imnobody's review
As always, Margaret Peterson Haddix manages to create a plot with unbelievable twists.
jcarsrud's review
1.0
I feel like this book was the 2nd part of a trilogy and I skipped the 1st and 3rd books. There were so many questions unanswered and the story was underdeveloped. I really would have enjoyed it more had their been a first part to tell about the setting and to develop the characters and story.
afro8921's review against another edition
3.0
It was an okay read. Not nearly as good as uprising but still okay.
viqwxsc_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
alexblackreads's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this, but not nearly as much as most of Haddix's other works. The premise was fascinating, I loved the idea of the world, I loved the commentary on what war means and how citizens can be complicit and misled. She had so many interesting ideas.
But this book was so short that there wasn't much time to explore those ideas. And despite the short length, nothing happens for the first 100+ pages. In all the time she spent on set up and getting the characters to the point where they could have growth, she could have been developing the world or their personalities. Instead we got very little about anything and it dragged.
I also had an issue with Tessa's role as main character. She's an incredible passive character, driven solely by external forces. Which can be done well, I love a good passive lead. But it's not done well here. She's whiny and bland and contributes no action or thought in the book until the very end. Had she been more developed, she could have been passive while still being a worthwhile lead, but she didn't work well as the vehicle for the story to me.
I did really enjoy the ending. I think Haddix almost always offers fascinating insight on the world, and it was true here as well. It was just rushed. This didn't need to be an epic novel by any means, but it did feel like it needed more development and more time. It had so much potential, but just fell flat.
But this book was so short that there wasn't much time to explore those ideas. And despite the short length, nothing happens for the first 100+ pages. In all the time she spent on set up and getting the characters to the point where they could have growth, she could have been developing the world or their personalities. Instead we got very little about anything and it dragged.
I also had an issue with Tessa's role as main character. She's an incredible passive character, driven solely by external forces. Which can be done well, I love a good passive lead. But it's not done well here. She's whiny and bland and contributes no action or thought in the book until the very end. Had she been more developed, she could have been passive while still being a worthwhile lead, but she didn't work well as the vehicle for the story to me.
I did really enjoy the ending. I think Haddix almost always offers fascinating insight on the world, and it was true here as well. It was just rushed. This didn't need to be an epic novel by any means, but it did feel like it needed more development and more time. It had so much potential, but just fell flat.
josiahdegraaf's review
1.0
This wouldn't be that bad of a book except the fact that the whole book was built around one plot twist, and that plot twist was basically given away by the blurb on the back cover.
1-1.5 Stars. (Poor)
1-1.5 Stars. (Poor)
erinlibrarian's review
3.0
There was potential for a lot of story here- however, too much packed into too few pages. I would have loved to see more character development and world building take place. However, it might be a good choice for reluctant readers or for those who want something purely plot driven.
l1brarygirl's review
3.0
Very quick read for being a young adult book! Very short story but had a nice twist