The Winner's Crime (Winner's Trilogy, #2)

by Marie Rutkoski

[Chelsea]

Initial Thoughts

I was smart and finished the first book a week before this one was released so there wasn’t any intense waiting for me. For that I’m glad. My expectations were very high though because I thought the first book was amazing. That made me a little nervous going into this one because second books are almost never better.

My New BFF

I think if Kestrel continues being awesome then she’ll always be my favourite. I just can’t help but like her. She put herself in these tough positions and sticks with her plans so her loved ones don’t die. I think that’s very brave of her. I loved seeing her struggle with her emotions for Aaron too, it made her seem less of a character and more like a real person. I’m actually upset that she isn’t even real because I think I’d have a great time with her. Unless she gets herself killed which is always a possibility with her.

My Crush

Ariana easily kept my heart in this book. I wasn’t impressed with him sometimes but I think everything will work out with him in the end. Or at least I hope so. I mostly like him because of how interesting he is. I feel like I never know what he’s going to do next and he almost always surprises me. He makes for a really great character.

Writing Style

I’m really loving her writing style right now. I feel the need to read more from her. I find she’s really good at keeping my interested in the book. There isn’t always a lot of action but there’s always some sort of mystery that I have to solve. The character development is great as well. I’m especially loving the villains in this book because they’re extra creepy and smart. I can’t wait to see what happens with them next.

Closing Thoughts

I’m really happy with how this series is turning out so far. I hope that the next book is just as good but I think the author has a really good handle on what’s going to happen. Everything she writes feels like it has a purpose so there’s no irrelevant chapters. I’m seriously looking forward to seeing what will happen next.