We Set the Dark on Fire

by Tehlor Kay Mejia

[Angie]

YES!
+Dani takes no nonsense. She even tells off her blackmailer! She doesn't need anyone to tell her what's at stake if she's discovered, whether that's because someone tattles or she lets something slip herself. But, this also makes her a bit prickly since she wants to keep to herself, do everything herself, and rely only on herself.
+A bit of F/F romancing. It's certainly not the focus, but it was cute to see Dani flustered at times.

NO!
-I was bored through the first several chapters, because nothing was happening and I don't feel like I learned anything about this world. Dani is two days away from graduation, but what do they actually teach at this school? It's not what's in the "household handbook" that she receives upon marriage. What's going on with the wall? We're basically thrust into a story that already in motion, and we missed the opening.
-Someone breaks into the school to give Dani new papers that will pass inspection, and yet BOTH times she's suppose to get her papers checked...she doesn't. I know this is suppose to add some tension. Will she get caught?! But...that would be more effective if she still had her old papers. She attended that school for FIVE YEARS with forged papers, worrying about getting caught, but never did. The new ones are suppose to pass the new inspection process, so there's suppose to be nothing to worry about. Yet, they're never put to the test and not mentioned again. So that random boy was just to...introduce Dani to the resistance?
-Wouldn't this whole two-wife situation cause a surplus of single men? Where are they? What are they doing? Obviously, they're not the rich ones who pay for wives, but they're not mentioned. I would imagine that there's some kind of stress from them as well as from the people on the "wrong" side of the wall. But like I said, there's not much world building.