holy crap...so I DNFed at about 1/3 of the way in. The cover, plot and idea of the story are great but the writing and pace are SOOOOOOOOOO SLOW! Even using an audiobook, I found it unbearable (and I have too many books in my TBR to read a book I'm not enjoying)! The characters were relatively likeable (in the parts that I read) but NOTHING happens and the tone when events actually take place comes off like the author is downplaying everything. I didn't get any sense of mystery that really needed to be uncovered even though that's what should have come off...and I found the main girl--while likeable--comes off as concerningly stupid. She just happens to remember things when it becomes convenient and...someone kills you every two years and you don't tell anyone and are apparently sane?! And you forgot you were brought to a government testing lab? Age 6 or not, I don't think that's something you forget and then SUDDENLY remember.

2.5 out of 5 stars
*reluctant groan and unsure expression*
I really wanted to love this book! And it wasn't horrible but...it was nothing special. A fairly predictable plot with some cool magic. I normally read books of this size in one or two days but I struggled to read this within 4 days with help from the audiobook.

The main girl was infuriatingly stupid. She blames herself the entire book which fuels her rage and desire for revenge despite it being pretty obvious that she isn't sure exactly what happened. Someone will say on page 100 "it wasn't your fault" and then she does that annoying inner monologue that everything is her fault by essentially just being alive...and then on page 102 she'll finally switch to "oh, it wasn't all my fault."

The inner monologue and information are almost painfully repetitive. Yes, we've established that you can travel via the canals and no one will know. You don't need to include that EVERY DAMN TIME you're going to use the canals! It seemed like it could've been edited a bit more to help with that.

If the male lead, Less, wasn't in the book...I don't know that I would've finished it. The main girl does a lot of things that I just *head shake, exhales and shrug* and muttered "you're so stupid. Why are you doing this?" and then Less would come in and speak logically.

I'm not even remotely a spiritual person so the aspect of "you're my enemy because you believe in another god" was pretty unappealing to me (and it kinda the same logic that got our world in this geopolitical chaos that you see on the news).

I don't know that I'll read the sequel--if I do, it'll be borrowed from the library. This cover and the sequels are beautiful but the book is VERY heavy into romance while betrayal and backstabbing and such are kind of an afterthought.

I wanted to love this book but it was the weakest book I've read from the Shadowhunter Chronicles. It draggggggggggged until the very end and I kept getting distracted because it seemed like nothing was actually happening (I think there definitely could've been some edits). Just lots of high school romance drama. I also really don't like how old favourites characters are being written since they are lacking all their personalities that made me desperate to see them in the Dark Artifices (makes me feel like it was a marketing trick)--Just for example is fucking amazing and funny and sassy and talented and outspoken and...none of that came through in this book at all. I liked all the diversity and if the ending wasn't a comment on the current political situation in the US then I don't know what is. I will definitely read the next in the series but maybe get it from the library instead of buying a copy. I'm hoping the new series will grab me like Infernal Devices did.

PS I cried when the ghost said Tessa was trying to contact Will after he dies. I have never...like my heart...it hurt my heart!

It was cute. Nothing special and quite cheesy in terms of romance (which I'm not a big fan of) but anyways...
I think I'll eventually pick up the rest of the series but I'm in no hurry.

2.5 stars
Neither a fan of nor did I hate it

I was quite underwhelmed by this book. It was hyped so much and it fell so flat. It picked up near the end and there's good potential for the sequel (which I will give a chance). I have a really hard time saying a book is good because the very end gets interesting. By the time things started picking up, I was just exhausted with the characters. Just wanted it to finish up. Even the magic was written quite boringly...

Hmmm... 3.5/5

It's a solid divergent+hunger games mash up but it's by no means original.

I wish there would've been more of a development of the government + plague cover ups. The content of it that did exist was good but kept getting overshadowed by the romance. The romance was underdeveloped and super insta-love (which I hate). I hope that does get stronger because right now...the romance seems like a cop-out for the author. I also wished for more time spent comparing the poor groups vs. the government + the protest. I find those sorts of situations are much better understood by readers when we read it rather than hearing it second hand from a character. (it's one thing to read a story placed in District 12 but it's another to live in it through Katniss).

I am not a big reader of the contemporary genre of books...but the topics touched upon in this book are so prevelent to 2017 and so important to be aware of. I am very priviledge to have been born in Canada and have roots in my country going back to early settlement and Acadian history--I don't know what it's like to deal with racism and immigration and the reasons behind the decisions people make. I pride myself on being a liberal and open person and someone who listens to those who have experienced what I haven't...but this book still gave me a very new perspective of legal and illegal immigration and the toll it takes on a family...but also the butterfly effect--my actions cause other actions and situations (good and bad).

This book was just really well done and I am very excited to read Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon too.

ugh! this is a hard book to rate. so I am DNFing a little after the half way mark. The idea of a government conspiracy and vampires sounds like a gold mine to me and the writing wasn't necessarily bad--it is absolutely a book that some ppl will enjoy it it just drags so much! I'm so incredibly bored. my interest was slowly dying off since the whole zoo incident and I have so many books to read that I'm not going to force myself on this one.

so I DNF this which seems odd with my 4 star rating but let me explain...

This book was by no means bad--in fact, it's a really solid contemporary that I understand why people would like it (and I will recommend it to friend who like that genre) but...I just hate contemporary books. I really did try. The characters are likeable and the references to World of Warcraft and horror films are great...but I just find this genre so incredibly boring. It feels like I'm punishing myself by forcing myself to read it.

If you like contemporary, I'd def get this a shot.