DP

Practically perfect YA, 21 May 2013

This is one of the best YA novels I have read in a while. I was surprised to see as many negative reviews as there are, as I can't imagine anyone not being completely drawn in by the story!

I found the characters very real and likeable, and the story well paced and compelling. The level of detail meant I felt I was there with Hadley and Oliver on every step of their journey; I especially loved the description of the flight across the Atlantic, and Hadley exploring London.

Everything is perfectly in balance in this book and it has all of the elements of a great YA novel: romance, realism, complex emotions handled expertly, humour, journeys (both literal and figurative),… Read more

Good idea, poor execution, 20 May 2013

I'd heard a lot of hype about this book and was looking forward to reading it as I'm a big fan of dystopian fiction. I enjoyed the early part of the book - the world is fascinating and I enjoyed discovering more about it - but when I hit the middle it just wasn't gripping me. After such a strong start (most of the exciting stuff happens at the beginning, and we spend a lot of the rest of the book waiting for people to *painfully slowly* discover what we already know) it was disappointing to feel it'd run out of steam only half way through.

It was the writing that let the book down. Revelations that should have been like a punch to the gut were more like limp lettuce, and… Read more

A flawed but overall satisfying ending, 16 May 2013

This series is one of the best YA creations I have ever read. Jenny Han's characterisation is astounding, her writing assured and captivating, and she really knows how to draw you in. I read all three books in three days! This book though, as others have commented, was the weakest overall.

It was so interesting to see Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad 'all grown up'. I loved hearing about Belly's life at university, although I agree with other reviewers who couldn't comprehend Jeremiah's jerk-ish behaviour. His personality in this book doesn't sit well with the previous two books. He has become an insensitive, selfish frat boy, yet we are told how much in love he and Belly are. I really… Read more