Okay if you look at this objectively and just read it for how it is, it’s a fun time. But if you even start to think about this a little bit, things start to fall apart.
First is the blatant copying of the Hunger Games. Like I know it is the blueprint, and Ava even shares gratitude for how it changed her as a writer at the beginning to maybe make it seem less bad, but….there are simply too many similarities for me to ignore it. There is a vacant, uncaring mother, absent father, sibling, poor falling apart town, animal mutations, a hometown bestie who has feelings for her, showing projections in the sky, a televised event of death, even a cave scene!! There is quite a lot of similarities for it to just be considered an inspiration.
The parts that weren’t copied were interesting! I love the idea of the “angels” and the unique parts of the gauntlet. the writing is also incredible. I have never lost faith in Ava’s writing ability, it is always so beautiful.
The romance was just….misplaced. I'm not sure if I could ever fall for someone, one in three days and two, who is TRYING TO KILL ME! Maybe she is just way more trusting than me, but I could never get so close to this person, even if she swears she won’t kill me and we need to work together….I wouldn’t buy it. So it made the relationship hard to root for…it’s like Katniss decided she wanted Cato.
I’m not sure if this is planned to be a series, but I feel it needs to be because that ending was wildly unsatisfactory.
Again if you don’t think too hard about it, it's enjoyable for sure. But maybe dystopian's need to stay in the 2010s.
3/5 stars.
Huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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