A. L. Knorr

This book was very engaging and I was positively surprised by the execution of the trite-sounding premise.
The unexpected twists and turns of the story made it feel fresh in an ever-growing landscape of samey books which only build on tired and tropey plot construction.
The pacing was good and the writing was comfortable and easy to read.

But throughout the story, I realized that this author simply doesn't have anything interesting to tell.
There is no insight, no wisdom, no new perspective. The characters are not interesting beyond the surface and the book never takes the time to explore their underlying motivations.
There are many attempts at putting new spins or a new perspective on things but they all go nowhere. The story's superficial exploration of its themes leaves me craving the depth and meaningful engagement that can lift a narrative like this from mediocre to exceptional.

I can't think of any more ways to express the same thing, so let me end with my impression of why this is.
To me, it seems this book has been deliberately tailored to be just good enough to hook an inexperienced YA audience. There is nothing here that points to an honest attempt at writing a good and thoughtful story.… (more)