Cecilie

4.5 stars
Fantastic, amazing, wonderful book. I loved it, I totally adored it and it was just really really amazing.
I wasn't totally sold on those last forty or so pages, but the rest of the book was just amazing. AMAZING.

Really enjoyed it, though not as good as the first one. I liked meeting Will, I think he's a great character, but I thought the story dragged sometimes when we were with Lee Scoresby and Serafina Pekkala.
Too many people died for it to be satisfactory, but I still really enjoyed it and where the story's going

I ended up really enjoying this reading experience, which was a relief upon the disaster that was Catch-22. 
Kesey is great at making the characters feel both vividly realistic and caricature-like at the same time. They're incredibly enjoyable characters and they play off each other really well. Having the story told from someone who essentially is a fly on the wall, but literally is within the story is clever. The story feels less subjective and very observative in that way even though it actually isn't. Following McMurphy's storyline and how he affects the others is also a joy all the way through, and the only time that lags is when McMurphy himself has a temporary change of heart halfway through. 
It was an interesting, thoughtful, and enjoyable read that had to something to say about authority figures and how easily we trust (and betray) others.  

This had elements I liked much better than the first book and elements I liked much less. So it was weird combo, inevitably ending with the same rating though.
I thoroughly enjoy Callum every single time he's there, he gets better and better with every chapter. I didn't love Libby's story, and Nico and Reina's spat seemed odd and out of place. I loved Tristan coming into himself more, but as a character he's still wildly annoying. I definitely wanted more of Parisa in this one, but I was glad that we at least got more of Gideon, who is such a joy. 
I don't know that I really like the overall plot, I think it is going in a direction that I worry can only leave me disappointed because of how vast the point of contention is. It's like waging war on the world - it always ends in disappointment. 

Orion, tell me you did not just do that. I mean, I knew you would, but I'm still mad about it.
I had a great time reading this. It's just fun. I like that El is so cranky, and I like that Orion gets giddy when El lets something romantic happen, even though he's hardwired to be a mal-killing machine. It's just fun, y'all.
Most of the book is just training, which can get a little tedious, but because we're constantly moving towards new goals, the story doesn't go stale.