"King's Cage" is IT.// Book Talk!!

Hello Rad Readers!!

I know that every review lately kind of has to do with one another, but I just have to marathon the rest of this series because I took too great of a gap between the first and second book (flashback to my Red Queen review in July... for shame!) and now I am fully invested in it and cannot and will not put it down. Sorry, not sorry ;)

If you couldn't already tell by the title, this book is it. What you may be asking is "it?" It's all of it. Everything. Allow me to explain-- this book is so so so so good. It's exciting, gripping, and intense from --seriously-- the first sentence and we must begin talking about it immediately!

In the third addition to the Red Queen series, we start right where we left off, Mare in enemy hands, powerless without her lightning, her gift, and at the hands of the evil Maven Calore who is trying to make sense of his messed up brain his mother tampered with through her gift and also trying to keep his country from falling to Mare's cause, what she started. As Mare trudges through her life as a prisoner of war the rest of her band of newbloods continue their rebellion, trying to not let Mare's capture waiver their efforts. They even wonder --because Mare is so deep in enemy hands-- if she is even worth an attempt to save. If it is even a possibility, and that if they go in there, will it just be a suicide mission? So, they organize, train, and expand their group without Mare. Mare deals with the pressure of the silent stone, smothering her lightning physically, and her mind and heart mentally. Cal deals... rather, tries to deal without Mare by his side and won't give up on trying to get her back. With the stakes of war rising, the newbloods no longer in the shadows, and personal issues complicating the guidelines of regular battle, it is a question as to whether or not there will be anything but fire and lightning left in the end.

Being that this is the third book in the series, unfortunately, there is not much I can say that isn't a spoiler besides this: this is probably my favorite addition to the series thus far. I said in my previous review on Glass Sword that the first half of the second novel was pretty slow, but because of the epic cliff hanger that Glass Sword did leave off on, that was not the case with this book at all. Genuinely the very first sentence was even exciting. Once I picked it up I didn't put it down for four hours. This was truly a standout novel.

Okay, brace yourself, for we have spoilers on the horizons!

Ahhhhh I called it in my Glass Sword review about Maven... Kind of... because although I did know that there was more to him, I thought he would end up a good guy. Clearly, that ship has sailed but I still knew that there was more than just an evil king without a cause. He is by a long shot the character I have the most to say about because boy oh boy what a journey we have been on with him. I do not think that there is a single redeeming chance in this man any longer. I think that either he or Mare will die at the end of the series because if one of them doesn't then that is a hugeeeee cop out from the author. I really do feel so bad for Maven though and I wish that wasn't the case because this is not the way he truly is, not the way that he wanted to be, not by a long shot. It is what his mother made him into through her whispering powers and for that, I am both very happy that Elara is dead but still sooooo conflicted over Maven. He sucks soooo hard but I still feel bad for him? When we found out that his mother's powers were still in his head I was honestly like thank the godssss because now I know I have a reason for liking this seemingly evil character. There is no redeeming him though, I know that if things will ever get better for Mare and Cal and the cause for Red equality as a whole, he has to die because of all that he symbolizes, as well as all that he has done, and honestly the finale of this story needs a big death. That is just the way it's got to be. I don't make the rules. I am genuinely and truly shocked about how great of a writer Victoria Aveyard is. Maven has done all the bad things. Every single one of them. Betrayed Mare, tormented her, killed people, children, ugh! But STILL, I wish that he wasn't like this, and I think that is because the reader knows that he wishes that he wasn't like this too. He hates that he can't feel the love that he has towards his brother or the love that he had towards his father. He wishes that his mother hadn't removed that from his mind. Such a well written and developed character!

Mare is an animal. Straight up the definition of a boss lady. Homie is a prisoner of war and although inside she is crumbling, literally tortured, on the outside she is cool as a cucumber. She is messing with Maven's emotions, getting inside his head, messing with Evangeline... which by the way... I cannot even believe the twist we had with Evangeline in the end. NEVER would I ever think that she'd be the one to help Mare escape? Anyways, I love that Mare is so devoid of feeling and sympathy. She looks at Maven and for a split second feels pity for all that he had to go through with his mother, but then reminds herself that he is the one that is keeping her imprisoned under silent stone, that he is the reason for so many deaths, that he is the reason her life will never be normal again, that her brother is dead. She reminds herself of this and then puts on the most convincing mask a homie has ever seen. She reads people like a book, body language, words, in between the lines, just a flash of anything on someone's face and out girl Mare throws that into her arsenal. Aveyard wrote Mare in a very specific way and that is the way that I love. Strong, determined. In all of her time in prison, there was never a woe is me moment. She doesn't care that messing with Maven in the way that she does is cruel because she knows that he is the truly cruel one. I also like that she is headstrong in knowing how she should be treated. In the end, when Cal chooses the crown again she firmly and totally is done with him. She has had about enough and when she realizes that she has had enough she empties herself once again, devoid of emotions, and steps back into the throne room like a freaking animal. MYYYY DOGGGGG. Homie is like I know that anyone can betray anyone and guess what losersss you all have betrayed me so much, look who doesn't care? Me. Ya girl Mare? She's done with it. Over it. To quote Beyoncé, "boy bye."

Cal... the definition of a drama queen. Moody and mopey and ugh. There is this point in the story when Mare is still a prisoner and she is thinking to herself "I hope Cal is being helpful" or something along those lines and it seriously made me laugh out loud in the airport as I was reading this because he was just being pouty and lame the whole time Mare was gone. Big dog didn't lift a finger. The award for the character that communicates his inner dialogue the worst goes toooooo, yours truly. Big dawg chose the crown over Mare and that ladies and gentlemen is a world class failure and a half. I do like him and Mare together a lot though, I mean how could I not. However, Mare is making the right choice leaving him if he is going to continuously chose a path that hates everything that Mare is. He has no backbone whatsoever, never stands up for what he wants. He doesn't seem to think that any of his needs or wants are important because he grew up following stupidly false guidelines on ruling a country and now if he feels in any way at all he writes it off as being selfish which simply is just not the case. If he continuously chooses silver society that berates and shames Mare for what she is, something she has no control over. Cal made a mistake but I KNOW that he will redeem himself because if he doesn't I just don't know what I am going to do with myself.

As far as the ending, I like that Mare is going to be on her own for a while. She needs to do some thinking. I didn't like Cameron's point of view at all. I thought she was capital B BORINGGGG but I really did like Evangeline's point of view. Aveyard turned these girls who used to be somewhat of a rival I guess to Mare and made them into real people that didn't exist solely for the purpose to make Mare look better and I really appreciated that. I liked getting to know Evangeline, knowing that she is not this untouchable silver and that all she really wants is to be free JUST LIKE MARE! I loved that! So sweet!

So yes reader dudes, that is all I have to say. I am already reading War Storm (the next book in the series) and I am already loving it!

- C8 ;)

"Dear Evan Hansen" Is A Wreck//Book Talk!

Hello Rad Readers!

I have so so so many things to say about this book so unfortunately I cannot give a spoiler free review :(. You have been warned...

Ahhh guyssss! I don't know how to deliver this super hot take... I'm just going to say it, I hate Evan Hansen.

He is a lying, manipulative, psychopath that used a boy's tragic suicide to get with his sister and get popular in school. That is the blatant truth of the matter. I understand that there is a bit more to it than just that, that the author isn't necessarily condoning what he is doing, but he definitely wants the reader to feel bad for Evan, feel bad that he has had such a "terrible life" that he was driven to kind of go scorched earth and do this to himself. Honestly, I don't feel bad for Evan. I understand him. That is one thing. I understand that he feels lonely, that he deals with anxiety. However I don't feel pity for that. Many people deal with that but they would never do what Evan did. I see Evan Hansen for what he did to this kids family and even his own family and I think the glorifying of his horrific disgusting behavior made me... kind of hate the book. I thought the story was... well... bad? It was so incredibly unbelievable that my rad reading-ness, if you will, rejected it as a whole.

I think that it was the author's goal in a way for the reader to recognize that what Evan did and is doing throughout is horrible, but what wouldn't sell me on it was the parts where they try to blame it on his anxiety. Anxiety or not, you do not fake the emails of a dead child to become less lonely, and you certainly don't do so to garner the attention of his sister days after he commits suicide. Ugh, gross.

It started out with a lot of promise. I felt like I knew Evan once I'd only just read the first 20 pages. He was interesting. He was living a life that he wanted to change and honestly that is something that everyone feels at some point or another. That is a fantastic plot point for a book! It was relatable. Then however, Evan took a full 180 degree turn into someone complain-y, annoying, ignorant, and by all means possible, NOT relatable.

I will start off with what he does to his mom. Okay, Evan. Dog. Hear me out, if your mom sees that you are unhappy, she will most likely want you to be happy. She is not going out for some selfish attempt to make her son popular. Far from that. And Evan! DOG! You yourself said that you wanted to change, that you were tired of feeling like you were "waving through a window" (which by the way is one of the most amazing and beautiful ways Evan's experiences were described). Evan! Your mom is trying to help you with what you want to do yourself!!! He is complaining, complaining, complaining that nobody cares that he is lonely and sad, but EVAN, your mom asks you all the time how you are doing, how school is. Your family is struggling financially and she pays thousands of dollars for a therapist that you won't even give the time of day. Evan is written to be a jerk. A jerk that I am meant to feel bad for, and I am sorry rad readers, but I just can't.

Now, let us talk about his relationship with his friend Jared. I get it, Evan is socially awkward, but dude, stop making it seem like Jared is being mean to you when he is literally just a sarcastic guy joking around with his friend. Not everything is so deep for God's sake! And don't even get me started about how he starts BLAMING Jared! Jared was the only one that would listen to you. Sure, maybe he shouldn't have helped you with your twisted plan to fabricate a friendship with a dead kid that way you could date his sister, but YOU ASKED HIM TO DO THAT! Of my many problems with our lovely Evan Hansen, one of my greatest is that he is always trying to feel bad for himself. Bad for himself because he victimizes himself, paints his own picture that his mom doesn't care, that everyone hates him when in reality he has just made no effort to get anyone to like him, that Jared doesn't consider him a friend when really he is just messing with Evan. Ugh Evan, there is so much about you that I will never understand. Finally, on the topic of Jared, as Drake once said, "imagine if I never met the broskis." Once Evan gets a hint of notoriety from his twisted crime of a fake friendship, once he gets a girlfriend and people know who he is and say hi to him in the hallway, he completely ditches Jared and is absolutely, totally insensitive to all the hints Jared throws at him to tell him, "excuse me, but you've really hurt my feelings." Practice what you preach dearest Evan Hansen. You can't complain that nobody cares about you when you are so self centered you don't realize when your only true OG friend is upset with you.

Now, onto the biggie... The Murphy's and Evan. Oh Evan, you really did it. What you might ask, what did he do? All of it. Everything that could have been done was done and it was all bad. Every single part of it. Despicable. This is where Evan started to decline sharply in my mind. Before he went to that first dinner with the Murphy's I was hoping this would be a story about him coming out of his shell, getting people to sign his cast and slowly making friends. I liked Evan, I really did, I looked forward to some steep character development vibes and I. Got. Nothing. Instead I got Evan going to the Murphy's house to clear things up, but then realizing that he might be able to get a girlfriend out of exploiting her brother's suicide. And that ladies and gentlemen, that is where I called the downfall. He USED them. He went to their house night after night to be around them, to feel like he was a part of something, and yes, that is horribly sad, devastating, but for the love of God, the lies he was telling were life changing to this family, totally world altering. This entire time might I remind you he was blaming his mother again for not caring about where he was and not having taco nights. Evan YOU DIDN'T WANT TACO NIGHTS! YOU WANTED TO BE WITH ZOE! You wanted to be with your girlfriend through which you build your relationship on lies. Evan! Your mom asked you where you were going and you lied to her! She did is all the time and you didn't want her to know! Stop feeling bad for yourself! Okay, back to the Murphy's, sorry. Things were bad and all yes. Very bad indeed, but when they offered to pay his college tuition! How did he not stop it there! When he sent Alana a LINK to Connor's "suicide letter!" Absurd! How is he like this!!!!!!!

The ending was lack luster and a half. I was disappointed in Zoe for forgiving Evan. What Evan did is not only illegal, but evil. He manipulated her and where she was once suspicious now she is just being stupid. Evan basically pulled a Holden from Catcher in the Rye. He started off as a complain-y jerk, went through a crazy journey that should have changed him, and then came out the other end the same complain-y jerk, ungrateful for what he had and for what the people around him have and will do for him.

Rad readers, that was a rant and a half and I am #sorrynotsorry. Dear Evan Hansen is the most twisted novel of the century and I am not here for it, thank you very much.

I now must find a spectacular book to read next to cleanse my rad reader palette.

Keep it rad my readers,

-C8 ;)

Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) IS A GR8 BOOK// Book Talk!

RAD. READERS. OH. MY. GOSH. THIS BOOK BLEW MY MIND!!!!!!!

There is just absolutely no way that I can give a completely spoiler free book talk on this addition the the Lunar Chronicles, because seriously everything that could even possibly be discussed is a spoiler. I will let you know however when it starts getting spoiler-y. That being said, if you have just finished book 3 and you are wondering whether or not you should read the final installment, the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES YOU SHOULD. All of Meyer's books in the Lunar Chronicles are based off of kind of funky retellings of fairy tales, this is a super funky retelling of Snow White!

(Also, I have written reviews to every other book in this series, so check those out too!)

I would like to start off by saying that I read the novella, Fairest after I finished Cress and before I started reading Winter. I think that this is absolutely the best way to do it. A lot that was mentioned in Fairest related to tiny little details in this book, so if you wanted to know more on the background of Levana, (which I thought was very insightful and interesting), I think that Fairest is a great and very interesting read. It really just goes on, proves, and reaffirms all rad reader beliefs that even the most evil evil evil villains have the saddest back stories :(.

Winter is the my favorite character from the series which... actually, I don't know if I can really say that because I love Cinder so much as well... ahh, okay, whatever, I will just say that I love Winter. She reminds me of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter and Luna was my favorite character from the Harry Potter series. Winter is hilarious and weird and undeniably, unapologetically herself. The people admire her for he imperfect beauty and her grace and kindness, in comparison to Levana who wants the people to think she is beautiful, but it is all a lie, it is all through her glamour. It is really such a clever twist in the Snow White story.

There is far more than a lack of beauty that Levana has to be concerned about though. All across Luna the people are revolting. Cinder is dipping, slipping, and ripping all of Levana's efforts to stop her, and let me tell you rad readers, it is so beyond exciting to read this. Cinder is escaping left and right from the most closest of calls, but then things get certainly a little too close for comfort, and you wonder whether or not Cinder's revolution will continue, and if it does continue will she even be alive for it.

Jacin and Winter are the two new main characters that get introduced and I just absolutely love both of them and especially the two of them together. They are such a dynamic duo and they really just make things work together. I could say the same for most of the characters in these novels too though, becuase the fact of the matter is that not only is this series heavily plot driven, it is also heavily character driven. Not only do we care about the revolution, we care about the characters too and I think that is what makes this series so amazing. The plot was riveting and the characters were phenomenally written and developed. Marissa Meyer could write about these characters going to the grocery store and I would still read it (probably) because I love them so much. The way that they band together one after another more and more as the series goes on is so fun and their dialogue is hilarious. I just can't say enough good things! WHY DOES THE SERIES HAVE TO END! Though, on the topic of it ending, I think Meyer did a fantastic job at wrapping it up.

This is unfortunately the most I can say without spoiling! I highly recommend this book and this entire series! Characters? Phenomenal. Plot? To die for. World building? Sensational. I will absolutely be reading the nest novella, "Stars Above."

SPOILERS COMING, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I really truly loved the happily ever after ending. I know there were so many people that said it was too convenient and that someone had to die, but to that I say you are sick and twisted! I would never want a single one of these characters to die and just like all these books are based off of these juvenile fairy tales that end with "happily ever after," I think that it was perfect that everything after was happy. Also, people are being far too dramatic about it. Let us not forget, Scarlet lost a finger, Winter got the PLAGUE and then went into a comma, Cinder was captured, fell out of a building, and lost 100% of her cyborg ability, Cress was stabbed, Wolf was captured and genetically mutated, Thorne lost his vision for a hot sec, then was mind controlled to stab Cress. HOW can someone say this is PREDICTABLE or CONVENIENT!? Please explain to me the convenience of getting the plague... I am genuinely curious.

I loved all the character dynamics, all the new friendships formed, it was everything. Scarlet and Winter became hella homies. Jacin is a totally G. When Levana told him he had to kill Winter and then she believed that he actually would! HA! HAHA! Levana! You are such a fool. Also, you should probably go to a psychologist. Big shout out to Jacin for actually getting the ball really rolling with this revolution and faking out homie Winter's death. What would we do without him? Probably we would still be stuck with Cress hiding in a crate. Anyways, the way he planned and executed this grand escape and revolution and then stayed at the palace for a while all for Winter... I mean COME ONNNNN! That is amazing! Winter is so fun and so exciting and funny and I love her. She has a very positive spirit and it is often exactly what the story needs. Okay, I already praised Winter enough in the beginning of this post.

Poor Scarlet man, that girl has been through the ringerrrrr. Same with Wolf too though. I think they both became more interesting to me (because in my review of Scarlet I was not the fondest) because they kept on getting split apart and they kept on having to make these crazy things work out and make decisions on their own and just reallyyyyy went through it. When Wolf lost his mom... oh my lord the anger that I had and the sadness and just all the emotions that were going on in me were astronomical. That poor poor dude did not deserve all that and neither did his mom :(. In this, honestly I think Wold just did more. In Cress he moped around, in Scarlet I was suspicious he was a bad guy, but when he finally found Scarlet it was like he had a character revamp and was automatically less lame. As for Scarlet, I love her. She is fiery and quick witted and entertaining. The fact that she had been through some CRAZY stuff and still had the gaul to make jokes about it and be sarcastic in the face of Levanna and Aimery was just beyond exciting to read.

Cress and Thorne are also pretty awesome. I was getting tired of Thorne a little bit, he was killing the vibes because Cress was so cool and he just would not recognize that. At least they he came around in the end. That was about it. I love both of their characters so much individually and together, so I don't have much to say about them. I am whole heartedly pleased :).

Okay, now onto the big one, Kai and Cinder... Quite incredible, the ones that started it all... I was very happy with the way that their stories end if I have to say so myself. I absolutely loved how in the end Cinder decides that although she wants to defeat Levana, she absolutely does not want to be Queen of Luna. It really makes so much sense. It was like when Juliette became the ruler in the Shatter Me series and everyone was kind of just like... okay but like why though? Juliette was right to lead the revolution, what the people in charge were doing was maddeningly unfair, but she knew nothing about politics, in fact she had been locked in a basement for a year. Cinder did not make the same mistake. She knew that she had to be the one to catalyst the change, but she also knew that she did not know how to be a queen, nor did she want to and I massively respect that and the fact that the author knows that such an idea would be absurd because in all these young adult novels it truly is ridiculous to assume that a teenager with no knowledge of politics could rule a planet, so I really like this choice! As for Kai, what a great guy! I have always loved his character and I always will. He is so careful and smart and in a story with sporadic and impulsive and not so smart characters he is like a breath of fresh air. They way Meyer wrote him makes me want to be his best friend.

Okay rad readers, that is all I have to say for this incredible series, truly an excellent finale. This will be one that I revisit often. Most exciting 830 pages everrrrrr! It is like the princess version of the Avengers!

Read on, read on!

- C8 ;)