I really enjoyed the medium used to convey this story. I was worried about having dual authors, but thought the overall story was cohesive and entertaining. It has been really interesting to read a story that is so heavily centered around the plot (independently) and the romance (catalytically), while leaving the reader...unsatisfied? *spoiler* We never get to see our romantic heroines interact in person for more than a page, and I found that deeply disappointing. But it was also a nice change from the "in you face we fell in love in five seconds" romances portrayed in most YA novels... I'm so torn!

I almost didn't read this book when I learned it doesn't explicitly follow our two main characters from the first novel. But, I got over myself and gave this one a chance and REALLY enjoyed all the plot twists and ass kicking, delivered mostly by our female lead (you go girl, protect your ship). I am continuously surprised by how gore-filled these novels have been. They don't try to be light-hearted adventure books; they really open up to the dangers of space travel and espionage. I thought this was a great second installment in this action packed series. Thumbs up!

Our finale! I struggled with this book, which isn't a shock because I always take my freaking time (intentionally and annoyingly) with the last book in a series. I had a lot of trouble getting into yet another new band of characters, as well as trying to spatially (lol space pun) coordinate our existing characters into their new roles. I didn't feel fully acclimated until the last 250 or so pages of the novel, which was a slight bummer, personally. And I do believe this weighs probably more on my own personal life (and what I was dealing with at the time) and isn't so much the books fault...so bare that in mind. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this novel, especially the very last chapter. What a heartwarming finish. I'm happy to have read this series, and to have a knowledge of this world in my much too imaginative brain.

I can definitely see how this book/series became so popular so quickly. I'm really glad I decided to pick this up and discover why it is so beloved. There was a lot going on in this 850 page beast, but I flew through the book in under a week. There were a few moments that were slow and a little too drawn out, but ultimately necessary for backstory and character development. I also found myself regretful of remarking on the slow pace when in the next chapter something terrible was happening to our main heroes. Overall, I'd say this is a 4.25 rating from me. It's my first dive into an adult series, and I think if I'm going to continue the series I definitely need to break it up with other novels and genres in between.
This first book really set up this world, the characters, and the plot nicely. Some things weren't completely satisfactory, but I have a feeling they'll come up as shocking turn of events in future novels. Part of me wishes we could have seen a beginning, middle, and end of our main characters story in just one book, but alas.

This was a really cute story, but I had to be in the mood to handle it. It's like eating chocolate cake (and listen, I could put away an entire cake by myself) that is SO SWEET you can't eat it all in one sitting. I tried reading this book last summer and made it about 80 pages in before giving up. I started over this year knowing what I was in for and ready to accept the teen awkward flirting, friendship drama, and adorable dogs. I think this was a well written YA contemporary novel, but I'm not sure if Matson is an author I'll seek out in the future. Contemporary is the type of genre I r e a l l y need to be in the mood for, so it's not fault of the author that this isn't my favorite. I'd give this a 3.75 rating.