And I Darken by Kiersten White

Title: And I Darken (Conqueror's Saga #1)

Author: Kiersten White 

Publication Date: July 7th 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Press 

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

(this isn't the same cover as the book I read, but this one captures the book better)



Goodreads Blurb:

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.
But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

After reading Ms. White's other books, I was shocked at the writing style, characters, and literally everything in this book; I can't believe the person who wrote the Paranormalcy series wrote this book! I think it's impressive that an author can try out and succeed with different styles and different genres, and even though I wasn't a fan of this book, many thoroughly loved it.

My feelings about the book itself are definitely conflicted. On one hand, the plot and characters were really complex, but on the other, they were a bit too complex that it was difficult to understand what was going on.

What I Liked:
* loosely based on history
* Lada was fierce, driven, and downright scary
* Radu was sweet and serious throughout the novel
* Mehmed was mysterious
* the narration was intense and the plot was driven
* there were a lot of historical allusions to the Ottoman Empire that I understood
* the writing style was good

What I Didn't Like:
* the plot was too much (for me), and the descriptions were a bit tedious
* Lada was a little too negative and bitter sometimes
* literally only three characters who were fully developed
* the book skipped the shift in Mehmed, from little kid to king
* role of women/ the stereotype was appropriate to that time period I suppose but it was still silly that Ladu was trying to be "manly" and stifle her feminism

Overall, it was not a fun, light read. It was engrossing and tough. The world they live in is brutal and at times a bit too fantastical. It is harsh and there weren't many positive, happy feelings in this book; I found it to be very dark and as a generally happy person, I found it discomfiting and wanted something a little more light. However, it was written in a time period that was harsh and gritty, so this book was successful in capturing that mood.

I recommend it to fans of historical fiction as well as those who enjoy reading dark, intense stories about thriving when the odds are stacked against you, about losing what makes you human, and about the darkness in all of us. Also, if anyone is interested in Vlad the Impaler, Lada is supposed to be the female version of him.

The Crown by Kiera Cass

Title: The Crown (The Selection #5) 

Author: Kiera Cass 

Date Published: May 3rd 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Ratings: 2 out of 5 stars 

Goodreads Blurb:

When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone. Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

To start on a positive note, that cover is absolutely gorgeous!!! The one thing that has stayed consistent throughout this entire series is the awesomeness of the covers.

But, sadly, it was utterly unexciting. I can count on one hand the number of books that have met or exceeded my hopes this year. This book is not one of them.

The Crown picks up where the last one ends, but it lacks the intrigue and fun that was present in the first three of this series, the ones not about Eadlyn but about America.

Almost every aspect of the first three (The Selection, The Elite, and The One), rank higher than this book.

Character? America was strong, kind, and interesting. Eadlyn? Not so much. Honestly was a sorry excuse for a princess.

Plot? The selection process was interesting in the first series, but doing it again really didn't work out with this novel. Also, there was really nothing going on in this novel, while in the first three there was rebellion, actual competition, family discord, and So. Many. Secrets. Eadlyn thought she was hated by the people but honestly where does she base this off of? There was no talk of rebellion or history in this novel.

The candidates? OMG the life-stories/personalities of the boys literally didn't shine through the at all. Like in the first three, we really got to know about the girls (very well) and this made the whole thing so much more interesting. I understand that Cass wanted to look at the process from another perspective, but this approach would have been much more successful if Eadlyn was a developed, interesting character.

Ending? Ok so there was some sort of rising action, tension, and drama in the first three. But The Crown had absolutely nothing. She picks one of the candidates, because she doesn't want to cause drama by undermining the Selection process. Then she undermines it anyway by picking someone else (not part of the candidates), literally seven minutes before announcing it to the entirety of Illéa. This was a bit suspenseful I suppose.... But we all knew how it would end and unlike in the The One, the MC was entirely predictable. So no climatic moment in this book.


If you read the first three of this series, I recommend not reading this one. And even if you read The Heir, don't read on. SPOILER: Long story short, she doesn't pick anyone in the candidate pool and instead chooses Erik the translator. That's pretty much all you'll miss if you don't read this book.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)

Author: Renée Ahdieh

Publication Date:  May 12th 2015

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Blurb: 

One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Cast of Characters: (I'm including this part mostly as reference for myself because I'm horrible at remembering character names)

Shazi- MC
Khalid- King, MC
Tariq- Shazi's old friend
Jalal- Khalid's "friend"
Despina- Shazi's new friend/handmaiden/"spy"
Yasmine- small role, interesting princess
Jahandar- Shazi's (crazy) dad


Overall Thoughts: 

One word: serendipitous. This book was such a lovely surprise .
When I first read the description, I wasn't entirely sure this would be my kind of book. But I am so very glad I was bored enough to pick up this book because if I wasn't I wouldn't have discovered one of my favorite books this year (maybe of all time?!).

This is a story of a girl named Shahrzad who sets out to avenge her friend's death, but instead discovers unexpected friends, secrets, and her soul mate. She saves her own life with her wit and storytelling and along the way learns: that things aren't black and white, those she trust the most don't always understand, to forgive.

The Wrath and the Dawn had beautiful writing and magnificent scenes of feasts, the palace, and the desert. The world-building was phenomenal and I loved how this is based off of A Thousand and One Nights. The characters were so real and alive. It has been a while since I related/understood a character as fully and completely as I understood Shahrzad. Her motives, her thoughts, and her actions were so clear. The same cannot be said of Khalid's, however. I didn't know from which angle Ms. Ahdieh was portraying him at first (was he the villain? the good guy?), but in contrast, I loved his enigmatic backstory. The revelation of the curse was entirely unexpected and was a great explanation for Khalid's actions but I wish there was more clarity to the conditions of the curse. The plot was entirely captivating and I enjoyed every exciting moment of this novel.


The Breakdown:

The characters, both main and side, were fully formed and independent beings. Each had a character arc and all of them had such interesting personalities. My favorite "side" character (in my opinion, a side character is everyone except the heroes/heroines) was probably Despina with her sharp wit and
"best-friend" personality. She was intelligent and kind, and wasn't there only to support Shahrzad. Despina and Shahrzad were in the process of building a really strong friendship, and I hope to see it continue in the next book.

The plot twist. Guys I didn't see the end coming. What even. It was fittingly exciting and suited the tone of the entire book. But what a cliffhanger. It was frustrating because one conflict (the curse) was fulfilled and done with, while the consequences of Khalid's actions (which were in reaction to the curse) took over as the main conflict.

This book was brilliant from start to finish; I can't really say which my favorite part was (beginning, middle, end) because it was consistently great. However, there was one thing I found lacking: Shazi's backstory.  I want to hear more about her adventures with her childhood friends and little sister.

I love the mythology & folklore of other cultures. This book perfectly integrates the Arabian setting with the magical atmosphere, complete with curses, a flying carpet, and elemental (fire) powers, that I loved in Aladdin. The crowded city, the palace, and the desert were described in detail and I found myself right next to Shahrzad, watching her overcome challenge after challenge. I think something really makes TW&TD really stand out is it's diversity. There haven't been many YA novels with PoC as the main characters and I just love how this is a pretty accurate and positive portrayal of a different culture.


Favorite Quotes:

“So you would have me throw Shazi to the wolves?”
“Shazi?” Jalal’s grin widened. “Honestly, I pity the wolves.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

“You are not weak. You are not indecisive. You are strong. Fierce. Capable beyond measure.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

“For without a measure of arrogance, how can one attempt the impossible?”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Title: Thorn

Author: Intisar Khanani

Date Published: May 30th 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

Rating: 4 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb: 

For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she's never had ... until she's betrayed. 

Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family's cruelty and the court's contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future. 

But powerful men have powerful enemies--and now, so does Alyrra. Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman's, giving Alyrra the first choice she's ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she's never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own. As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometime the hardest choice means learning to trust herself. 

Thorn is a retelling of Goose Girl. It is very well written; the language is exquisite and the characters have depth. The writing style is smooth, and the dialogue natural. 

On a more abstract note, the main plot was centered around the forced identity switch between Princess Alyrra and Lady Valka (lots of cool names in this book). The shift was caused by Lady, an enigmatic sorceress, who had to watch the brutal death of her mother by the hand of a previous King (the great great grandfather of Kesterin); Lady allowed her hatred to determine her actions and used Valka and Alyrra as pawns to achieve her goal to eradicate the entire line of rulers. Most of this story's plot revolved around Lady's drive for revenge. The remainder of it was focused on Thorn's refusal to fight for her rightful position as princess. (To clarify, Thorn is Alyrra's new nickname after she was forced to swap bodies with Valka.) Lady seemed, at first, as the evil villain type, but after Thorn went to rescue Kesterin, we learn that she has much more depth than what was anticipated. She has a heart, and she is willing to listen and learn. I found myself really liking Lady by the end of the novel. 

Falada was an awesome Horse (capitalized for a reason) and his connection with Thorn reminded me of Yelena's connection with her horse (from the Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder). Falada's loyalty and kindness easily made him one of my favorite characters, and it was an undeniably despondent moment when he died. Another aspect of this book that reminded me of the Poison Study series was that Thorn's soft spot for helping the less fortunate (homeless, hungry children and Robin Hood-like thieves) was quite similar to Yelena's actions to help the poor. 

Although Kesterin's character could have been more present throughout the whole book, Thorn's character more than made up for any shortcomings. Thorn was simple, honest, and loving. At the beginning of the book, everything about her seemed pretty unambiguous but her actions were ultimately spontaneous and unexpected; she was fiercely loyal to her friends and had an extremely humble mien. I loved how her character developed and grew into something brave and confident, unlike the "shadow" it previously was. However, she was not perfect and her biggest flaw was her inability to speak out to help herself. This same weakness was what the Lady used to bind Thorn to the curse and it is the same one that got her into difficult situations multiple times.

Thorn's old life was frighteningly miserable and I was a bit surprised when Thorn didn't jump at the chance to ditch her heartless mother and brother. I, however, still do not understand the King (Kesterin's father) and it's not because he was purposefully made to be enigmatic. I just couldn't understand if the concern he had for Alyrra's safety came from his rectitude or was entirely fake. From Thorn's encounters with him, I found him to be unpredictable and rude but he ultimately ended up helping Thorn, which was wonderful but failed to allay any doubts that he had ulterior motives. 

One aspect of this book that could have been a little more detailed and exciting is the test Lady agreed to, to determine Kesterin's morality. The trials were meant to reveal Kesterin's ability to control his hate for the Lady and avoid turning into a raging murderer but how they were conducted was a bit cliché and expected; the Lady disguises Thorn as herself and pushes both of them into situations in which Kesterin might give into his impulse to kill the person who was responsible for the death of his ancestors.

I also enjoyed the addition of magic to this book; both the Wind and the talking Horse served to add an extra spark to the story. Also, the final reveal that the Wind was actually Kesterin was both sweet and unexpected. 

My Verdict: I like this book; it was sweet, uncomplicated, and picturesque. But it did lack a continuously engaging plot and a stronger set of characters, hence my 4 star rating. I recommend this to anyone who has read Goose Girl by Shannon Hale or The Posion Study series by Maria V. Snyder (although fans of Yelena might find themselves unsatisfied with Thorn's straightforward persona). 

A School for Unusual Girls By Kathleen Baldwin

Title: A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1)

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Date Published: May 19th 2015

Publisher: Tor Teen

Rating: 5 out of 5 

Goodreads Blurb: 

 It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war. After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts...

This book was surprisingly awesome. I totally expected a stereotypical plot (no offense but Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriager was what I was anticipating from reading the blurb) and dull characters but I was so wrong. The genre is historical fiction (one of my favorites) and had three important elements- balls, science, and spies. Ahem, sorry. Diplomats. 

So when Gerogie (yup we're on a first name basis) was sent to the finishing school by her abominable parents, I was hooked. I totally felt her emotions as my own and her character was extremely endearing, not only because she was incredibly smart, but also because she had a crazy passion for science. That was pretty awesome, since most MCs rarely come off as being blue stockings. She was prodigious but wasn't a super ninja like Tess, or a wonderful diplomat like Maya. She just seemed like an ordinary girl, and that, more than anything else, emphasized the fact that she was absolutely brilliant.

Another well done factor in the book was the finishing school. The peculiar characters, like the headmistress, Madame Cho, Ravencliffe, and the girls were extremely dynamic and all of them clearly had depth. Although the specifics and history of a few characters, like Jane and Maya, weren't thoroughly enough described to satisfy my curiosity, the resulting, enigmatic persona only added to their charm. The General and his nephew, Sebastian (OMG, I think Cassandra Clare has well and truly ruined that name for me. Sigh. I totally forgive her though, her novels were wondrous) were ruggedly noble characters. 

The secret spy vibe going on was too cool, and all the parts of the book (the espionage, the war against Napoleon, Stranje house, Georgie's life, Sebastian's still murky past) were all combined seamlessly and left me wanting to know a looooot more about each and  every character. Especially Headmistress Stranje (what is up with her and the Captain), who I adored. 

This book was uniquely its own and I believe it is easily on my top 25 list for 2015. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of any of Gail Carriager's novels (either the Finishing School series or the Parasol Protectorate series, which btw is FAB) or a fan of steampunk, Regency London, bluestockings, and teenagers with superpowers (I know that this doesn't seem to fit in with anything I previously described but trust me, this was the most germane description I could think of).

John Dreamer by Elise Celine

Title: John Dreamer

Author: Elise Celine 

Publication Date: February 12th 2014

Publisher: AuthorBuzz

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*ARC provided by Netgalley*

Goodreads Blurb:

Andy wasn’t usually sure about much, but she was absolutely certain this was the weirdest day of her life as she stood stranded in the middle of a great white room with six strangers. Well, they were mostly strangers. She could have sworn she’d seen the guy with the green eyes before, and maybe that was why he kept staring at her. 
When a man calling himself the Guardian appeared and said they had come to make their deepest dreams come true, they embark on an adventure none of them ever imagined, and the consequences of their actions would change them forever.
"John Dreamer" is the first in a series of books set in the confines of the Great White Room. 

In John Dreamer, Andy is transported to the Great White Room and meets with six other, interesting people who share the same birthday. As they struggle to make sense of their situation, they are thrown into different scenarios that push them out of their comfort zone and force them to overcome their faults. 

The first who is allowed to leave this Place of Dreams is Marcus. When the seven subjects are captured by soldiers, Marcus uses his karate skill and frees himself from his captors. He "saves" the day, and in the process discovers that he is brave. After Marcus disappears, the others realize that the key to being free of this Room is to discover and overcome whatever prevents them from truly living their life.  

Similarly, Olivia learns self-acceptance, Linda learns to overcome her shyness, Roy learns gratitude, and the Matty finally feels appreciated and known. And they all move on to be great people who truly change the world.

The two others, John Dreamer and Andy fall in love at first sight but the constantly moving plot prevents anything real communication between them. But at the end, these two are the ones left in the Place of Dreams and find out that they met as children and finally confess their deepest secrets. Andy confesses that she has been unable to connect to anyone after her mother's death and John reveals just how heartbroken he was over his dad's desertion. 

This book can be a little overwhelming at times and starts off with a bang but has a great moral, interesting plot, and engaging characters. And Ms. Celine really draws the readers in by making the characters understandable and realistic. The supernatural theme is overshadowed by her ability to convey important, human truths such as our ability to change and accept. 

A bit like the Wizard of Oz, this book is about self-discovery, accepting change, and learning to be a better person. 

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Title: Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1)

Author: Colleen Houck 

Publication Date: January 11th 2011

Publisher: Splinter

Rating: 5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.But that's exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.Packed with magic, action-adventure, and romance, the epic Tiger's Curse series will keep you breathless and yearning for more.

Kelsey, a seemingly ordinary girl from Oregon, gets a summer job at a circus. There she meets a white tiger called Dhiren, and from that moment, she is pulled into a 300-year-old curse involving otherworldly adventures, extremely handsome tigers, and awesome super powers.

This is one of my favorite books ever! I love the Indian mythology, I love the romance, I love the characters, and I love the my tigers!

 SPOILER. Dhiren, the white tiger from the circus, is actually an Indian prince who was betrayed by his brother and was cursed by the evil sorcerer Lokesh. Lokesh is the power-hungry monster that wants to unite the pieces of the Damon amulet to control all the elements.

So, Kishan (the brother) and Ren have both been living as tigers for more than 300 years. Now how does Kelsey Hayes fit in? She is the warp =D To be a little less incomprehensible, let me explain. Kelsey Hayes is given the task of breaking the curse by completing five sacrifices and finding four gifts by the goddess Durga (controller of the Damon amulet). Their guide and mentor, Mr. Kadam is the reason that they are able to figure all the prophecy mumbo jumbo out and quite frankly, he is the only reason they were able to find out how to enter Kishkindha, the realm of the monkey, Kappas, and predatory plants.

While in Kishkindha, fighting for their lives, Ren and Kelsey fall in love. Cue the silly,cute romance. But after a while, Kelsey convinces herself that Ren is too good for her (he is a prince) and rejects Ren. And after that the romance portion of this series goes in never ending, circles. But in the end it all works out perfectly.

After they avoid the scary plants, they find the gift mentioned in Durga’s prophecy- a Golden Mango that provides an endless supply of food. On the way back, however, both the monkeys and Kappas decide to attack them and they both barely escape with their life. In fact, Kelsey gets poisoned by a Kappa and would have died if it weren't for Fanindra, the golden snake given to them by Durga.

After they leave Kishkindha, Ren discovers that he can turn into a man for a longer period of time (6 hours to be exact) and he is determined to convince Kelsey that they belong together. Kelsey, being ridiculously stubborn, compares herself to a radish, and leaves a heartbroken Ren behind while she flies back to Oregon.

Kelsey- Loves poetry and used to read to Ren at the circus. She is courageous and cares about her tigers.

Ren- The white tiger, loves Kelsey, and also enjoys literature/poetry, quiet, fierce, and extremely prince-like, very handsome

Kishan- The black tiger, Ren’s brother, withdrawn from society, blames himself for what happened, kind/caring, also very handsome

Tiger’s Curse and the rest of the series are so delightfully wonderful that I can’t wait for her next series about Egyptian sun gods and awakened mummies! I am positive Ms. Houck will not disappoint. 

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)

Author: Veronica Roth 

Publication Date: October 22nd 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Goodreads Blurb:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningliess. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

WOW. This book was amazing, and I don't use that term lightly. This is was easily one of the best books, best series I've ever read. 

The Ending. The noble, stupid, perfect, ridiculously sad Ending. It was so right, so heartbreaking, and so unpredictable that I was completely stupefied until I finished the last page. SPOILER. I refused to believe that Tris sacrificed herself- that Ms. Roth would actually let her die, so I kept hoping that she would miraculously pop back alive. And hoping... and hoping... and hoping. I refused to give up until I read through the last page. And then the Acknowledgments. And through all the other stuff at the back of the book that the really bored/desperate readers go through. And when I finally accepted that Tris was actually no longer in the world of Divergent, I broke down. Literally. 

My reasoning is: If Amar AND Tori's brother (George) both somehow survived, then WHY COULDN'T TRIS?

Every time I open this book and start reading, I drown in waves of sorrow (NOT being dramatic). It's been at least a month since I finished this series, and I still can't get over how Tris could just die. 

Now for the less emotional part of the review: 

This book was definitely different from the first two. This book went a little father and delved into morals and character and had an overall more philosophical tone. Each decision was being evaluated and every action had consequences. Roth was constantly trying to develop the characters and make them more real, more perfect.
 In my opinion, she tried to make everything a little too perfect. I appreciate how she wanted to make the last book in this series better/different from the other two and it definitely worked, but I felt that the majority of the book didn't drag me in as much as Diveregent or Insurgent.

One thing I definitely loved was how we got to hear the voices of both Four and Tris. I loved getting the different perspectives.