Vicious [Villains, #1] by V.E. Schwab

Vicious [Villains, #1]
by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Adult superhero horror

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

10 years ago - A pair of ambitious university students set out to prove their thesis that ExtraOrdinary people are a scientific possibility -- but things go badly wrong.

Now - Victor Vale has just escaped prison, and he has vengeance on his mind. The target? His former friend, Eli Ever.


Overall Thoughts

The only word I can think of to describe this book is WHOA. It's a really quick read, just over 300 pages, and it feels even quicker because the chapters are so short, but WHOA. This book didn't need to be any longer to pack a real punch.

The Characters

The characterization is excellent. (I feel like I say this quite a lot, and I'm sorry. But that just means I'm reading a lot of excellent books, right?) We get to see the character development in a really interesting way. There are several different timelines running at the same time, with chapters alternating between ten years ago, last night, last fall, one hour until midnight, etc. and so we get to see the characters "before" and "after" before we understand exactly what happened to change them in that way. Throughout the book, you keep asking the question: what happened??? And it's really cool.
The characters are all morally grey, and it's impossible really to love or hate any of them. (With the exception of Eli Ever. I'm sorry, I did hate him.) (And yes, okay, I did love Sydney and Mitch.)
But Victor Vale is the prime example of a morally grey character that you can't quite love and you can't quite hate.

Plot/Pacing

The plot is engaging and original, definitely not your average superhero novel. The jumps back and forth between different timelines could easily have been confusing, but Victoria Schwab handled it masterfully.

Worldbuilding

The worldbuilding was also excellent. I found the concept of the EO's very interesting, and the powers, instead of being cheesy (like pretty much every superhero story ever conceived), just added to the overall storyline, theme, and tone of the book. The character's powers were actually really creepy/scary and make the book feel like a horror story. In a good way. ;)

My brother told me after he finished this book that it's "The Dark Knight of superhero novels" and I have to agree. It's really that good.

Content

Recommended for ages 16 and up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Potential triggers for self-harm (not a result of depression, but it could be disturbing). A character overdoses on painkillers on purpose (not exactly a suicide attempt, but it could be triggering to some readers), and then tries to overdose again. A character electrocutes themselves on purpose.

Violence is definitely heavy in this book. Several on-page deaths, including several murders with details that could be disturbing. Descriptions of blood and wounds. Characters use guns, and the gunshot wounds are described. One character tries to kill a child. The characters' powers are not very "comic book", and scenes where the characters use their powers can be very disturbing.
In terms of sexual content, there are several kissing scenes, and two scenes that vaguely hint at sex. In one, two characters are lying on a bed kissing each other. In another, the same two characters lie in bed together, after a suggestive comment by the girl implying sex. Neither character is married. There is a couple in the book with a rather large age gap between them -- one character is college-age (maybe 19), and the other is close to thirty two. A female character manipulates another character into being intimate with her (being vague to avoid spoilers.)
Swearing includes several uses of the f-bomb, as well as other profanities. This is an adult book, and the language used definitely is more adult, as well as more frequent, than the majority of YA.
A character is known to deal drugs. A character uses painkillers to overdose (see triggers above.) A character attempts to use cocaine to overdose. Characters drink alcohol.

The Darkest Minds [The Darkest Minds, #1] by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds [The Darkest Minds, #1]
by Alexandra Bracken

Genre: YA dystopian

My Rating: ★★

Description:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something had changed. Something that scared her parents so much that they locked her in the garage and called the police. Something that got her locked up in Thurmond, a government camp for children who survived the brutal disease ravaging the nation and gained something new -- something dangerous.
Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. Now, six years later, she tries to stay under the radar, knowing that if the camp authorities discover what she really can do, she's sentencing herself to something far worse than Thurmond.
But when her abilities are revealed, she's forced to flee for her life. On the run, she meets a group of kids also fleeing from the authorities, and joins in their quest to find the last safe place for kids like them -- East River.

Overall Thoughts

I'd heard so many raving reviews for The Darkest Minds that I was almost sure it was going to be one of my new favorite books. Sadly, that wasn't the case. While I didn't hate the book, I didn't love it, either -- I don't feel like it deserved all the hype that it got. 

Let me explain why.

The Characters

The characters were okay. I never really got attached to Ruby (mostly because of the motivation issues I talked about), but I did like her backstory, and the reveal was well done. I liked the little girl, Suzume, a lot, and I liked the friendships between the other characters (Suzume, Chubs, and Liam). Liam was not exactly your typical YA dystopian love interest, which I also really appreciated. 

However, like I mentioned before, there were too many different villains, and it felt kind of silly at times because of this. I feel that if the author had stuck to one or two different villains -- and maybe made them actually be different in some way -- it would have been better. 

Plot/Pacing

This book had no real plot. The overarching goal is to "find East River", but Ruby, the protagonist, isn't fully on board with that goal. She goes along with the others anyway, but for a good portion of the book, finding East River isn't even a top priority for her. When she finally does decide she wants to go there, her motivations are rather shaky. I didn't really see enough of the drive behind her motivations to really "get" her story. 

There was a lot of action -- but much of it felt contrived. There were a bunch of different people chasing them, and so there were a lot of different chase scenes, as well as scenes where they would be cornered by the people hunting them. But there were so many villains chasing them it was almost laughable. One of the three villains literally has no purpose to the plot apart from chasing Ruby and the others down.

Writing/Worldbuilding

Now, this review is making it sound like I hated the book, and that's not true. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, either. So now, I'm going to talk about the things I really enjoyed about this book. 

1) The first three or so chapters. These chapters are basically backstory -- and I loved it. The first line of chapter one hooked me right away, and the sense of urgency and tension in these early chapters was really well done. I also liked the one character who featured in the backstory, Sam. She was great. 

2) The world building. I liked the whole idea of kids getting different powers, and how everyone was scared of them. I liked how they were divided into five different classes of powers, and that the abilities weren't totally random, but had to be from one of the specific categories. I thought that Ruby might have some totally random power when I first started reading, but luckily that didn't turn out to be true!

3) The end. I could not have predicted that ending, and I think it was a really good way to end the book (it was actually what made me give this book the extra .25 stars.)

So, while this novel wasn't everything it was cracked up to be, it was decent. I'll try to read the sequel, to see if the author improves at writing story goals and motivations for Ruby, but it's not insanely high on my TBR at the moment. Whenever my hold on Overdrive goes through -- that's when I'll read it. 

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, attempted sexual assault.

Swearing is fairly infrequent, but does include very strong language, especially towards the climax of the book.
Sexual content includes kissing, mentions of boys being attracted to Ruby (in a sexual way; this is clearly shown as being wrong), a boy touches Ruby inappropriately even after she's made it clear she doesn't want him to, an attempted sexual assault.
Violence is common and sometimes disturbing. Certain characters can influence other characters to do some horrible things, including at least one count of suicide (on page). Characters, including children are shot and killed. Descriptions of blood. A car explodes, causing a death.

The Final Six [Spoiler-Free Book Review]

The Final Six [The Final Six, #1]
by Alexandra Monir

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★

Description:

The human race is dying. When climate change finally caught up to them, they were powerless to stop it. Now, as more and more dry land is flooded, humanity looks once more to the stars.
The plan is simple. Twenty four teens, drafted from across the globe, will compete to be chosen as one of the Final Six, who will be the first to colonize Jupiter's moon, Europa, and create a new home for the remainder of the human race.
Leo and Naomi are two of the chosen. Though Leo sees his being drafted as a new purpose to go on after his family died, Naomi isn't so sure. She's suspicious, and rightly so -- they're not being told the whole story. And the truth buried beneath the lies could be something disastrous -- something deadly...

Overall Thoughts

Apart from a compelling concept, The Final Six has very little going for it in terms of writing, plot, and characterization. I'll admit, I was attracted to it both by the cover (it really is pretty) and the concept of people colonizing Europa (which is something I'll be attempting to explore in my own sci-fi series.) But after a few pages, it became clear that this book was not going to be for me. I did read to the end, if only to review it, but I can't say it was a particularly enjoyable book.

The Characters

The characters were... well, not my favorite. Naomi was the only person I actually liked in the whole book, and I looked forward to reading her POVs. I don't know why I liked her the most -- maybe it was her relationship with her brother that endeared her to me. But she wasn't extremely well developed, either; she just happened to be the best character in the novel.
The other POV character, Leo, was just plain annoying, and his character was really inconsistent. He's supposed to be in mourning for his family, but as soon as he gets chosen for the competition, it's like he forgets about them (and his depression, apparently?) I'm not saying he had to wallow in sadness, but please, think about them at least!
The other characters were one-dimensional, as most of the focus is on Leo and Naomi. The adults were cardboard, and even some of the other kids on their team (like Beckett) got very little development. Beckett himself was a stereotypical shallow rich jerk, with no real depth of character.

Plot/Pacing

The plot lagged for the first twenty or thirty percent, and it was hard to read through it. Perhaps it was because I really hated reading Leo's point of view, but I did find that the pacing picked up after around the 30% mark, so maybe not? The plot itself wasn't horrible, but it wasn't really anything special, either. Honestly, I had assumed going in that there would be some space travel in it, but literally the entire 300+ page novel was about the training camp preparing them to go to outer space. While some of it was interesting, it wasn't really what I was hoping to read about.
There were also a few cases of deus ex machina that really irritated me. For example, in one scene, Naomi needs a microscope. It's a good thing she packed one! I wouldn't have had a problem with Naomi having a microscope, but at least mention it beforehand -- otherwise, it just comes off as a convenient plot device. There was also a huge case of deus ex machina near the end -- which ruined everything I liked about the book for me. Enough said.

Worldbuilding

The world building was fine. Not exceptional, but not horrid. The premise is that global climate change has caused worldwide flooding and earthquakes, resulting in an apocalyptic earth where only a fraction of the earth's population survives. There's robots, some kind of radiation resistant bacteria, VR simulations for training... some typical sci-fi stuff. It was okay, but added nothing new to the genre. However, if the rest of the story had been good, I would have been okay with it.

Writing

The writing was... not my favorite. The author relied really heavily on tell-y dialogue to fill us in on the world building, especially in the first 20% or so. Some of the adult characters were literally only there to spout off important information and backstory. Not what I came here to read about, thanks. I feel that most of the world building could either have been implied or revealed in more subtle ways, instead of using the scientists with their "as you know" speeches.

Overall, a sadly disappointing read. I may pick up the sequel just to see how the story is resolved, but it's not high on my priority list, and if I never get around to it, I won't feel like I'm missing out.

Content (potential minor spoilers)

Recommended for ages 14 and up. 

TRIGGER WARNING - Attempted suicide. 

Swearing typical to an average YA novel, not frequent, but definitely present. 

Sexual content includes kissing and a mention of a girl's undergarments. One scene in which two characters spend the night together, with the implication that they were intimate with each other. No details.

In terms of violence, there wasn't very much. A character tries to unhook another character's harness while bungee jumping. The characters are told that another competitor died because he swam underneath the propellers of a submarine. 

The characters are all given an injection of radiation resistant bacteria. Two characters become ill as a result, and one is killed. Descriptions of the illness could be disturbing. 

Fairest [The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5] by Marissa Meyer

Hi guys! Life has gotten in the way of my normal posting schedule (again, haha), so instead, here's a book review of Marissa Meyer's backstory novella for Queen Levana, which took me way too long to get around to reading. 

Fairest [The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5]
by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA dystopian retelling

My Rating: ★★★★

Description: 

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all?
Princess Levana Blackburn is desperate for love. In a world where fidelity is a joke and true love is nothing more than a fairy tale, Levana wants to be wanted -- at any cost.

In the chilling prequel to the Lunar Chronicles series, Queen Levana's rise to power is revealed -- from a girl starved for affection to the ruthless Lunar Queen.

Overall Thoughts

Learning a backstory sometimes makes me feel more sympathetic to the villain. With Levana's backstory in Fairest, Marissa Meyer only shows us how messed up the Lunar Queen really is. Seeing Levana's twisted motivations and justifications for her actions was terrifying, and definitely helped make her scarier in my mind. This is a prequel, but I wouldn't recommend reading it until after reading Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress. There are some spoilers for those books in this one, so if you haven't read them yet... please don't continue reading this review!

Thematically, this book was terrifying, about the descent into villainy. It also touches on topics of manipulation and what love looks like (more through Levana's twisted version of love and the contrast with the love shared by Solstice and Evret.) Because the book was so short, the themes didn't really take a lot of precedence, but they were still well thought out.

The Characters

The characters were well-drawn, in true Marissa Meyer form. I liked the conflicts between the characters, and how each character's dialogue was unique and distinguishable from the others, which I feel is something Marissa Meyer excels at. Most of the characters were not likeable characters -- not by any means -- but they felt real, and I guess that just made them even scarier.

Plot/Pacing

The plot takes place over a number of years, starting when Levana is fifteen and going all the way up until she's crowned Queen of Luna. It was fast paced and interesting, showcasing not only Levana's backstory, but also including the cameos or mentions of several important characters in the Lunar Chronicles series, including Winter, Jacin, Sybil Myra, and Selene. The plot itself was very inward-focused -- centering on Levana's desire to be beautiful, her turmoils, desires, and desperation as opposed to having a more outward focused story goal.

I don't feel like there's much more to say about this book, except that, if you like the Lunar Chronicles, you will like this book.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

There was more sexual content in this book than in the Lunar Chronicles series -- nothing explicitly described, but there were a few descriptions to show that characters were intimate with each other (not graphic), and numerous mentions of infidelity in the Lunar Court. Levana uses her glamour to manipulate another character to do what she wants (which includes her sexual desires.) There is one minor character who is presumably gay. 

Violence including a character remembering being disfigured in a fire. A child is presumed to have died in a fire. A man is shot in the chest. A character stabs another character. A woman dies in childbirth.  A character imagines another character dying in numerous, horrific ways. 

Swearing limited to minor cursing.

Sky Without Stars [System Divine, #1] by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

Sky Without Stars [System Divine, #1]
by Jessica Brody, Joanne Rendell

Genre: YA science fiction retelling

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

Laterre was a blessing. A refuge for humanity fleeing from a dying world, one of nine planets in the System Divine.

Now it is less a refuge than a cage.  

Chatine just wants to get off Laterre. She's stolen and saved for years to earn enough to escape -- so when she is given an opportunity to spy on Marcellus Bonnefaçon in exchange for her dream, she accepts, unknowing of the consequences of her choice. 

Marcellus has known for years that he will one day replace his grandfather as General for the First Estate. But when he receives a mysterious message from a known traitor, he begins to question his loyalties.  

Alouette lives with a sisterhood devoted to keeping history alive. And she's also the only one who can read Marcellus's message. 

Underneath it all, Laterre trembles with the beginnings of rebellion. And soon, all three of them are tangled in a silent struggle for freedom.

Overall Thoughts

This book had me at sci-fi Les Miserables. (Okay, and the gorgeous cover might have had something to do with it, too.) I mean, what's not to like? Plus, it's a huge book, and I love huge books, so this was a win-win-win for me going in. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. There were a few issues I had with it that stopped me from giving it a higher rating, but I did enjoy it despite those issues.

The Characters

The characters were good. I liked Chatine from her first POV; she's cunning, risktaking, and sarcastic at times. Her longing to get off of the planet was portrayed realistically, and I liked her complicated relationships with her family members.
I liked Marcellus at first, but he ended up being my least favorite point of view character. He seemed to trust people a little too quickly? But I still liked his POV. His struggle with where his loyalties lie was interesting, though I wish the authors had chosen to show more of the other side of the conflict, as well.
I was surprised at how much I liked Alouette, the character who fills the role of Cosette in this story. I didn't like Cosette very much, either in the 2012 movie or Victor Hugo's original novel. But I did really like Alouette. She's smart, brave, and determined, and I really liked that about her.
I didn't like the villains so much. For the majority of the book, I thought that the Inspecteur (who fills the role of Javier) was super cool. He was a cyborg, and I thought that was an interesting twist. But then the climax rolled around... and he started in with the villanous monologues and maniacal laughter. So that was... anti-climactic.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was decent. Of course, I didn't realize going into this book that it only retells half of the original Les Mis -- the second book (set to release some time next year) retells the next half. But because I didn't realize this originally, I kept waiting for the revolution to start and it just... didn't. But it wasn't something that really disappointed me, because the plot itself was okay, definitely not the finest plot out there, but solid and enjoyable. There were a few small things that annoyed me -- like when Chatine is enlisted to spy on Marcellus, and her employer tells her that he believe Marcellus trusts her... based on some footage where he (Marcellus) literally found her looting bodies. So that was weird? But okay. There was also a short scene where a kid tells Chatine that he works for the revolutionaries, even though he doesn't know who she is. Which also struck me as odd. Chatine assumes he's joking, but even so, I was pulled out of the story for a moment because of that.

Worldbuilding

The worldbuilding was fun. I liked the descriptions of the planet -- how it's always grey, rainy, cold. It felt really different from a typical sci-fi planet, and I thought that was neat. There were a few terms for the technology that irritated me a little bit, but it wasn't really anything huge.

I seem to have had a lot of problems with this book, but even so, I enjoyed reading it! It definitely wasn't as brilliant and awesome as I wanted it to be, but it was still an enjoyable read, and I'll probably be picking up the sequel once it comes out, too.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Violence is typical of an average YA novel. The battles and wounds were minimally described (the fights themselves only lasted a short time; I feel like they were a bit rushed through at points, even.) A few mentions of blood. 

Someone threatens to cut off another character's toes. A child is poisoned. 

A few instances of mild swearing. 

Sexual content doesn't go beyond kissing. Chatine disguises herself as a boy for most of the novel. 

There are places called "blood bordels" where young girls can sell off the nutrients in their blood. Chatine's father threatens to send her to one if she can't earn her keep.

Obsidio [The Illuminae Files, #3] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This review contains spoilers for Illuminae and Gemina. To see my reviews for Illuminae and Gemina, please follow the links here and here.

Obsidio [The Illuminae Files, #3]
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

After the destruction of Jump Station Heimdall, the race is on for research vessel Hypatia to make the long journey back through space to Kerenza V. There, BeiTech's mobile jump platform may be their only hope of getting their story back out to the rest of the universe.
But supplies are running thin -- food, water, even oxygen, will run out before Hypatia makes it to Kerenza.
In a race against time, Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik struggle to compile both a plan to capture the jump platform and the rest of the Illuminae files.
Back on Kerenza, Asha Grant is just trying to keep her head down. But when she runs into her former boyfriend, Rhys Lindstrom, she is sucked into a secret rebellion against the BeiTech occupation.
Together, they might be able to send out their message to the universe -- but at what cost to themselves?

Overall Thoughts

Alright. You guys probably know by now that I loved this series. And I definitely loved this book, too. But there were a couple issues I had with the book that meant it couldn't compete with my favorite in the trilogy, Gemina. 

The Characters

One of the biggest problems I had with the book was the new set of characters. You have Asha, Kady's cousin, who was trapped on Kerenza after the attack by BeiTech, and her former boyfriend, Rhys, but I feel that neither of them got enough page time for me to really care about them? I feel like I would have liked them more as characters if they had gotten a bit more development, but with all of the plot and character threads to wrap up in this book, I'm not sure if it would have been possible without serious detriment to the story. But I loved how all of the characters' stories intersected, and how all of them worked together to save the people on Kerenza and get their message to the rest of the universe.

Plot/Pacing

As usual, I really liked the plot for the story. It was really fast paced -- near the end, it was really, really intense, but I never lost track of where the story was going, or what was happening. It was also incredibly tense -- near the beginning of the book, Hypatia is faced with the threat of losing oxygen before they reach Kerenza (imagine running out of oxygen in the middle of outer space with no one to help you) and it only picks up from there.
Also, there was one small twist -- maybe not even a twist -- that I loved so, so much. I can't say any more because of spoilers, but guys. I don't know why it excited me that much, but seriously, it excited me that much. (I'm dancing on the edge of fangirling right now, so I'm just going to leave it at that.)

The ending was also excellent. I feel like it wrapped up the entire story so perfectly, and it just made me really, really happy. I'm not sure how I feel about the last little segment? On one hand, I like it, and I thought it was brilliant, and on the other hand, I did like the preceding segment better, so I'm really conflicted on that part. But oh well.

These books were quite a wild ride, and I'm really glad I took the chance reading them!

Content (potential spoilers)

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Explosions, resulting in several people dying. Descriptions of blood, sometimes bordering on gory (though the violence in this book felt less gory than the violence in Illuminae. Could just be me, though.) A machine is used to intentionally collapse a section of a mine, killing the operator and several soldiers as well. Several large scale space battles similar to the ones in Star Wars. Hundreds of people die from suffocation. 

Language is mostly blacked out, as in the rest of the series, but it's pretty easy to tell what the characters are saying, despite that. A few words are not blacked out. 

A few instances of sexual references, nothing explicit that I can remember. There were a few instances of sexual innuendo. There is a reference that suggests two background female characters are lesbian, and another female character mentions having had romantic relationships with other women in the past. 

Mentions of the use of dust, a drug first introduced in Gemina. Nik smokes.

Gemina [The Illuminae Files, #2] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This review contains spoilers for Illuminae. To read my full review of Illuminae, follow the link here.

Gemina [The Illuminae Files, #2]
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Hanna Donnelly would rather be anywhere but Jump Station Heimdall. It's in the middle of nowhere, light years away from any real action... and any hope of a social life.
Niklas Malikov is a drug dealer and convicted criminal. After recently being released from juvenile detention, a job with his uncle on Heimdall doesn't seem like a bad idea. Turns out it's a horrible idea.
When Heimdall is invaded by a BeiTech strike team, Nik and Hanna must ally themselves with each other to save both Heimdall and the research vessel, Hypatia, from destruction by BeiTech.
But mercenaries may not be the only thing crawling through the guts of the station -- and with the Heimdall wormhole starting to malfunction, Hanna and Nik are running out of time...

Overall Thoughts

Gemina was probably my favorite book in the Illuminae Files trilogy. It was also the longest (over 600 pages!) As with Illuminae, I absolutely loved the way the story was told. I feel like I was way less unsure about the plot and characters going into Gemina, because after reading Illuminae I knew how well the style worked. 

In this book, one of the main characters, Hanna, journals, and some of her drawings are included, which I really liked as well.

The Characters

In terms of characterization, I liked both Hanna and Nik by the end of the book. In the beginning, Hanna is spoiled, kind of a typical rich girl, but she quickly has to focus on survival and she grows and matures by the end of the book, which I liked. Nik was... possibly stereotypical? I read another review of the book on The Story Sanctuary that compares him to the "bad boy with a heart of gold" character trope, and I'd have to agree... but I still liked him a lot (as did the author of the review). As a main character, I liked him a lot better than Ezra Mason. I also really liked his relationship with his cousin, Ella. And speaking of Ella, she was fantastic as well. She's the team hacker, and she's amazing at it, while at the same time not being so overpowered in that respect as to be annoying.

Plot/Pacing

I think one of the strongest points of the series is the plot and pacing. Despite Gemina's mildly terrifying length, it literally flew by. These books also succeed so much on a tension level. The stakes are constantly escalating, and by the end of the book, as with Illuminae, I couldn't stop turning pages. There were a lot of different factors working together -- mercenaries, killer alien parasites, a malfunctioning wormhole threatening to rip the universe in half... And of course there's a countdown, which is one of the plot devices used throughout the series that I think really helps with the tension and pacing aspects.
Also, the plot twists in this series are phenomenal. They caught me by surprise, anyway.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Violence, including descriptions of gunshot wounds and blood. There's a high body count throughout the series. Parasitic alien life forms attack and kill several people. Descriptions of the parasites and the way they are grown is also disturbing. 

Sexual content is limited to innuendo, a few references to a character being in bed with another character (not detailed). A character is forced to strip down to her underwear in one scene, not sexual. 

Swearing is frequent, but most of it is blacked out. A few words are not, and it's pretty easy to tell what the characters are saying even when the words are censored. 

Nik's family manufactures and sells a drug. Hanna buys this same drug, and references to having used it before. The drug itself is used in several other ways throughout the course of the story. Nik smokes.

Mitosis [The Reckoners, #1.5] by Brandon Sanderson

Mitosis [The Reckoners, #1.5]
by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: YA dystopian

My Rating: ★★

Description:

In this short story set just before the events of Firefight, David and the Reckoners battle the Epic Mitosis.

Overall Thoughts

I don't really see the point of Mitosis. When I saw it listed as part of The Reckoners series, I assumed that it was going to add more to my understanding of the characters, the universe, the plot of the series, something. But it didn't.

Mitosis was, first of all, extremely short. It's not really a novella as much as it is a short story. Because it was so short, not much characterization happened in the story, and as a result, even the characters who were well-developed in the series fell flat in this book.

For anyone who's read Firefight, you'll know that Mitosis was mentioned as one of the Epics that the Reckoners fought before Sourcefield. The plot basically revolves around fighting Mitosis and beating him. And that's it. So, frankly, I was disappointed. Maybe some of my disappointment stems from high expectations. After all, this was written by Brandon Sanderson, the author of such incredible stories as The Final Empire and Skyward. But this story just... didn't do it for me.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Violence, on par with the violence found in the rest of the series. There may have been one or two swear words, but I can't recall. No sexual content that I can remember, unless you count a cheesy love song as content. 

Illuminae [The Illuminae Files, #1] by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I've put off reviewing these books for far too long, which is strange, since I enjoyed them a lot. Hey, I'm fixing it now, aren't I?

Illuminae [The Illuminae Files, #1]
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

That morning, Kady Grant broke up with her boyfriend, Ezra Mason. That afternoon, her planet was invaded.
With two mega-corporations fighting over the ice-covered mining planet Kady calls home, both she and Ezra are forced onto an evacuating fleet with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But that isn't the worst of it. A deadly plague is mutating on board the ships, the onboard AI may not be as benevolent as it was designed to be, and command is keeping secrets -- secrets Kady is about to become tangled in.
As she hacks further into the data and starts to realize what is happening, she has to turn to the one person she swore she'd never speak to again -- her ex-boyfriend.

Overall Thoughts

Illuminae honestly blew me away. I came to the book with fairly average expectations... and maybe a bit of trepidation, as I'd heard that it was, ahem, not exactly a "clean" book. 

But w o w. I actually loved it. 

When I started reading, I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to understand the plot. Or get connected to the characters. Or anything, really. The writing style is just so unusual. Everything is told through a series of electronic messages, transcribed video footage, hacked emails and data, and even the occasional "web page." The beginning of the book is the transcription of interviews conducted on the two main characters. 

I was amazed at how well the format actually told the story. And honestly, I cannot imagine the story being told in any other way.
There were also some really deep and beautiful lines in this book, which I won't spoil. You'll know them when you find them.

The Characters

I really liked Kady as a main character. She definitely wasn't perfect -- okay, maybe a bit of an understatement -- but she's fierce. That's the best word I can think of to describe her. She genuinely loves both of her parents, and I really appreciated that. She's brilliant and brave, but she also makes some mistakes -- a lot of them, actually. But she doesn't ever give up.
I'm still not sure how I feel about Ezra.  He was an interesting character, but definitely not my favorite. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any other character filling his role, so I think he works for this story.
I also liked some of the minor characters -- namely Syra Boll (who really shines in the second book, Gemina). She's just a good character. She's forced to make some tough decisions, especially later in the book, and while I can't say I always agreed with her actions, she was still a very well developed personality.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was, in a word, pulse-pounding, especially entering the last quarter of the story, where the action was moving so fast it was like I was glued to the book. It's so hard to talk about the plot without getting into spoilers -- but wow. There was so much suspense! They're in a spaceship... being controlled by an AI with its own motives... being followed by another spaceship... with zombies. It's insane, seriously. The pacing was spot on and I was never bored.
I was not expecting any really good plot twists, but man, was I proved wrong. There were some mind-blowing twists near the end, which I did not see coming even when the foreshadowing was figuratively jumping off the page at me. Maybe it's just me, as I'm very, very bad at predicting plot twists with any measure of accuracy. :P

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

There is a lot of violence, as well as some disturbing descriptions. Descriptions of blood and the effects of the plague, as well as descriptions of what some of the Afflicted do to the other passengers. Some of these descriptions bordered on being gory, and were near the upper limits of what I can handle in a book.
There was a lot of language, but most of it was blacked out. Like this: I see you've discovered my secret.  But it's pretty easy to tell what the characters meant to say, despite that. 
There were also some crude/sexual comments and jokes, as well as references to sexual acts. One of these, in particular, was a bit uncomfortable for me to read. 
As far as I remember, there was little to no substance abuse, but I could have forgotten some details. 

Wires and Nerve [Wires and Nerve, #1] by Marissa Meyer

This review contains spoilers for The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. 

Wires and Nerve [Wires and Nerve, #1]
by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA dystopian graphic novel

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

The war with Luna is over. Under the rule of Queen Selene, peace between Earth and the Moon seems finally possible. But rogue wolf-soldier packs are threatening the alliance.
It's up to spunky android Iko to try to keep the peace -- before the tenuous treaty between Earth and Luna snaps.

Overall Thoughts

When I heard about Wires and Nerve, I was naturally really excited. A graphic novel set in the Lunar Chronicles universe? That features cameos from characters I'd grown to love in the original four-book series? Yes, of course I want to read it! However, when I actually got around to picking it up, it kind of disappointed me. While it's definitely not a horrible book, it is wanting, especially compared to the original series.

The Characters

The characters... were okay. I liked Iko a lot, but I didn't really care very much about any of the others (even the ones I'd grown to love and care about in the Lunar Chronicles! Which makes me really sad.) Thorne was a bit over the top goofy at times, which I didn't appreciate, and none of the other characters really got enough page time for me to get a sense of who they are now after the war. I think Winter and Jacin only made it into one scene. And Kinney? Honestly, I remember very little about him, which probably isn't a good thing.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was solid and enjoyable. It's basically exploring what happened to the rest of the Lunar Special Operatives still on Earth after the Lunar Revolution, which I thought was interesting. Iko has become a sort of spy/assassin who goes around the world to deal with the LSOPs who refuse to bow to the new Lunar queen. And then she finds out about a bigger plot that threatens the peace treaty, and... well, things happen. I did really enjoy the plot, and so that's a definite plus for the story. 

Worldbuilding

The world was perfect, though. I mean, we are talking about the world of the Lunar Chronicles, so... 

The graphic novel never really went into talking about any of the details of the world or anything, but I still liked it because the world building definitely builds off the original series.

Art 

As for the art style... don't get me started. It didn't fit the feel that the Lunar Chronicles gave me at all! It was almost too cartoony for my tastes. Also, the guys all looked exactly the same. Not great when you're trying to keep track of who's saying what. The cover art is lovely, but most of the images in the book don't even come close to it. 

Overall, a solid graphic novel, but nothing special. Keep your expectations low for this one. 

Content

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Some sci-fi violence. Kissing. I can't recall anything else?

Spoiler Free Book Review: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Skyward [Skyward, #1]

by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: YA science fiction

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

Claim the stars.

Those words have driven Spensa Nightshade -- callsign "Spin" -- to redeem her family's honor as a pilot. The Krell attacks have only grown more vicious, and new pilots to fight them are growing rare. But many tell her she'll never make it. Then one day, she discovers the wreckage of a ship -- a ship with a soul.

As she attempts to repair the ship while navigating the hostile world of flight school and frequent Krell attacks, Spensa must face the truth about what happened to her father -- and what she fears might happen to her.

Overall Thoughts

Skyward blew me away. The plot, characterization, writing style... everything was beautifully written and made for an unforgettable story and a novel that I could not put down.

The Characters

The characters were all, in a word, excellent. Every member of Spensa's flight group has a well-developed personality, and each are distinct from each other, so that even though there is a rather large cast of characters, I was almost never confused by who was who (though the flight introduction scene had me a little worried!) Inter-character conflicts were well-written and purposeful; even some of the more "stereotypical" conflicts were turned on their heads as the book progressed.
Spensa as a protagonist was amazing, and her POV was well-developed with a distinct voice. Her character arc was truly incredible, but I can't say more without getting into spoiler territory. There were several other well-developed characters, including Spensa's ship and the Admiral of the air base.

Plot/Pacing

The plot is taut and well-paced; there's never a slow moment. Conflict abounds in Spensa's desperation to become a pilot, her fear of being proven the coward everyone thinks she is, her struggle to fix the wrecked ship, and the varied personalities and temperaments of the people she comes to know in flight school.  In a typical Sanderson fashion, there were several heart-stopping plot twists I didn't see coming. Seriously, the author needs a standing ovation just for his brilliant plot twists. The last act was pulse-pounding, and if the book was hard to put down before, it only got harder the further I read.

Worldbuilding

The world was well-described and original. The fact that the entire planet is wreathed in a junk field, and that most of the people living on the planet live underground, just made the symbolism involving stars all the more powerful. There were some elements of the world that were revealed near the end and not explained fully, but I have no doubt that we will get a more thorough explanation of these revelations in Starsight! 

Content

Recommended for 11 and up.

In terms of content, there was hardly anything objectionable. A few (maybe one or two) minor swear words.
There was no sexual content as far as I remember.
There was quite a bit of violence: planes are shot down, characters are wounded, a few characters are killed on-page -- but nothing is described graphically, and tends to look more at the emotional consequences of the violence than anything else. There are also several intense scenes during battles between the Krell and the pilots.

Spoiler Free Book Review: Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark [Carve the Mark, #1]
by Veronica Roth

Genre: YA science fantasy

My Rating: ★★

Description:

Akos Kereseth and Cyra Noavek are sworn enemies. Akos is from Thuve, Cyra from the Shotet clan. The conflict between their people goes back decades.

Cyra is the sister of the cruel Shotet leader, Ryzek. She is also his weapon. Cursed with a currentgift that both gives her pain and allows her to inflict it on others, she has lived as a puppet to her brother's will for years. But no more. 

Akos is the son of an oracle in the nation of Thuve, one of the Fated, which he soon understands makes him more of a target than he realized. 

When Akos and his older brother are kidnapped during a Shotet raid, Cyra and Akos's lives intersect. 

Survival for both of them is the ultimate goal. But will they survive alone... or together? Can they defy the Fates that have governed them all of their lives?

Overall Thoughts

It's been months, and I still don't know what to think about Carve the Mark. On one hand, there were elements of the story I really enjoyed -- the characters were interesting, the storyworld was intricate and vibrant if a little confusing, some of the storylines were tension-filled page-turners. On the other hand, the plot rambled, the pacing was severely skewed, and some of the themes were... ahem... a little disturbing. 

I'm not going to get into any of the controversies surrounding this book (racism, self-harm, misrepresentation of chronic pain) because I don't feel I'm qualified to speak about these topics. Just know that these controversies do exist, and that there are many other reviews that address these topics and how they were portrayed in Carve the Mark. 

The Characters

In terms of characterization, all of the major characters were fairly well developed. Akos was different from what I expected, more gentle and bashful compared to Four from Roth's other series, Divergent. Cyra was probably the best developed character, and her POV was interesting to read. The main villain, Ryzek, has an original backstory that, while it doesn't make me sympathetic towards his actions, does throw everything he does in a new light. However, there were so many secondary characters -- many with similar names and personalities -- that it became hard to keep track of everyone.

Plot/Pacing

The plot... was very hard to pin down. There were so many rambly plotlines throughout this novel, and there was no overarching story goal to tie everything together. Many times when I thought that the plot was about to start just turned out to be another three-chapter ramble. The pacing was also patchy. Some sections of the novel flew by, and others moved slower than a slug on a glacier. That, controversies aside, was probably the biggest flaw of Carve the Mark. Without a solid story goal, the plot crumbles.

Worldbuilding

The setting had a very Star Wars-esque vibe to it. A solar system governed by a high council of sorts, a Force-like power called simply the Current, current-blades (basically light sabers). However, it was still an interesting world, with some fascinating descriptions of the cities and spaceships. I liked the beginning chapters' description of the ice-flowers opening, especially, and the description of one of the Thuvesite cities nearer to the end. I also thought that elements of the Shotet culture were interesting -- namely, the sojourn.

Content

Recommended for ages 16 and up. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Self-harm; drug abuse. 

Swearing was not uncommon; mostly limited to moderate cuss words. No f-bombs that I can recall, though I could be wrong. 

Sexual content includes romantic attraction between two characters; mentions of touching in a sexual manner, some scenes were kind of uncomfortable for me to read. At least two scenes where one character unclothes another to their underwear, not sexual. Innuendo and sexual references were not extremely common, but frequent enough to make me hesitant to recommend this to younger teens. Two characters are heavily implied as being lesbian and in a relationship. 

One character uses drugs as a means of coping with grief. The Thuvesites use ice-flowers for various drug-related uses, including poison, painkillers, and recreational use. Cyra takes painkillers to cope with her chronic pain.

Violence is not necessarily gory, but descriptive enough that sensitive readers could be disturbed. Minor spoiler warning: Part of Shotet culture dictates that every kill should be carved into the killer's arm. A character marks themselves every time they cause another person to suffer, which can be interpreted as self-harm.

Spoiler-Free Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner [The Maze Runner, #1]
by James Dashner

Genre: YA dystopian

My Rating: ★★

Description:

When Thomas wakes up in a strange clearing called the Glade, with no memory of anything but his name, he's desperate to get out. But soon, his life becomes less a search for truth than a race for survival.

The Glade is the only safe haven against the mysterious beasts that lurk in the Maze beyond -- and the Maze is the only way out. Thomas quickly signs up to become a Runner -- one of the few who dare to venture beyond the walls of the Glade to try to find an escape route. 

But when a girl is left in the Glade, all the rules seem to fall apart, and Thomas realizes he may have signed up for more than he bargained for. 

Overall Thoughts

When I picked up this book, I was expecting something that lived up to the amount of hype it received. I was honestly disappointed. This book did not draw me in. 

I had previously seen the movie, and was also not impressed, but I'd heard that the book was better, so I thought I would give it a try. After all, the concept itself is intriguing -- amnesia, boys trapped in a shifting maze, strange monsters... it's compelling. But the execution itself was not to my taste. There were elements I liked, just not enough to make up for the parts I didn't. 

I hate writing reviews that are less than positive, but I also feel that they're necessary, so here goes.

The Characters

Characterization was not a strong point in the novel. 

The main character, Thomas, experiences mood swings seemingly at random for the sake of the plot, and some of his desires and motivations were hard to understand, because it seemed the author was forcing them onto him. 

Teresa was plain annoying. Her character, while serving a role in moving the plot along, was very flat. 

The side characters were unremarkable. Most seemed more like cardboard cutouts, and I never really grew attached to any of them. That makes me sad, because I really wanted to like at least one or two characters. But for some reason, none of them appealed to me.

Plot/Pacing

I'm glad to say that the plot for The Maze Runner was fairly solid. The story goal stayed consistent, while still offering a few key twists. 

The pacing was excellent, and never slowed (which was one reason that I managed to read the whole thing.) In this respect, the book was well thought out. I like comparing the plot of The Maze Runner to a video game -- not particularly brilliant, but paced perfectly to keep readers engaged.

Worldbuilding

Set in the center of a giant shifting maze, the concept for the world was interesting. There were monsters (with mildly horrifying descriptions), a strange illness, and a mysterious elevator that brings up new kids and supplies to the kids living above. 

Later on in the novel, something happens that shows everything in the Maze in a new light -- but not one that I'm sure I completely understand. It left gaping plot holes in the storyworld. Without giving away spoilers, I was slightly confused.  

There was also a random telepathy element that seemed to have no bearing on the plot apart from adding elements of mystery.

Content

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

There was a good bit of violent content, as well as descriptions of blood. Several characters die on-page. Monsters were described in semi-detail, and could scare sensitive readers. Detailed descriptions of what characters look and act like when they are poisoned by a certain creature, which could be disturbing for some readers. 

Sexual content is limited to a kiss or two, as well as some suggestive comments. Teresa is the only girl in the Glade, and there are several comments about that. 

Language is mostly made-up, along with a few cases of mild swearing. 

Rude humor is fairly common and lessened my enjoyment of the book; it seemed juvenile, in my opinion.

Characters use a medicine in order to cure the disease caused by the poison.

Book Review: Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

This review contains spoilers for Renegades. To read my full review for Renegades, please follow the link here.

Archenemies [Renegades, #2]
by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA post-apocalyptic

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

With crime on the rise in Gatlon City, the Renegade Council approves the use of a horrifying new substance -- one that could threaten not only the Anarchists, but all Prodigies. 

Nova's alter ego, Nightmare, is legally dead. Now, her cover in the Renegades should be more secure than ever, but she is still terrified of discovery. Her mission is clear -- find the helmet of Ace Anarchy, and figure out a way to weaponize the Renegades own Agent N against them. 

Meanwhile, Adrian's cover as Sentinel is becoming perilous. Sentinel has been declared a threat to the Renegade's order, and an order for his arrest has been put out. But Adrian is sure that the Sentinel is someone the city needs -- a person who will fight for justice even at the risk of breaking the Renegade code. 

Over everything, questions arise -- is Nightmare really dead? How far will the Anarchists and the Renegades go in the struggle for power? And above all, when the time comes to choose sides, who will Nova pledge loyalty? 

Overall Thoughts

I had high hopes for this novel. After the cliff-hanger ending in Renegades, I was desperate for more story! However, after reading the first couple chapters, I have to say I was disappointed. These chapters, while full of action, felt almost like a first-draft attempt, with little to no revision. There were some strange POV mistakes -- Adrian, at one point during the fight scene, becomes an almost omniscient narrator which I found both odd and jarring.
I'm glad to say that after the first six or so chapters, the writing style improved, and the chapters and POV fell back into their ordinary places. I only wish that Meyer had spent more time on these opening chapters.

The Characters

The Anarchists still hold their place as some of my favorite characters. I feel that their personalities are well-rounded, and each of their voices was very distinct from the others', so I was never confused. Ruby and Oscar still made me smile, and I'm excited to see where their relationship will go in the final book. Max is also an interesting character. 

Nova's characterization was good. She has a lot of doubts and conflicted motivations, but overall her character arc was consistent. 

Adrian's character, however, disappointed me. Although he was tolerable as a character in Renegades, merely being overshadowed by the better developed characters, in Archenemies he became not only flat, but annoying. I hope that this improves in the last book. 

The Council members also seemed fairly one-dimensional, although some of them did get more development than in Renegades. I can't say I'm particularly attached to any of them.   

Plot

Though well-paced with plenty of action, there is not much real change in the overall story arc until the last quarter of the book. I still enjoyed the story, but I feel that more advancement could have been made before the final act.

Worldbuilding

Not much of the setting has changed since the first book; however, new worldbuilding elements did come into play. The Agent N was a new and terrifying aspect of the world. There were times when I was on the edge of my seat, begging Meyer to spare her characters and not to let Nova get affected by it. 

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

In terms of violence, there were several action scenes involving characters being wounded, characters using their powers on other characters (in a negative way.) One character dies a semi-detailed death on-page. Descriptions of blood and characters' wounds; one child is badly injured. 

A chemical is injected and used in a gaseous state to affect other Prodigies. 

In terms of sexual content, there were several mentions of kissing, of wanting to touch the other person (sexually), and one intense kissing scene between two major characters. Again, there are two gay characters who are in a relationship.

Swearing was confined to minor cussing.

Spoiler Free Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades [Renegades, #1]
by Marissa Meyer

Genre: YA post-apocalyptic

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Nova Artino wants vengeance against the Renegades -- a band of superheroes who are dedicated to preserving law and order after the chaos of the Age of Anarchy. Nova has reasons to hate the Renegades, and nothing will stop her in her mission to assassinate her prime target -- Captain Chromium, the head of the Renegade Council. Well, almost nothing. When she is inducted into the Renegades, she meets Adrian Everheart, and suddenly, everything gets more complicated.
Adrian Everheart wants justice. As a member of the Renegades, he knows that obeying the code is vital to maintain order. But when he discovers the mysterious villain Nightmare may have something to do with his mother's murder, he is desperate for answers. Under the guise of the Sentinel, he searches for the answers to the questions that have plagued him for years.

Overall Thoughts:

I really liked this book. The whole idea of a superhero uprising -- and then superheroes trying to rebuild the world afterwards -- was such a neat concept. Marissa Meyer's writing style has an enchanting quality, pulling me in from the first sentence and not letting me go until the last. 

The Characters

The characterization was varied. The Anarchists all had interesting personalities, and were definitely characters in their own right. Nova was a superb main character, and her POV was always fun to read. Her main dilemma -- whose side is she truly on? -- is compelling. Ruby and Oscar, two of the Renegades on Adrian's team, were extremely well developed as well.
On the flip side, Adrian himself was not a very interesting character. He had his moments, but overall was kind of bland, especially when compared to the other, stronger characters. The members of the Council, too, were all very flat.

Plot

As for plot and pacing, I thought it was done well. Of course, something about Meyer's writing style always pulls me in and keeps me flipping pages, so I can't really relate to anyone who says that the pacing was slow. I honestly thought the story progressed at a quick enough pace to keep me engaged, but not so fast that I'm left gasping for breath with no room for character development.

Worldbuilding

Renegades is set in the ruins of the fictional Gatlon City (for some reason, whenever I saw the name I thought of Gotham City.) I liked the aesthetic -- most of the city is reduced to an almost dystopian appearance, with normal people trying to live their lives in the remnants. I liked the descriptions of many of the settings -- the subway, the carnival, Renegades Tower. My one complaint would be that it seemed as though Gatlon City was alone in the world. Though there were several mentions of other places in the story, there was not much interaction with these places, making Gatlon seem almost alone. In a way, I suppose this added to the general aesthetic of the story. 

The uniqueness of many of the characters powers was so, so interesting. For instance, Red Assassin, one of the Renegades, creates weapons out of her blood, which crystallizes into solid ruby. Another, Monarch, turns into a swarm of butterflies. The two main characters, Nova and Adrian, also had unique powers: Nova can put people to sleep at a touch, and never sleeps herself. Adrian can make his drawings come to life. While these powers were somewhat unbelievable (especially when origin stories started coming into the picture) they were still fun and interesting to read about.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

There were a few instances of minor swearing, a few references of wanting to touch another person (romantically) and mentions of kissing. Violence was there, but was not described graphically by any means. Two characters are gay and in a relationship. 

Book Review: Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

This review contains spoilers for Steelheart and Firefight. To read my full reviews of Steelheart and Firefight, follow the links here and here. 

Calamity [The Reckoners, #3]
by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: YA dystopian

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

After the disaster at Babilar, the Reckoners are forced to find a new strategy. With their once-leader, Prof now corrupted by his powers and working under the Epic name Limelight, leadership of the Reckoners falls onto David's shoulders.

David has realized that the Reckoners old goal of killing Epics isn't going to be enough. Instead, he sets his sights on the impossible -- he wants to redeem Prof... and kill Calamity.
But there are more powers at work than any one of them alone realizes, and while the Reckoners attempt to implement their impossible plan, David struggles to hide a secret he feels sure will destroy them.

Overall Thoughts

By the time I finished reading Firefight, I was more than excited to read Calamity. It was, overall, a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, and I really loved some of the plot elements -- David's dilemma over Prof, the discovery of who Calamity is, etc. I also loved the characters, and seeing their story lines come to a satisfying close.
However, by the epilogue, I almost felt... cheated. The conclusion of the Calamity plotline felt rushed, and many of my questions were left unanswered by the end of the book. Who really was Calamity? What was his motivation? What was Calamity?
Megan's control over her powers also seemed to jump suddenly from 'I can't do this or I'll be corrupted', to using them without hesitation with little to no explanation as to why.
So I have mixed feelings overall about this book. I wish there was more explanation about some of the plot devices, but at the same time, I feel that it ended the book -- and the series -- well.

The Characters

David's internal struggles in this book were very well written and not overdone. In the hands of a less skillful author, I feel like it would have been easy to become melodramatic, but Sanderson dealt with it gently and without becoming annoying. 

I enjoyed seeing Mizzy's character develop, and I liked the fact that while she and David had their own opinions, they still remained friends. I also liked the fact that a love triangle never developed between Mizzy, David, and Megan. David and Mizzy were just friends, and I loved seeing that. 

I also liked that even though Prof has been corrupted by his powers, he still acts like Prof to a certain extent. He didn't just develop a completely new personality. 

I still struggled with Megan's character, but I wasn't annoyed by her as I was in Steelheart. Her personality stayed fairly consistent, which pleased me. 

Plot 

It's really hard for me to decide what to say about the plot. On one hand, I thought that it was well-paced -- up to the last few chapters, at least -- and had a good build up of tension and plot reveals.
On the other hand, I felt that the final battle with Calamity was a bit rushed, and didn't explain a lot of things I was hoping to discover.
The plot twist at the very end was excellent, and I enjoyed the way the epilogue wrapped it up.

Worldbuilding/Writing

As I've come to expect from the Reckoners books, the city setting in Calamity was just as interesting and vibrant as the settings of Newcago and Babilar. The salt city was such an interesting concept, and I was intrigued by the way that the setting influenced the way that the ordinary people lived -- just as in the other books.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

Action violence. Descriptions of blood. Characters are brutally injured, and there are semi-detailed descriptions of pain. Several characters die on-page. 

Sexual content is limited to a few comments, mentions of kissing; one character mentions what she and another character did "last night", not detailed. 

Swearing is minimal, mostly made-up swear words as well as minor cussing; implied heavy cursing is covered up by a profanity filter on the main character's phone.