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A review by neilrcoulter
Redeemed by Margaret Peterson Haddix
3.0
Finally, the conclusion of The Missing series! I've really enjoyed this series and have been excited to see how Haddix will end it. The books building up to this conclusion had been fantastic.
Ultimately, it's hard to conclude a beloved series, and there's bound to be some let-down. I felt that with Redeemed. Generally, I liked this final volume, but I was also disappointed by some aspects. The main disappointment was that the protagonist this time is Jordan, not Jonah. Jordan starts out not knowing anything about time travel, or any events from the previous books. This makes him a difficult character to like right at the start. It feels sometimes like here in the final volume, the speed and momentum have been diminished because of the main character's ignorance. Even by the end of the book, I wasn't as interested in Jordan as I guess I should have been. It's Jonah and Katherine that I've learned to love, but in this story, seeing them from the outside, they are distant, sometimes mean or uncaring, and certainly not the main characters.
The story is the most dizzying spiral of different dimensions, multiple versions of many characters, people appearing at different ages and in different eras, often with little explanation given right away. Some of the books in this series have been relatively simple, others more complex, but this time Haddix is really pushing the limits of what the reader can figure out. Even at the end of the book I was a little confused about some aspects of what had happened. I'm sure all the details work out, but it is often taxing to untangle the various plot strands.
In this volume the ultimate villain is revealed, and it's not exactly who I'd expected. Essentially, then, this book has to reveal the enemy, explain the enemy, and defeat the enemy--all while tying up the many loose ends from the previous books. That's a tall order. Haddix is mostly successful, but the conclusion to the series is not quite as satisfying as I'd hoped. However, I still love The Missing, and I believe Haddix has created an amazing story, which I highly recommend. The entire series, including the final book, is fiercely life-affirming, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the hopeless dystopias of so many other series for youth. I'm thankful for Haddix's optimism, her faithfulness, her optimism about second chances, and her affirmation of the value of life. These are messages that are sorely needed, no matter what the time period or geographical location.
Ultimately, it's hard to conclude a beloved series, and there's bound to be some let-down. I felt that with Redeemed. Generally, I liked this final volume, but I was also disappointed by some aspects. The main disappointment was that the protagonist this time is Jordan, not Jonah. Jordan starts out not knowing anything about time travel, or any events from the previous books. This makes him a difficult character to like right at the start. It feels sometimes like here in the final volume, the speed and momentum have been diminished because of the main character's ignorance. Even by the end of the book, I wasn't as interested in Jordan as I guess I should have been. It's Jonah and Katherine that I've learned to love, but in this story, seeing them from the outside, they are distant, sometimes mean or uncaring, and certainly not the main characters.
The story is the most dizzying spiral of different dimensions, multiple versions of many characters, people appearing at different ages and in different eras, often with little explanation given right away. Some of the books in this series have been relatively simple, others more complex, but this time Haddix is really pushing the limits of what the reader can figure out. Even at the end of the book I was a little confused about some aspects of what had happened. I'm sure all the details work out, but it is often taxing to untangle the various plot strands.
In this volume the ultimate villain is revealed, and it's not exactly who I'd expected. Essentially, then, this book has to reveal the enemy, explain the enemy, and defeat the enemy--all while tying up the many loose ends from the previous books. That's a tall order. Haddix is mostly successful, but the conclusion to the series is not quite as satisfying as I'd hoped. However, I still love The Missing, and I believe Haddix has created an amazing story, which I highly recommend. The entire series, including the final book, is fiercely life-affirming, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the hopeless dystopias of so many other series for youth. I'm thankful for Haddix's optimism, her faithfulness, her optimism about second chances, and her affirmation of the value of life. These are messages that are sorely needed, no matter what the time period or geographical location.