue novel, especially when there's magic and religion involved. Such a lovely read. 

      Reading John Green is like playing Russian Roulette. That being said, I really enjoyed this book. It was a little simple, but still a solid read with interesting characters and events. I sincerely appreciated his depiction of severe anxiety. The scenes involving hand sanitizer were done so well that I wanted to throw up with worry, anxiety, and general sadness for this girl. This book affected me emotionally. The sensation of knowing what you should do, knowing what’s logical, and not being able to do that because of a mental illness hit close to home. He described the indescribable. That feeling of self-aware powerlessness is terrifying. I enjoyed Aza’s character. Wait to go this time, John Green.