Mini-Reviews: Series Enders

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)
Author:  Veronica Rossi
Publisher:  HarperCollins, 400 pages
Publication Date:  January 28, 2014

From Goodreads:
Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Review:
What an amazing ending to this spectacular series.  The characters are really what have made this series so incredible.  Aria has grown so much and she is one of the strongest female heroines I've ever read about.  And Perry...he's one of my favorite heroes and he is a hero in this book, truly becoming a leader.  He makes mistakes but he learns from those mistakes and he always is making the choices he makes because he has such a good heart.  He and Aria are absolutely perfect together and I appreciated the fact that, even though they had so many obstacles to overcome, they worked together and were stronger together.  Roar was such an amazing secondary character, I felt so bad for him and his pain and I just wanted him to be happy.  He was such an incredible friend, to both Perry and Aria, and it's so rare to have a male/female friendship without any hint of romance in YA, which I truly appreciated.  This book had it all:  interesting and fast-paced plot, extraordinary characters, impressive world-building and so many emotional moments.  Perfect series, perfect ending.

Infinite (NewSoul #3)
Author:  Jodi Meadows
Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books, 418 pages
Publication Date: January 28, 2014

From Goodreads:
DESTRUCTION
The Year of Souls begins with an earthquake—an alarming rumble from deep within the earth—and it’s only the first of greater dangers to come. The Range caldera is preparing to erupt. Ana knows that as Soul Night approaches, everything near Heart will be at risk.

FLIGHT
Ana’s exile is frightening, but it may also be fortuitous, especially if she can convince her friends to flee Heart and Range with her. They’ll go north, seeking answers and allies to stop Janan’s ascension. And with any luck, the newsouls will be safe from harm’s reach.

CHOICE
The oldsouls might have forgotten the choice they made to give themselves limitless lifetimes, but Ana knows the true cost of reincarnation. What she doesn’t know is whether she’ll have the chance to finish this one sweet life with Sam, especially if she returns to Heart to stop Janan once and for all.

With gorgeous romance and thrilling action, the final book in the Incarnate trilogy offers a brilliant conclusion to the compelling questions of this fascinating world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions.

Review:
The premise of this series is so fascinating, with Ana being the only NewSoul, surrounding by people who have lived 5000 years.  What would happen if people were reincarnated and remembered their past lives?  Although they do make improvements to their world and become experts at what they do (like Sam with his music), there also isn't that urgency to do anything and there's a lot of stagnation and apathy to a certain extent.  I found the world created by Jodi Meadows to be realistic in that sense and also thought-provoking.  I love the romance between Sam and Ana and there is never even a hint of a love triangle.  Thank you!  And I just have to say...this is how you write a book about love and sacrifice.  Beautifully written, highly emotional, and ultimately so satisfying, this was a wonderful ending to an stunning series.

Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author:  Tehereh Mafi
Publisher:  HarperCollins, 416 pages
Publication Date:  February 4, 2014

From Goodreads:
Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

Review:
Although the entire series is very heavy on the romance, including this book, it also is the story of Juliette, who used to be quiet, withdrawn, scared, and ashamed and finally becomes the strong female character we always knew she could be.  Instead of apologizing and feeling terrible for who she is, she finally embraces her powers and learns how to use them.  Although I'm a bit tired of love triangles, I have to say that this is one of the best ones I've read because it is a true triangle, meaning Juliette actually had feelings for both Adam and Warner at different points in time (not the lame not real triangle where you know where her heart is and then there's that other guy that just messes things up).  And no matter which guy you were rooting for, you have to hand it to Tehereh Mafi for creating a love interest from a villain.  I reread both Shatter Me and Unravel Me and Warner was horrible in Shatter Me.  Just horrible.  So for anyone to be rooting for him...that takes talent.  Although it was very clear who Mafi chose from the very beginning of Ignite Me and she pushes very hard so you will agree with her, which annoyed me.  In fact, she basically rewrites history in order to portray both Adam and Warner in certain ways, which I didn't agree with and it really didn't need to be done in order for Juliette to make her choice.  I felt a bit manipulated.  There were also still so many questions left about the world, their powers, etc. that I was disappointed in that aspect of the book.  And what happened with Juliette at the end...yeah, a little far-fetched.  I still enjoyed it and the writing was gorgeous, but...that's all I can say without spoilers.

Posted by:  Pam