okay okay, this book leads some things to be desired
to be honest I don't want to get into the detail of everything I liked and everything I'd changed. All I'll say is: yes, you may not be happy with parts, and you may be disappointed Lu could've done some things differently BUT it is worth it to get to the ending. It is worth it if you want to hear the end of June and Day's story, that was the only PERFECT part of the book. And besides that, I did stick around and enjoy the storyline itself, it kept my attention for sure. ( )

There are definitely some very valid reasons to dislike or be dissatisfied with this book, and I'm guessing that's why it had a 4.08 at the time of this review. Which isn't bad by any means, but let's be real, this is GR and Marie Lu is an insanely popular author.

That said, I am going to give it a confident 4/5 because this gave me SO much nostalgia for when I read the original trilogy, and reminded me why I love it. I love the action, I love the setting, I love the adventures that the characters go through and their struggles. After this? Very excited to catch up on her other works. Lu also writes romance in a way that just... does it for me. I am veery partial to sapphic romance, but June and Day are still among my favorite fictional couples, even if their story wasn't as fleshed out in an Eden-centered novel. (No spoilers, but the last chapter? I was kicking my feet and giggling like a teenager.) ( )

Trigger warnings: Murder

8.5/10, looking back at this it was one of the few books that still holds up really well ever since I first read this book in the early days of 2023 and it is such an enjoyable and thrilling read but I read the first book then the last one and now the second one which is a bit hilarious, where do I begin. It starts off quite jarringly with the main character Day and now his brother Eden is in the spotlight and they have moved from the Republic of America to Ross City in Antarctica and it claims that it's the best country ever. While the Republic used cruel Trials Antarctica uses something like a social credit system where a higher score gives one benefits and vice versa, it seems good on paper since everyone is monitored but in reality this isn't quite as good as it was billed. Everything looks normal at first until there is a sinister thing lurking who is the main antagonist whose name I forgot which I'll get to later. Now Day and Eden are separated and each chapter was told in alternating POVs just like other books in the series and I still get to see other characters I knew, nice touch by the way. The middle of the book was building up the suspense until finally the villain is revealed, there is a big battle where Day, Eden and other revolutionists won, the social credit system was dismantled and that ends it in a high note. ( )

4.5/5 stars

"We cannot save the world. But we try it anyway. One day at a time."

I can't help but cry in the end. Not only because the series has come to an end. They finally have their happily ever after! I'm so happy for Day and June! ( )

Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2.wordpress.com/2021/01/31/january-2021-revi...

What do I even say. There was no actual need for this book, but I'm so glad it was there.

Even though champion wrapped up pretty well, and the trauma resulting with war was pretty well explored in that one too if I remember right, reading this book, I realised how important it was to see the trauma from an outsiders perspective, a perspective other than Day and June, and Eden was the perfect person for this.

The plot is nonexistent, the villain comical in places, the story so out of the ordinary that it really seemed like a fix-it fanfic, or more like a fanfiction with some continuation of the ending, because there's absolutely nothing in this story. There's no sense to anything. Absolutely nothing.

It's trying so hard to be Warcross for so long, that it got really irritating. But it did diverge a little from that, so that was good, but still, there's no actual need to this book.

This would actually be a good filler novel for a sequel but WE DO NOT NEED ANY MORE SEQUELS I repeat NO MORE BOOKS in this series. Mostly because I think this world has been completely drained and any more tries to use it for more stories will just turn into repetitive, reused storylines and I would really rather remember this series like this.

I loved the continuation to Day's and June's relationship, and Day's relationship with Eden. But I didn't love the Eden romance.

The thing is, after three books of Eden being his small boy who needs rescuing some of the time, and reading this like ten-year old, had made this image of a small boy with chubby cheeks and too large spectacles in my head, and that image does not do well with clubs and girlfriends. It just does not, it's weird, and just, I could have done without that.

On the whole, I rated this 3 stars for the book, and 5 stars for the sequel, because though I didn't want this, I did need this after Champion. I recommend it to anyone who finished with Champion, but be warned, this does not have a good plot, and is more a speculative continuation of this series.

Pre-reading review:
I NEED ME SOME DAY AND JUNE

I DON'T CARE ABOUT EDEN ( )