This installment of the series was okay. I've not hated this series, but I can't say I've been a fan of it either. There are portions of this book that are two stars and some flashes that are four stars, so I've averaged it out. My biggest love of this series is Mafi's depth of emotional description. My biggest complaint is the pacing and plot. The pacing of certain tensions in the plot seem convenient and not thought out beforehand. I felt like nothing really happened in this book until the last few pages.

Without giving too much away, this book was alright. The beginning dragged a bit, and parts near the very end were so fanciful that they were odd. Then, the epilogue... hm. I’m definitely so thrilled by the representation of a lesbian couple in fantasy that I’ll deal with the book’s issues. If it haven’t arrived in my Owlcrate, I probably wouldn’t have read it, but I’m glad I stretched a bit and did.

Meh.

I realize that I'm not the target audience for Kasie West's books. They're not even in my favorite genres. But as a teacher, I read a lot of things I wouldn't chose for myself so that I can facilitate kids toward books they'll like.

Now I understand how West can churn out three or four books in a year. It's all formula writing. There are no true details anywhere in this book. We are told that Abby is an artist. We don't get any descriptions of her work. We're simply told it's immature and without heart. Then it's better. We are told that Cooper is a racer, but we don't get any details on that or any real description of his racing. The only scene involving a race is more of a cat fight between Abby and Iris. We don't even learn anything about Abby's other two friends or her new friend that she makes in the book beyond surface titles.

The best thing I can say about this book is that it's cute. I liked Fill-In Boyfriend and P.S. I Like You, decently enough. But now after reading the third book by this author, I can see how both of the others I've read are equally as fluff-filled and vapid.

Don't get me wrong. The books aren't awful. They're not good; but they're not awful. I have girls that need light reads and I appreciate that the most intense these romances get are a kiss here or there. But after my girls read one or two of Kasie West's books, I'll start steering them toward Jennifer E. Smith and Sarah Dessen.

This book was fun enough. I liked Alosa's wit and enjoyed that this was something I could read and listen to (I went back and forth between the book and the audiobook) while doing other things. It was a light read. The book has some flaws in characterization (or lack thereof) and some issues with consent. However, it's a pirate book, so issues around consent are to almost par for the course. Overall, it was decent and I'll read the sequel soon.

This book is a candid look at the personal stories and life of the author and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement. So often the achievements and work of black women and black members of the LGBTQ community are overlooked. Everyone should read this book. It’s amazing that in 2018 America, saying that black lives do indeed matter is controversial.

I'm having a hard time reviewing this book. It lost my interest about half way through, but I think that may be more my fault for reading more than one book at a time and simply being more interested in the other book than this one. I really like the idea of this book, even if it's been done before (and frankly, a bit better) by other authors.

Spoiler

Think of this book as a lovechild between Ender's Game and Warcross. The entire plot twist comes exactly from Ender's Game.

Still, this book is more accessible for a reluctant reader, middle grade audience. I know it's a book my students will love, even if I, as a more mature reader, didn't quite love it myself.

It's hard to rate a book saying that I "liked it" when it didn't make me happy. Is this a necessary book? Yes, I think so. Is the writing good? Yes, I'd say so to that as well. Are the characters well written? Only the main two. Are there some tropes? Absentee parents, double check, among others.

My problem with this book is that it puts Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock into my head and I hear Leonard's voice instead of Theodore's. If I had read this book first, I might have rated it a four star instead of a three. After reading what I have in the past year, I feel like this book would have simply worked better with a friendship instead of a romance. The romance didn't feel real to me, and so the last 30% of the book didn't grab me like it would have otherwise.

Not a bad book, and I don't regret reading it.

Gone Girl will keep you guessing and then destroy you, not with the who-done-it aspects, but with the ways that the characters make each other and make themselves.

I'd say 3.5 stars for this one.

Alosa starts off as bratty and annoying, and in my opinion, acts out of character for the first fifth or so of the book. the supporting characters aren't built up enough for me to mourn them when they're gone, so the effect of some of the conflict is not as profound as it would otherwise be.

I enjoyed this duology. It was a nice read that didn't require a lot of personal investment.