Reviewed by Silvara on
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I didn't realize this was a first in a series when I requested it. So when I got to the end of the book and saw it only wrapped up some of the story, and one of the major plot lines was still going, I wanted to go out and grab the next book immediately! Which is good, because it means I really liked this book. And also bad, because book 2 doesn't come out until 2017!
The world building was amazing. Though not in the 'completely different world' way. This world is basically our world, but with a few twists to it that make it feel totally different and yet still familiar. I also liked the people we meet.
I had a few issues though. Mostly having to do with Celestine. She had a falling out with her sister over something that she didn't blame her boyfriend for, pretty much at all (other than a few moments). Her sister was no more in the wrong than Art was, and yet she decided she hated her but still loved him? It was also a little strange to me how obsessed she got over Carrick. Before they'd even spoken to each other. And the fact that he only said one thing to her during the entire book, but she decided they had this huge connection and worried over him and all? He was pretty much a perfect stranger to her. So that didn't work for me.
On the other side of things, I DID like how much Celestine changed as a character. We see her first as the 'perfect' girl. The one who always follows the rules, dates the right boy, behaves in the way everyone expects her to. Her life is completely planned out, down to what she'll study in college, and who she'll be. And then, suddenly she isn't perfect. The way it all spiraled out of control worked so well! It made complete sense that it would happen that way, and even the actions of the bad characters fit and sucked me in further.
It is not a light read. There are going to be strong emotional issues, and you will feel a full gamut. I actually had to wait a few days after reading this to get my thoughts together enough to put something together past "It's over? Where's the next book?!" There are dark moments, some very very dark. But there are also happy ones.
Celestine isn't the only character we see growing and changing. Her parents, Pia, her grandfather, and others, all change from the way we first see them. They become more than expected, more than we saw. And it was amazing.
If you're looking for a sci-fi book that will really make you think, you need to read this.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 28 December, 2015: Finished reading
- 28 December, 2015: Reviewed