A review by aralalala
Powerless by Lauren Roberts

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What an amazing debut from Lauren Roberts! Powerless was such a fun, exhilarating ride. I’m typing this as soon as I finished and my heart is still pounding like crazy.

First, I’m so grateful that though Pae and Kai share similar spunk and vibes, they had unique voices so switching POVs wasn’t so hard considering that it wasn’t exactly alternating between chapters.

Second, I’m definitely here for all their banter. Having come from a previous book I DNF’d because of bad banter (and I thought I just grew out of that), Powerless does it so, so well. I was squealing through chapters of endless undeniable chemistry and witty comebacks. I didn’t even care much for the fact that I was being dragged into their romance more than the actual plot—which was still moving, by the way, but come on, Kai Azer??? Swoon.

Oh, but the book doesn’t just do the romantic tension well. The plot is thick and heavy and I’m surprised it actually goes deeper than initially offered. It’s a mix of quite a few things but done so well so far, and I just hope the end of the trilogy delivers a satisfying closure to all of it. It’s ambitious to say the least but exciting all the same. 

I totally get the hype around it. It’s definitely worth picking up, and I fear picking up the sequel so soon knowing it’s gonna take a while before the last book gets released!
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