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A review by illyria18
Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan
4.0
Rated: 3.5
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Now you see, I was so eager when I got this book that I didn't care about anything else. I was just so grateful that I had actually won this one. After winning the previous two I had been looking forward to this one and had great anticipation to it. So now the question is; Did it live up to that anticipation I had for it?
Well honestly, I'm feeling conflicted. With these books I've always for the most part enjoyed the ride they've taken me on. That part has never changed even as this crazy story has continued along. That's right crazy. I doubt there are many that could read this series and say that they predicted what would come next. I mean how could you? That's certainly something this book has got going for it along with the other two. Sure somethings you might be able to guess might happen but overall there's no predictability in these books. They are so over the top and action packed that it's hard to take one thing in before another big thing happens. Now this is a good thing and also a bad thing, particularly in this book.
Since my biggest problem with this book is it couldn't help but feel rushed. Trilogies are a big thing at the moment but really this series could of went on longer. It certainly had plenty of stuff going on in it to do so. Yet everything is crammed air tight in this last book and a lot of things don't get better explained. We don't get the reward of seeing it after all we've been through on certain things. Instead we are rewarded with a few sentences or so.
There was also a focus on romance at the beginning and middle that didn't feel as balanced out as the previous books had it. Waverly was the worst offender of this. It in fact made her slightly irritating at times. She couldn't seem to get her thoughts in order over three guys for the longest time. Though I thought after the last book that this wouldn't be an issue. Oh how I was wrong. It wasn't enough that she was still thinking between the two, lets throw a third in there that everyone should know has no chance of really happening. I'll let that go though since once we get past that nonsense things get a lot better.
Kieran and Seth, I felt were the stronger characters. They've come a long way as well, particularly Seth. Seth has by far now become my favorite character out of all of this and he's earned it. I also like in this book how we got to spend time with some of the other boys. Not a whole lot because really there wasn't much time to spare for it but I did enjoy the detour to see what they were dealing with.
One big thing I'll praise these books for they give the characters a real reason to fight and a very real sense of danger. All the characters go through a lot and all of them come out very changed after everything they've been through. This series does not mess around in that department and I think that's what makes it so great. None of it is sugarcoated. It's like an adrenaline rush at times while at others truly disturbing. Lets put it this way I highly doubt I'll be finding other books that pushed some of the boundaries that these books did, especially for being a YA series.
I'm near the end of this review now and I'm still not sure how I feel about that final ending. It felt too soon but at the same time if it had to end then this probably was the best ending that I could see for it to have. For the most part everything got tied up with a bow and it does feel like you're allowed to easily breathe again after all that these books put you through. I enjoyed my experience through all its ups and downs and terrifying moments, and now this is my reward. So I suppose it's a good enough one. The author should congratulate herself. The series left me wanting more but if this is how it must end then she this was a good end for it. What I've said in past reviews hasn't changed I'll still be looking forward to see what this author publishes after this.
I recommend this trilogy to fans of YA and Science Fiction.
Now I feel I must leave off on this small spoiler that I still can't get my mind around. Five kids! Dang Kieran! You guys must be breeding like bunnies over there. ;)
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
Now you see, I was so eager when I got this book that I didn't care about anything else. I was just so grateful that I had actually won this one. After winning the previous two I had been looking forward to this one and had great anticipation to it. So now the question is; Did it live up to that anticipation I had for it?
Well honestly, I'm feeling conflicted. With these books I've always for the most part enjoyed the ride they've taken me on. That part has never changed even as this crazy story has continued along. That's right crazy. I doubt there are many that could read this series and say that they predicted what would come next. I mean how could you? That's certainly something this book has got going for it along with the other two. Sure somethings you might be able to guess might happen but overall there's no predictability in these books. They are so over the top and action packed that it's hard to take one thing in before another big thing happens. Now this is a good thing and also a bad thing, particularly in this book.
Since my biggest problem with this book is it couldn't help but feel rushed. Trilogies are a big thing at the moment but really this series could of went on longer. It certainly had plenty of stuff going on in it to do so. Yet everything is crammed air tight in this last book and a lot of things don't get better explained. We don't get the reward of seeing it after all we've been through on certain things. Instead we are rewarded with a few sentences or so.
There was also a focus on romance at the beginning and middle that didn't feel as balanced out as the previous books had it. Waverly was the worst offender of this. It in fact made her slightly irritating at times. She couldn't seem to get her thoughts in order over three guys for the longest time. Though I thought after the last book that this wouldn't be an issue. Oh how I was wrong. It wasn't enough that she was still thinking between the two, lets throw a third in there that everyone should know has no chance of really happening. I'll let that go though since once we get past that nonsense things get a lot better.
Kieran and Seth, I felt were the stronger characters. They've come a long way as well, particularly Seth. Seth has by far now become my favorite character out of all of this and he's earned it. I also like in this book how we got to spend time with some of the other boys. Not a whole lot because really there wasn't much time to spare for it but I did enjoy the detour to see what they were dealing with.
One big thing I'll praise these books for they give the characters a real reason to fight and a very real sense of danger. All the characters go through a lot and all of them come out very changed after everything they've been through. This series does not mess around in that department and I think that's what makes it so great. None of it is sugarcoated. It's like an adrenaline rush at times while at others truly disturbing. Lets put it this way I highly doubt I'll be finding other books that pushed some of the boundaries that these books did, especially for being a YA series.
I'm near the end of this review now and I'm still not sure how I feel about that final ending. It felt too soon but at the same time if it had to end then this probably was the best ending that I could see for it to have. For the most part everything got tied up with a bow and it does feel like you're allowed to easily breathe again after all that these books put you through. I enjoyed my experience through all its ups and downs and terrifying moments, and now this is my reward. So I suppose it's a good enough one. The author should congratulate herself. The series left me wanting more but if this is how it must end then she this was a good end for it. What I've said in past reviews hasn't changed I'll still be looking forward to see what this author publishes after this.
I recommend this trilogy to fans of YA and Science Fiction.
Now I feel I must leave off on this small spoiler that I still can't get my mind around. Five kids! Dang Kieran! You guys must be breeding like bunnies over there. ;)