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The Taking #3
The Countdown (The Taking) by Kimberly Derting
In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.
Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own--gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she's captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?
No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world...even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own--gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she's captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?
No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world...even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
Hardcover
First published May 10, 2016
56 people are currently reading
2959 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly Derting
43 books5,023 followersKimberly Derting once wanted to be a “foxy lady trucker” but changed her mind when she took 7th-grade journalism and discovered writing. She hasn’t looked back since.
She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.
Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.
These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com
Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com
She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.
Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.
These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com
Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this book—it kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. It was a good, satisfying finale to the series. My only complaints are about the romance, the very end of the book, and a few inconsistencies about the story/characters.
I wanted more with the romance and got rather frustrated with what we got here :( I stand by my feelings from the last book that this series did NOT need a love triangle. And it needlessly muddied up the water here, too. And Tyler and Kyra had too many stupid issues in this book—seemed like somebody was always upset at someone or avoiding the other or being unsure of the other. There was not enough time together and communicating for my taste—we got more of that with Simon, but not MUCH more. I also didn’t care for the fact that for a huge chunk of the book --this didn’t do anything for the romance either. And, if we had to have a triangle, it couldn’t have been any more anticlimactic in its resolution :( I also, sadly, didn’t have a huge amount of confidence in the final couple’s long-term future :(
My other issue was with the very end of the book. It was satisfying and nice and all, but it didn’t make ANY sense, if you really thought about it—especially ! And we didn’t get ANY explanations for any of this. The craziness of all of this detracted from the book for me, regardless of it being a nice ending. It was just TOO out there and head-scratching—and not as interesting as it could have been.
This series was kind of weird overall. Each of the books in the series seemed almost TOO different. The first one was very romance-centric and I liked the mystery of what had happened to Kyra. The second book was more government conspiracy driven and the romance floundered and flopped all over the place, but didn’t engage me much. This last book was all , with hardly any attention given to the romance. It almost felt like I was reading 3 entirely different stand-alone books. They all held my interest, but they felt a bit disjointed in many ways and didn’t completely flow together. I also thought a lot of the characters had no depth and were too inconsistent in their behavior and backstories. Prime examples were . Besides Kyra, Tyler, and Simon, I didn’t feel like I knew or cared about most of the characters.
BUT, all this aside, I did like this book and the series. I thought the story and the explanations in this book were interesting and fit together in some ways I wasn’t expecting. The resolution of the crisis in the book was tense and kept me guessing. I liked the explanation for why Kyra and the others were taken—it was interesting, though I did think the ! But, I did like the explanation for the whys of the abductions and that .
Overall, this was a satisfying ending to the series, despite a few problems. Be warned that this book does have some R-rated language, if that bothers you, along with some violence. No sexual content to speak of, except a few kisses.
I wanted more with the romance and got rather frustrated with what we got here :( I stand by my feelings from the last book that this series did NOT need a love triangle. And it needlessly muddied up the water here, too. And Tyler and Kyra had too many stupid issues in this book—seemed like somebody was always upset at someone or avoiding the other or being unsure of the other. There was not enough time together and communicating for my taste—we got more of that with Simon, but not MUCH more. I also didn’t care for the fact that for a huge chunk of the book --this didn’t do anything for the romance either. And, if we had to have a triangle, it couldn’t have been any more anticlimactic in its resolution :( I also, sadly, didn’t have a huge amount of confidence in the final couple’s long-term future :(
My other issue was with the very end of the book. It was satisfying and nice and all, but it didn’t make ANY sense, if you really thought about it—especially ! And we didn’t get ANY explanations for any of this. The craziness of all of this detracted from the book for me, regardless of it being a nice ending. It was just TOO out there and head-scratching—and not as interesting as it could have been.
This series was kind of weird overall. Each of the books in the series seemed almost TOO different. The first one was very romance-centric and I liked the mystery of what had happened to Kyra. The second book was more government conspiracy driven and the romance floundered and flopped all over the place, but didn’t engage me much. This last book was all , with hardly any attention given to the romance. It almost felt like I was reading 3 entirely different stand-alone books. They all held my interest, but they felt a bit disjointed in many ways and didn’t completely flow together. I also thought a lot of the characters had no depth and were too inconsistent in their behavior and backstories. Prime examples were . Besides Kyra, Tyler, and Simon, I didn’t feel like I knew or cared about most of the characters.
BUT, all this aside, I did like this book and the series. I thought the story and the explanations in this book were interesting and fit together in some ways I wasn’t expecting. The resolution of the crisis in the book was tense and kept me guessing. I liked the explanation for why Kyra and the others were taken—it was interesting, though I did think the ! But, I did like the explanation for the whys of the abductions and that .
Overall, this was a satisfying ending to the series, despite a few problems. Be warned that this book does have some R-rated language, if that bothers you, along with some violence. No sexual content to speak of, except a few kisses.
Read
August 10, 2016I love Adam. I'd read a whole other book about him. The ending was so satisfying. The numbers thing and the countdown concept was awesome! Another great series by Kimberly Derting!
May 26, 2016
The Countdown is the amazing finale to The Taking trilogy. It’s got action, romance and aliens. It’s perfect fro fans of the 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, Caged by Meghan Shepherd, The Rules trilogy by Stacy Kade, The Host by Stephanie Meyer, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Unremembered by Jessica Brody, Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza, Blackout by Robison Wells, Rush (the Game Trilogy) by Eve Silver and any other Kimberly Derting book. Pretty much anything with aliens, or teens gaining superpowers. X-file fans, Fringe fans, fans.
SPOILERS AHEAD: If you haven’t read the Taking, or even it’s sequel, the Replaced, then don’t read this review.
At the beginning of the book, Kyra is on the run with her father and Tyler, the only other “Replaced” (their DNA is completely alien. They’re not hybrids like the Returned). They’ve been on the road for days, and every morning at dawn Kyra hear another number in her head, like a countdown and she becomes obsessed with that number all day, seeing it everywhere.
The 3 of them stop at a diner, and Kyra finally decides to tell Tyler about their past, and he walks away from her. Kyra is kidnapped by other Returned and her father, Tyler, Simon, Jett and the others have to find her. Tyler feels like he might sense her. He keeps dreaming of a map that appears to be a reverse star-chart. And this is only the beginning. Lots of awesome stuff happens in this book.
This final book does things a little differently. It’s spilt into 2 parts, but I think maybe the first 2 books were too. It’s not entirely Kyra’s point of view. There are chapters that are more like intermissions because they’re not part of the chapter count. Those intermissions are in a different font (san-serif) and are Simon’s or Tyler’s POV. I was really worried that Tyler was body-snatched at the end of the last book when he said “The Returned must die,” but were see that’s not the case and get his point of view. I like Simon, but I really was team Tyler all the way.
I’m happy with how the series ended, although I was confused with what happened at first. It was a good ended. This is the second series by Kimberly Derting that I’ve completed. I gotta say she really knows how to write a series. I still haven’t read the Pledge, although a bought the whole series and had they all autographed by her. Kimberly’s a cool author. I met her three time. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Cover Art Review: Disappointing cover. The cover just kept getting less interesting.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
SPOILERS AHEAD: If you haven’t read the Taking, or even it’s sequel, the Replaced, then don’t read this review.
At the beginning of the book, Kyra is on the run with her father and Tyler, the only other “Replaced” (their DNA is completely alien. They’re not hybrids like the Returned). They’ve been on the road for days, and every morning at dawn Kyra hear another number in her head, like a countdown and she becomes obsessed with that number all day, seeing it everywhere.
The 3 of them stop at a diner, and Kyra finally decides to tell Tyler about their past, and he walks away from her. Kyra is kidnapped by other Returned and her father, Tyler, Simon, Jett and the others have to find her. Tyler feels like he might sense her. He keeps dreaming of a map that appears to be a reverse star-chart. And this is only the beginning. Lots of awesome stuff happens in this book.
This final book does things a little differently. It’s spilt into 2 parts, but I think maybe the first 2 books were too. It’s not entirely Kyra’s point of view. There are chapters that are more like intermissions because they’re not part of the chapter count. Those intermissions are in a different font (san-serif) and are Simon’s or Tyler’s POV. I was really worried that Tyler was body-snatched at the end of the last book when he said “The Returned must die,” but were see that’s not the case and get his point of view. I like Simon, but I really was team Tyler all the way.
I’m happy with how the series ended, although I was confused with what happened at first. It was a good ended. This is the second series by Kimberly Derting that I’ve completed. I gotta say she really knows how to write a series. I still haven’t read the Pledge, although a bought the whole series and had they all autographed by her. Kimberly’s a cool author. I met her three time. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Cover Art Review: Disappointing cover. The cover just kept getting less interesting.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
May 15, 2016
Enjoyed it but it just got more and more ridiculous and the whole war thing made no sense.
June 11, 2016
Took a while to finish this book.... The first book of this series was fantastic, it hooked you in from the beginning, the second book not so much and this one just plummeted completely. I finished it because I wanted to know how it all ended after putting time with these books, but half way through I just wanted to stop. I would highly recommend reading the first book and leave it at that.
May 10, 2016
The Countdown is the final book in the Taken trilogy. After the NSA attacked Blackwater Ranch in the previous book, all the returned and replaced scattered to find safety. When The Countdown begins, Kyra, Kyra’s father, and Tyler are hiding out at a campground. The trio has been bouncing from campground to campground – never staying more than one night in one place in order to stay off the NSA’s radar.
Early on, Kyra is separated from her father and Tyler. She’s jumped and drugged by an unknown blonde assailant. For a while Kyra is on her own, her father and Tyler are desperately trying to find Kyra, and the rest of the Blackwater Ranch crew who made it through the attack, are trying to locate Kyra and any other potential survivors.
The first third of The Countdown was a tad forgettable because it was mostly recap and slow buildup. However, once that 100 page count came and went and more of the taken and replaced joined up again the story really exploded! We got some badass-power-wielding Kyra, deceptions and twists, and some swoony romance – all the elements that made me love this series so much in the first place!
I said it in my review for book two and I’ll say it again, the romance between Simon and Kyra was too forced. Maybe Simon had feelings for Kyra, but I never once felt like Kyra showed any romantic nor sexual feelings towards Simon. All Kyra can think about is Tyler. Even though I think it unnecessarily dragged the entirety of books two and three, I’m glad that this weird triangle was resolved by the end of The Countdown.
When I started reading The Countdown I thought I had everything figured out, but then towards the middle of the book a slew of hidden agendas and lies were divulged and I had no idea what to think anymore. Thank you Derting for pulling the rug out! It’s exactly what this last book needed!
I was initially worried that Derting had made the overall story too big for just three books but by the end of The Countdown I was satisfied with how she tied things up.
I’m sad to see the Taken trilogy end, but the story and characters ran their course. I’ll miss Kyra and her feistiness but I’m sure Derting is hard at work on another stellar book that you can bet I’ll be reading!
Early on, Kyra is separated from her father and Tyler. She’s jumped and drugged by an unknown blonde assailant. For a while Kyra is on her own, her father and Tyler are desperately trying to find Kyra, and the rest of the Blackwater Ranch crew who made it through the attack, are trying to locate Kyra and any other potential survivors.
The first third of The Countdown was a tad forgettable because it was mostly recap and slow buildup. However, once that 100 page count came and went and more of the taken and replaced joined up again the story really exploded! We got some badass-power-wielding Kyra, deceptions and twists, and some swoony romance – all the elements that made me love this series so much in the first place!
I said it in my review for book two and I’ll say it again, the romance between Simon and Kyra was too forced. Maybe Simon had feelings for Kyra, but I never once felt like Kyra showed any romantic nor sexual feelings towards Simon. All Kyra can think about is Tyler. Even though I think it unnecessarily dragged the entirety of books two and three, I’m glad that this weird triangle was resolved by the end of The Countdown.
When I started reading The Countdown I thought I had everything figured out, but then towards the middle of the book a slew of hidden agendas and lies were divulged and I had no idea what to think anymore. Thank you Derting for pulling the rug out! It’s exactly what this last book needed!
I was initially worried that Derting had made the overall story too big for just three books but by the end of The Countdown I was satisfied with how she tied things up.
I’m sad to see the Taken trilogy end, but the story and characters ran their course. I’ll miss Kyra and her feistiness but I’m sure Derting is hard at work on another stellar book that you can bet I’ll be reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2016
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5
*MY Thoughts*
Strange, strange ending. I know the author wanted to give Kyra an ending she deserved, but this was totally out there.
*Full Review Posted @ Talk Supe Blog*
http://www.talksupeblog.com/2016/06/g...
Published May 10th 2016 by HarperTeen
*Genre* Young Adult, Science Fiction
*Rating* 3.5
*MY Thoughts*
Strange, strange ending. I know the author wanted to give Kyra an ending she deserved, but this was totally out there.
*Full Review Posted @ Talk Supe Blog*
http://www.talksupeblog.com/2016/06/g...
Published May 10th 2016 by HarperTeen
June 22, 2016
As a follower of the series from the beginning, I've been anticipating the final book in the series. I wanted to know EVERYTHING, even though this isn't one of my favorite series out there. Surprising enough, I didn't hear much about the publication of The Countdown. Never the less, I started immediately after receiving my copy for review.
There were some details that I felt I missed or forgot. Luckily, the summarization, in the beginning, was nice to have. It caught me up on the things missed and I'm glad for it. However, because of it, it took awhile for things to really pick up and get going.
The Countdown, having its fair share of action, was very romance driven as a whole. Tyler's lack of memory, the angst, and Simon's advances continued. We even get their POV, which threw me greatly. However much I didn't care for it, I did think it was necessary since there were parts of the book where Kyra was absent, and pieces were moving outside of the scope where she was. In conjunction with that, there was only one narrator, a female, and it's a small peeve of mine to have one narrator for several POVs.
Kyra herself has only had little character growth over the course of the series. I felt like she was still that immature girl from The Taking. There were situations that presented themselves in which Kyra had to make some tough decisions and do some a few things that some would consider extreme. I don't think she ever dealt with it. It just WAS. I felt for her, though, especially in the end when more secrets are revealed.
As for the war part - I felt like none of it made sense. The explanations on why the M'alue (not sure I am spelling that right!) continued taking humans, and how/why they would stop just didn't add up, thus creating a level of disconnect. And the ending? What??
The Narration
Tavia Gilbert is the only narrator for The Countdown. She's rather popular; seeing all the books on audible that she has narrated. The Countdown was the first book narrated by Tavia that I have listened to, and I thought she did a fantastic job as Kyra. Even as the other POVs within the story. She does remarkably well with the emotions behind Kyra's voice.
I thought the twists throughout the series were amazing! I've always been a fan of Kimberly's writing. You never know what's going to happen in ANY of Kimberly's books, but especially in this series. You suspect things about all the characters, and you truly never know when something will take a drastic turn!
All in all - I thought this series ender was only okay. The conclusion to the series was rather lackluster (and confusing), and there were a few things I would have liked answered. Still, I recommend reading it if you have invested in this series from the beginning.
I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
There were some details that I felt I missed or forgot. Luckily, the summarization, in the beginning, was nice to have. It caught me up on the things missed and I'm glad for it. However, because of it, it took awhile for things to really pick up and get going.
The Countdown, having its fair share of action, was very romance driven as a whole. Tyler's lack of memory, the angst, and Simon's advances continued. We even get their POV, which threw me greatly. However much I didn't care for it, I did think it was necessary since there were parts of the book where Kyra was absent, and pieces were moving outside of the scope where she was. In conjunction with that, there was only one narrator, a female, and it's a small peeve of mine to have one narrator for several POVs.
Kyra herself has only had little character growth over the course of the series. I felt like she was still that immature girl from The Taking. There were situations that presented themselves in which Kyra had to make some tough decisions and do some a few things that some would consider extreme. I don't think she ever dealt with it. It just WAS. I felt for her, though, especially in the end when more secrets are revealed.
As for the war part - I felt like none of it made sense. The explanations on why the M'alue (not sure I am spelling that right!) continued taking humans, and how/why they would stop just didn't add up, thus creating a level of disconnect. And the ending? What??
The Narration
Tavia Gilbert is the only narrator for The Countdown. She's rather popular; seeing all the books on audible that she has narrated. The Countdown was the first book narrated by Tavia that I have listened to, and I thought she did a fantastic job as Kyra. Even as the other POVs within the story. She does remarkably well with the emotions behind Kyra's voice.
I thought the twists throughout the series were amazing! I've always been a fan of Kimberly's writing. You never know what's going to happen in ANY of Kimberly's books, but especially in this series. You suspect things about all the characters, and you truly never know when something will take a drastic turn!
All in all - I thought this series ender was only okay. The conclusion to the series was rather lackluster (and confusing), and there were a few things I would have liked answered. Still, I recommend reading it if you have invested in this series from the beginning.
I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
January 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this trilogy. However, this book wasn't nearly as good as the first two, so sadly I had to give it three stars.
*EDIT* After sitting on this for a year I've decided to change my rating to one star. I was lenient because the first two books were great but I'm going to have to be honest and say this book was just awful, unfortunately.
Things I Liked:
-Absolutely nothing, not gonna keep lying to myself.
Things I Didn't Like:
-There really just wasn't enough romance in this series. The first book had plenty but the last two fell flat because of all the action and things going on. It would've been nice to see more romance between Tyler and Kyra in this book.
-Tyler stayed mad almost the entire book like a little bitch. He was always either avoiding Kyra or upset over something she did, whereas Simon was the same as always. At some point, I even started liking Simon more because it felt like Simon cared about Kyra more than Tyler cared about her.
-There were a lot of anticlimactic moments. The story would build up to something and then everything would conveniently turn around in Kyra's favor or the conflict would just...end. Examples are
-I felt like the group didn't really do much this time. It felt like Willow, Jett, Griffin and the others were just...there. Sometimes I would even forget that it wasn't just Kyra and Simon, or Kyra and Tyler. They were just background characters, despite everyone being together for a lot of the book. It made the whole thing feel really weird, and it was almost jarring whenever one of them would speak because I'd be like "Oh yeah, I forgot this person was supposedly with us for 100 pages."
-The ending really didn't make ANY sense. What happened to Simon and the others? Did they keep in touch? *EDIT* A year later and I am STILL fuming over this god awful ending. Like Jesus Christ. Worst freaking ending of any series ever.
I'm very disappointed with this book and the ending of this series but the first two books were still great and I would still recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves YA science fiction. I'm just saying you might be better off skipping this one and just thinking up your own ending, because trust me when I say ANY ending would be better than this.
*EDIT* After sitting on this for a year I've decided to change my rating to one star. I was lenient because the first two books were great but I'm going to have to be honest and say this book was just awful, unfortunately.
Things I Liked:
-Absolutely nothing, not gonna keep lying to myself.
Things I Didn't Like:
-There really just wasn't enough romance in this series. The first book had plenty but the last two fell flat because of all the action and things going on. It would've been nice to see more romance between Tyler and Kyra in this book.
-Tyler stayed mad almost the entire book like a little bitch. He was always either avoiding Kyra or upset over something she did, whereas Simon was the same as always. At some point, I even started liking Simon more because it felt like Simon cared about Kyra more than Tyler cared about her.
-There were a lot of anticlimactic moments. The story would build up to something and then everything would conveniently turn around in Kyra's favor or the conflict would just...end. Examples are
-I felt like the group didn't really do much this time. It felt like Willow, Jett, Griffin and the others were just...there. Sometimes I would even forget that it wasn't just Kyra and Simon, or Kyra and Tyler. They were just background characters, despite everyone being together for a lot of the book. It made the whole thing feel really weird, and it was almost jarring whenever one of them would speak because I'd be like "Oh yeah, I forgot this person was supposedly with us for 100 pages."
-The ending really didn't make ANY sense. What happened to Simon and the others? Did they keep in touch? *EDIT* A year later and I am STILL fuming over this god awful ending. Like Jesus Christ. Worst freaking ending of any series ever.
I'm very disappointed with this book and the ending of this series but the first two books were still great and I would still recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves YA science fiction. I'm just saying you might be better off skipping this one and just thinking up your own ending, because trust me when I say ANY ending would be better than this.
September 9, 2017
Awesome ending to one of my favorite sci-fi trilogies! (Next to Megan Shepherds Caged series!)
Five glittery stars for a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend!
Five glittery stars for a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommend!
October 15, 2017
3.5 stars
October 21, 2016
"The Final Countdoooowwn!" – sorry couldn’t resist. With this final instalment in The Taking trilogy, I was looking forward to a mammoth dramatic end to what has been a fun sci-fi read. But there was a lot going on. A lot of characters and points of view in the narrative. It was confusing and made me dizzy. It took me half the novel to catch up and work out what was going on.
I’ve said it so many times before: I’m not a fan of multiple perspectives.
However, after a disappointing and slow first half, the storyline began to pick up. I could barely put the novel down as I neared the finish line. We got some great pacing and tension. For the last book in a trilogy it should be this way throughout – there are so many ends to tie up, questions to answer. It should be explosive.
There’s still a tone of immaturity about Kyra and her friends, though I can see how she has grown as a character, I didn’t get all that invested in her or the story. Which is disappointing. The attention the first book of the series really captured my imagination, but things went awry here.
Tyler, our love interest and cute in the-boy-next-door way, only had that going for him. I kept wanting to get more substance. For him to pony up. I hate to say it, but Tyler was a little… forgettable.
Simon, another of the returned and member of their ‘Scooby Gang’ started to grow on me. He was showing some moxy and putting a spanner in the works. This boy had back bone, and then at the end of the novel, I was like – where did all that go. Feelings like that aren’t resolved in an instant…. The resolution felt like little bit of a cop out.
Adam (the alien), the only other character of note didn’t give me that desperation to survive and be reunited with his race I was hoping for. There wasn’t even thankfulness at Kyra and Tyler’s sacrifice to help him escape… It really felt like all the nuance of characters we got earlier on wasn’t carried through right to the end of the trilogy. Characters are the lifeblood of your story, and you need to pay them a lot of attention.
As far as plot goes, it was still light on the explanations; though we get all the relevant answers. Something about the explanation still doesn’t sit right with me. I liked the ending, and considering the romanticism of it all, was surprised there wasn’t an alternate conclusion – I think it would have been a much more impactful ending if it opened up this trilogy to a new world of possibilities. We love to dream about the what-if’s in sci-fi!
Maybe it was the attitudes of the scientists – oversimplified and some forced to fit into the role of a villain… or not. It had me wondering where the complexity was…
As much as I enjoyed the experience reading this, the characters were pretty interchangeable and bland. Their personalities could have shined in obtuse, quirky ways to add a larger dynamic to the narrative. All in all, it was “just nice.”
Great escapism for YA readers. I’d only recommend it to those who have been engrossed by the series, but don’t get your hopes up. A light, easy to read narrative, even though a little scattered. I wanted much more from this final book, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.
I’ve said it so many times before: I’m not a fan of multiple perspectives.
However, after a disappointing and slow first half, the storyline began to pick up. I could barely put the novel down as I neared the finish line. We got some great pacing and tension. For the last book in a trilogy it should be this way throughout – there are so many ends to tie up, questions to answer. It should be explosive.
There’s still a tone of immaturity about Kyra and her friends, though I can see how she has grown as a character, I didn’t get all that invested in her or the story. Which is disappointing. The attention the first book of the series really captured my imagination, but things went awry here.
Tyler, our love interest and cute in the-boy-next-door way, only had that going for him. I kept wanting to get more substance. For him to pony up. I hate to say it, but Tyler was a little… forgettable.
Simon, another of the returned and member of their ‘Scooby Gang’ started to grow on me. He was showing some moxy and putting a spanner in the works. This boy had back bone, and then at the end of the novel, I was like – where did all that go. Feelings like that aren’t resolved in an instant…. The resolution felt like little bit of a cop out.
Adam (the alien), the only other character of note didn’t give me that desperation to survive and be reunited with his race I was hoping for. There wasn’t even thankfulness at Kyra and Tyler’s sacrifice to help him escape… It really felt like all the nuance of characters we got earlier on wasn’t carried through right to the end of the trilogy. Characters are the lifeblood of your story, and you need to pay them a lot of attention.
As far as plot goes, it was still light on the explanations; though we get all the relevant answers. Something about the explanation still doesn’t sit right with me. I liked the ending, and considering the romanticism of it all, was surprised there wasn’t an alternate conclusion – I think it would have been a much more impactful ending if it opened up this trilogy to a new world of possibilities. We love to dream about the what-if’s in sci-fi!
Maybe it was the attitudes of the scientists – oversimplified and some forced to fit into the role of a villain… or not. It had me wondering where the complexity was…
As much as I enjoyed the experience reading this, the characters were pretty interchangeable and bland. Their personalities could have shined in obtuse, quirky ways to add a larger dynamic to the narrative. All in all, it was “just nice.”
Great escapism for YA readers. I’d only recommend it to those who have been engrossed by the series, but don’t get your hopes up. A light, easy to read narrative, even though a little scattered. I wanted much more from this final book, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.
January 18, 2018
Ok what can I say....
Everything I complained about in the first two books just continued to get worse.
I don’t want to be rude but I really don’t think this author should be writing books....the characters are so shallow I can’t count the times I had to stop and say “really did she just say that?” it was so predictable with zero character growth of anyone in the entire series.
The love triangle was pathetic this girl did not make up her mind until the very last second that is not real love that’s teenage hormones and if I had to read one more time about the taste of someone’s tongue or breath I was going to vomit.
( I don’t know if you’re picking up on this but I really really really did not like the series!)
Having said that the author has a great imagination the plot was a good idea I just wish she had help with fleshing out her stories and making them a more enjoyable read with characters that are real and likable.
Everything I complained about in the first two books just continued to get worse.
I don’t want to be rude but I really don’t think this author should be writing books....the characters are so shallow I can’t count the times I had to stop and say “really did she just say that?” it was so predictable with zero character growth of anyone in the entire series.
The love triangle was pathetic this girl did not make up her mind until the very last second that is not real love that’s teenage hormones and if I had to read one more time about the taste of someone’s tongue or breath I was going to vomit.
( I don’t know if you’re picking up on this but I really really really did not like the series!)
Having said that the author has a great imagination the plot was a good idea I just wish she had help with fleshing out her stories and making them a more enjoyable read with characters that are real and likable.
August 21, 2017
Like the last book, I started reading this book as soon as I had finished the last book! I was really excited to read this book and continue the characters story! This book is also the final book, so I did try and take my time with reading it lol! I did find this hard lol because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next and how everything was going to end! The plot was continued on perfectly from the last book and it had a lot in it! There was plenty of action and suspense and both these elements added so much to the plot! There were quite a few twist and turns too and the plot did go in a different direction to what I was expecting! I liked it though and it was different! The romance was also back in this book and I loved it! It wasn't a huge part of the plot, but I loved that it was in there! The plot also only took me a few sittings to read and I was always wanting to read a few more chapters every chance I had! The characters were again amazing and made this book even better! Kyra was again the main female character in this book, and she went through a lot! I didn't think she could go through any more lol, but she did! Kyra was such a strong character though and she showed this again and again in this book! Kyra also put herself in danger, but she did it to protect her friends and to protect the world! I just loved Kyra and she had come a long way from the first book! She also started to come to terms with what she was in this book! I connected with Kyra all the way through this book too! Both Tyler and Simon were the main male characters in this book and they were both love interests of Kyra! This meant that there was a love triangle of sorts! It wasn't prominent though, but it was there and was more prominent than what it was in the last book! I really liked both guys and it was easy to see that the two of them cared about Kyra and had strong feelings for her! I did prefer Tyler a teensy bit more than Simon, but Simon was straight with Kyra about how he felt about her and this made me have a bit of respect for him! He also didn't do anything wrong, but I did prefer Tyler! Kyra did pick between both guys and I do think that she made the right decision! I loved that this book was written from Kyra, Tyler and Simon's point of views! The first two books were only written from Kyra's point of view, so I'm really happy that this book was written from three characters point of views! I loved getting the chance to go inside Tyler and Simon's heads because it helped me connect more with them and it allowed for more things to happen in the plot too! I'm also really sad that this is the final book in this trilogy! I've loved reading it, so I'm really sad that it's over! I loved going on Kyra's journey with her and the ending of this book was summed up nicely! I wish it had been expanded more though! I also can't wait to check out this author's other paranormal series that's released! I know she's just released a contemporary book too, so I can't wait to read that book as well! The cover for this book suits it perfectly! I love how well it suits the other covers in the trilogy and I love how well the titles suit each book in this trilogy too! I love all the covers!
August 2, 2019
Following straight on from book 2, The Replaced, the storyline ramped up and became quite fun and interesting. There were a few twists and turns and while they were obvious and you could see them coming, they took the story in different directions which was good.
The complete story arc of the three books was enjoyable and I didn't regret completing the series. However, the epilogue was very disappointing. While I can understand the desire to continue the story a little bit I did not like where it went at all. I felt it let the whole climax of the story falter by disregarding major points of the story. It kind of felt like someone else wrote it. Someone who hadn't read the books but was only told about them.
3.5 stars
The complete story arc of the three books was enjoyable and I didn't regret completing the series. However, the epilogue was very disappointing. While I can understand the desire to continue the story a little bit I did not like where it went at all. I felt it let the whole climax of the story falter by disregarding major points of the story. It kind of felt like someone else wrote it. Someone who hadn't read the books but was only told about them.
3.5 stars
January 11, 2019
Meh. But then again, I am not the target audience for this one.
July 25, 2023
This was a fantastic end to the series, I loved seeing how everything wrapped up!
December 21, 2018
Well finished this book in a day so I’m sure that means I liked it. I like the part where Kyra committed murder to save herself and Thom. That was really cool I did not see that coming. I also liked the different perspectives in each chapter. Especially when Kyra killed her “friend” Natty and people found her dead, they were trying to figure out who did it. They couldn’t even wrapped their minds around the possibility of Kyra might actually be the one who killed her. That was funny reading from their perspective. I also enjoyed the plot involving the aliens and they willing to make peace if they give them back Adam. The part where her dad was also involved in this alien hunt even before she got adduced was crazy definitely a plot twist and let’s not talk about how Agent Truman became an allied, major plot twist. When he reappeared in the book I thought it was to get rid of him cause Kyra is a killer now I thought she might kill him once and for all but like I said... plot twist. I’m strongly a Simon fan so I was mad at the fact Kyra didn’t choose him. I’m also angry at the fact they become human again and lost all their abilities, being only human sucks why would they want to go back to that? Now they have to spend their money on anti-aging cream and bandaids. To wrap up, this book was really good I finished it within a 24 hour mark I really could not put it down, the author is really talented at story telling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2017
This isn't how I wanted to start 2017. This isn't the rating I wanted to give for my first read book of the new year. But deep down inside, where my heart used to be, I knew it would end up like this. I knew this book would get such a low rating. I rarely like final books in a series.
And I wanted to like this book, obviously. I know I spend a lot of my time shitting on books, but I go into all books hoping they're good. Why would I want to waste my time on a bad book that I paid for, none the less. I wanted to get back into the story and get those answers.
But this book ended up being dreadfully boring. Kyra is off on her own for at least a third of the book, and it's an agonizing slow to the pacing of the book that it really was the point that I was done. For a strong third of the book it's just rambling conversation, and that's when the page flipping started.
I wanted to be invested in Kyra and Tyler's relationship, but it ended up amounting to him having more interesting scenes with the minor characters, and when he wasn't doing that, he was making unnecessary proclamations of safety to a girl who can kick ass.
I did end up enjoying the way it played out with Kyra and her father, and I really liked the supporting cast in general. I also kind of liked the alternating points of narrative. At first it was jarring, but considering Kyra spent so much of this book being uninteresting, that change helped keep me going.
Though yo, that ending. I know what the author was going for. But it just felt kind of cheap. The stakes were raised, but nothing was really impacted by the risk. It's almost like one big reset button was hit, and everyone gets to go on with their happy lives. I wasn't exactly asking for all the characters to die and live in sorrow forever. But I didn't want this kind of Disney ending. It felt cheap. It was weak. I didn't buy it.
Look, for a lot of people, this book is going to hit the spot. But for me it was a book that should have been 200 pages, got dragged out to almost 400, had an unsatisfying ending, and just didn't work. I still actually really enjoyed the first book in this series, and would recommend it. But this third book did nothing for me, and so this is how we start 2017.
And I wanted to like this book, obviously. I know I spend a lot of my time shitting on books, but I go into all books hoping they're good. Why would I want to waste my time on a bad book that I paid for, none the less. I wanted to get back into the story and get those answers.
But this book ended up being dreadfully boring. Kyra is off on her own for at least a third of the book, and it's an agonizing slow to the pacing of the book that it really was the point that I was done. For a strong third of the book it's just rambling conversation, and that's when the page flipping started.
I wanted to be invested in Kyra and Tyler's relationship, but it ended up amounting to him having more interesting scenes with the minor characters, and when he wasn't doing that, he was making unnecessary proclamations of safety to a girl who can kick ass.
I did end up enjoying the way it played out with Kyra and her father, and I really liked the supporting cast in general. I also kind of liked the alternating points of narrative. At first it was jarring, but considering Kyra spent so much of this book being uninteresting, that change helped keep me going.
Though yo, that ending. I know what the author was going for. But it just felt kind of cheap. The stakes were raised, but nothing was really impacted by the risk. It's almost like one big reset button was hit, and everyone gets to go on with their happy lives. I wasn't exactly asking for all the characters to die and live in sorrow forever. But I didn't want this kind of Disney ending. It felt cheap. It was weak. I didn't buy it.
Look, for a lot of people, this book is going to hit the spot. But for me it was a book that should have been 200 pages, got dragged out to almost 400, had an unsatisfying ending, and just didn't work. I still actually really enjoyed the first book in this series, and would recommend it. But this third book did nothing for me, and so this is how we start 2017.
February 16, 2017
4.5 stars
After what seemed like a long journey, I am fully satisfied (thank goodness because there were a few scares) with this series. Also, I am relieved- relieved, I say!- that I did not have to endure reading this trilogy in yearly segments! I don't know of too many things that would have made this reading experience worse, besides the second book, except for having to read it slowly over three years. However, this book was great! It seemed like I had a lot of *nail biting* moments where the author dragged out the suspense and sometimes lingered in other parts, but I'm a long-haul type of girl. The ending (that I want) with the right results (that matter to me) are really what are most important and since I got all that I desired in the end, my fulfillment is really my focus for this review. With that said, I haven't read too many alien oriented stories yet and I thought this was pretty good, but still hold firm from my opinion in the first book: the plot is good and all, but it's Tyler who is the glue.
After what seemed like a long journey, I am fully satisfied (thank goodness because there were a few scares) with this series. Also, I am relieved- relieved, I say!- that I did not have to endure reading this trilogy in yearly segments! I don't know of too many things that would have made this reading experience worse, besides the second book, except for having to read it slowly over three years. However, this book was great! It seemed like I had a lot of *nail biting* moments where the author dragged out the suspense and sometimes lingered in other parts, but I'm a long-haul type of girl. The ending (that I want) with the right results (that matter to me) are really what are most important and since I got all that I desired in the end, my fulfillment is really my focus for this review. With that said, I haven't read too many alien oriented stories yet and I thought this was pretty good, but still hold firm from my opinion in the first book: the plot is good and all, but it's Tyler who is the glue.
September 25, 2016
Amazing ending to a really unique trilogy!
At the end I felt like everything kind of just magically ended happily! Also, there were a lot of really obvious things that were happening that Kyra just stupidly didn't realize.
Aside from all that, I really enjoyed reading this! A few gory descriptions of brain matter and dead people, but you know that comes along with all the great sci-fi books!
At the end I felt like everything kind of just magically ended happily! Also, there were a lot of really obvious things that were happening that Kyra just stupidly didn't realize.
Aside from all that, I really enjoyed reading this! A few gory descriptions of brain matter and dead people, but you know that comes along with all the great sci-fi books!
October 23, 2016
This series has definitely surprised me! It's been a really solid sci-fi trilogy with a very witty first person narration, and I've thoroughly enjoyed it!
This book was really gory, let me just say. A lot of people blew their brains out (author's words, not mine!) and the descriptions were...vivid. It's been ages since I've read such gore, so I actually liked it.
The ending confused me a bit, and I wanted a bit more resolution for a few characters. We know they're alive and well but what else?!
It was sad that Spiro Agnew's (I still can't help but call her that) .
A great trilogy, one that I enjoyed reading immensely.
This book was really gory, let me just say. A lot of people blew their brains out (author's words, not mine!) and the descriptions were...vivid. It's been ages since I've read such gore, so I actually liked it.
The ending confused me a bit, and I wanted a bit more resolution for a few characters. We know they're alive and well but what else?!
It was sad that Spiro Agnew's (I still can't help but call her that) .
A great trilogy, one that I enjoyed reading immensely.
April 10, 2017
This was a decent ending to the series. I'm just not that into aliens, by no fault of Kimberly Derting. The ending was a TOTAL cop-out, but that's alright. Not a stellar series, kind of predictable and frustrating that the The pace was a bit off, too, dragging waaaay too much in some places and awkwardly jumping ahead.
June 20, 2016
ends are all tied up, nice and neat.
August 4, 2016
A great end to the series. As always, there were a few threads that weren't quite tied up and some things that were a bit confusing but all in all it was a good finale with a satisfying ending.
February 6, 2017
I really liked the way the author wrapped everything up! Full review to come on Lisa Loves Literature soon!
March 13, 2017
3.5 stars, though I think this was the best of Derting's The Taking series. This book was kind of hard to put down. Of this author's three series that I've read, I like The Body Finder the best, followed by The Taking, with The Pledge bringing up the rear. Just FYI.
I was very, very concerned about how this book was going to end. Was Kimberly Derting going to betray me and pull a Veronica Roth/Divergent? Was Kyra going to end up with the wrong guy (or neither)? Was everything going to just be awful? But I've rated this 3+ stars, so take that how you will. Though I confess I wish there had been more explanation for the information provided in the epilogue.
And I still don't think the whole part of the story was even necessary. When things were finally "decided"/accepted, my response was just, "Duh! That's what she's been trying to tell you this whole time!" I don't even understand why It was completely unnecessary and didn't really add anything except frustration.
How it ended:
I'll keep reading Kimberly Derting's books.
Note: Some swearing, including some f words.
I was very, very concerned about how this book was going to end. Was Kimberly Derting going to betray me and pull a Veronica Roth/Divergent? Was Kyra going to end up with the wrong guy (or neither)? Was everything going to just be awful? But I've rated this 3+ stars, so take that how you will. Though I confess I wish there had been more explanation for the information provided in the epilogue.
And I still don't think the whole part of the story was even necessary. When things were finally "decided"/accepted, my response was just, "Duh! That's what she's been trying to tell you this whole time!" I don't even understand why It was completely unnecessary and didn't really add anything except frustration.
How it ended:
I'll keep reading Kimberly Derting's books.
Note: Some swearing, including some f words.
May 29, 2018
The Countdown was Kimberly Derting’s thrilling conclusion to The Taking trilogy and I have to say it was pretty awesome! Just when you think Kimberly couldn’t throw you anymore curve balls or take you completely by surprise in this final book, she surprises you again and again! This was definitely a most exciting read and I am sad that it’s over.
The beginning of the book opens up with Kyra and Tyler on the run with Kyra’s dad trying to stay under the radar from the NSA. We get a brief recap of what went down the last time, which was super nice, even if I did just read that book beforehand. Though I thought it odd that Kyra didn’t mention anything about Natty being MIA, Thom being a potential traitor, or the fact that the nefarious Agent Truman was really a Returned and Griffin’s dad, but I digress. At least I knew these things! Lol!
Tyler still doesn’t have his full memory back and after his strange hypnosis at the end of The Returned where he’s drawing out maps and saying “The Returned must die,” Kyra hasn’t been sure what to tell him in that regards. Trying to keep back their full relationship was hard enough. Trying to solve the mystery behind his message will be even tougher and then the unthinkable happens…Kyra gets kidnapped.
Kyra is taken by a new set of enemies, ones she didn’t even know about who have plans for her. She’ll have to find a way to escape on her own if she ever hopes to see her friends and father again. Meanwhile Simon, Tyler, and the rest of the gang are trying to figure out where she could be. Tyler has been having odd moments of being able to sense her or get an idea of what might be going on and he decides to follow his gut rather than letting Simon take the lead.
This time around we get chapters that are from Simon and Tyler’s point of view which made for interesting feedback. True, we needed to know what was happening when Kyra was separated from her friends, but it was also fun to get inside the heads of the boys who are trying to win Kyra’s heart. Though of course, we have Tyler struggling to remember his connection with Kyra.
Things were pretty intense from the moment Kyra gets kidnapped and the tension and action hardly ever let up after that point. We learn a great deal of new information about the aliens that have taken the Returned. It made for some startling revelations.
The ending was intense and actiony as ever! So much was happening, so many surprises and reveals were being tossed about! It was insane! And then bam! Things just kind of end. It was a truly gut-wrenching experience, that aftermath. Though, sadly, while the BIG questions are all answered in a roundabout way, I felt like there was a great deal left unsaid. Mainly what happened with Kyra’s friends, Simon and Co. It was just kind of brushed over what happened to them. Like a legit mentioning of them and that was it. Nothing more and that kind of bugged me. I mean, I would’ve liked to know what happened to them after all was said and done, but there’s pretty much no mentioning of them.
Since this is the final book, Kyra does make her choice romantic wise of who she will be with. There was indeed a love triangle in play and it was honestly one of those hard ones to actually choose a side. I felt for both boys, as Tyler was the one who cared for Kyra in the days of her Returning and then there’s Simon who was pretty much a constant in her life after that. I felt like I knew what she would end up doing but I wasn’t sure how we’d get there to be honest. There’s a teeny part there I didn’t like being brushed over either, but I won’t say more for fear of spoilers.
All in all, The Countdown was a pretty fantastic read! Yes, I still had burning questions about the fates of the others but sometimes you just have to accept the things that are not explained! For the most part, I write off happy endings in my head for all who are unaccounted for in their futures!
The pacing to this one was rather ideal. It may have had a slower start, but still exciting since Kyra is on the run and things get really intense after she’s kidnapped and the story continues to take off from that moment on. There’s not a dull moment to be had in this one! The ending itself was heartfelt and just what one could hope for with a series finale, even if it left out what happened to a few characters. Again, I plea the HEA effect for them all! This is truly a must read for fans of sci-fi and alien encounters! It’s one that will keep you turning the pages until you hit the end!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
The beginning of the book opens up with Kyra and Tyler on the run with Kyra’s dad trying to stay under the radar from the NSA. We get a brief recap of what went down the last time, which was super nice, even if I did just read that book beforehand. Though I thought it odd that Kyra didn’t mention anything about Natty being MIA, Thom being a potential traitor, or the fact that the nefarious Agent Truman was really a Returned and Griffin’s dad, but I digress. At least I knew these things! Lol!
Tyler still doesn’t have his full memory back and after his strange hypnosis at the end of The Returned where he’s drawing out maps and saying “The Returned must die,” Kyra hasn’t been sure what to tell him in that regards. Trying to keep back their full relationship was hard enough. Trying to solve the mystery behind his message will be even tougher and then the unthinkable happens…Kyra gets kidnapped.
Kyra is taken by a new set of enemies, ones she didn’t even know about who have plans for her. She’ll have to find a way to escape on her own if she ever hopes to see her friends and father again. Meanwhile Simon, Tyler, and the rest of the gang are trying to figure out where she could be. Tyler has been having odd moments of being able to sense her or get an idea of what might be going on and he decides to follow his gut rather than letting Simon take the lead.
This time around we get chapters that are from Simon and Tyler’s point of view which made for interesting feedback. True, we needed to know what was happening when Kyra was separated from her friends, but it was also fun to get inside the heads of the boys who are trying to win Kyra’s heart. Though of course, we have Tyler struggling to remember his connection with Kyra.
Things were pretty intense from the moment Kyra gets kidnapped and the tension and action hardly ever let up after that point. We learn a great deal of new information about the aliens that have taken the Returned. It made for some startling revelations.
The ending was intense and actiony as ever! So much was happening, so many surprises and reveals were being tossed about! It was insane! And then bam! Things just kind of end. It was a truly gut-wrenching experience, that aftermath. Though, sadly, while the BIG questions are all answered in a roundabout way, I felt like there was a great deal left unsaid. Mainly what happened with Kyra’s friends, Simon and Co. It was just kind of brushed over what happened to them. Like a legit mentioning of them and that was it. Nothing more and that kind of bugged me. I mean, I would’ve liked to know what happened to them after all was said and done, but there’s pretty much no mentioning of them.
Since this is the final book, Kyra does make her choice romantic wise of who she will be with. There was indeed a love triangle in play and it was honestly one of those hard ones to actually choose a side. I felt for both boys, as Tyler was the one who cared for Kyra in the days of her Returning and then there’s Simon who was pretty much a constant in her life after that. I felt like I knew what she would end up doing but I wasn’t sure how we’d get there to be honest. There’s a teeny part there I didn’t like being brushed over either, but I won’t say more for fear of spoilers.
All in all, The Countdown was a pretty fantastic read! Yes, I still had burning questions about the fates of the others but sometimes you just have to accept the things that are not explained! For the most part, I write off happy endings in my head for all who are unaccounted for in their futures!
The pacing to this one was rather ideal. It may have had a slower start, but still exciting since Kyra is on the run and things get really intense after she’s kidnapped and the story continues to take off from that moment on. There’s not a dull moment to be had in this one! The ending itself was heartfelt and just what one could hope for with a series finale, even if it left out what happened to a few characters. Again, I plea the HEA effect for them all! This is truly a must read for fans of sci-fi and alien encounters! It’s one that will keep you turning the pages until you hit the end!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
June 9, 2017
I actually liked this better than I expected, what with the mediocre previous book. It had a pretty solid ending, and the plentiful action and fast pace were very engaging.
There are a few twists in this book, but there was a particular one about the message that caught me pleasantly off guard (which was a good thing). The other plot twists I'd sort of vaguely predicted/suspected, but I had no idea this one was what it was. I'm glad the author was able to surprise me that way.
Okay, about that pretty solid ending...I like how the characters turned out to be, and the few chapters before the epilogue were satisfyingly full of emotions that made the scenes more raw and breathtaking. The epilogue left off with an almost nostalgic feeling, which left quite an impression. However, the rest of the characters seem to have just stopped existing after the third-to-last chapter (counting the epilogue)...I get that technically , but I still would've liked to see at least one of them attempt to contact them or something, just to fully end their stories. I still have so many questions about them that are probably never going to be answered, and that makes me a bit sad because they've grown on me. Besides that, though, the ending was a good one.
One major problem I had with the previous book was that love triangle. In this book, it didn't fully dissipate until towards the end. In the beginning, it strongly seemed like Kyra was settling for one guy, but later she had some thoughts about the other guy that suggested she still liked the other guy. But then her thoughts bounced back to the first guy, and then she almost kissed the other guy, etc., etc. It was very frustrating to read, but I had a feeling about one of the guys that he would be the one to win, and I was right (though I did strongly doubt my feeling at some points). I personally think the whole series would've been better off without the love triangle and if Kyra stuck to one guy so she would seem more serious about him--none of the unnecessary angst would be there, and nor would my slight sadness for the guy that lost. That's my opinion.
Yes, I would recommend this book and this series. It's nicely action-packed with a thoughtful romance, plus a few twists. If you enjoy science fiction, urban fantasy, or anything along those categories, and especially if you don't mind a love triangle, chances are you'll enjoy this series.
There are a few twists in this book, but there was a particular one about the message that caught me pleasantly off guard (which was a good thing). The other plot twists I'd sort of vaguely predicted/suspected, but I had no idea this one was what it was. I'm glad the author was able to surprise me that way.
Okay, about that pretty solid ending...I like how the characters turned out to be, and the few chapters before the epilogue were satisfyingly full of emotions that made the scenes more raw and breathtaking. The epilogue left off with an almost nostalgic feeling, which left quite an impression. However, the rest of the characters seem to have just stopped existing after the third-to-last chapter (counting the epilogue)...I get that technically , but I still would've liked to see at least one of them attempt to contact them or something, just to fully end their stories. I still have so many questions about them that are probably never going to be answered, and that makes me a bit sad because they've grown on me. Besides that, though, the ending was a good one.
One major problem I had with the previous book was that love triangle. In this book, it didn't fully dissipate until towards the end. In the beginning, it strongly seemed like Kyra was settling for one guy, but later she had some thoughts about the other guy that suggested she still liked the other guy. But then her thoughts bounced back to the first guy, and then she almost kissed the other guy, etc., etc. It was very frustrating to read, but I had a feeling about one of the guys that he would be the one to win, and I was right (though I did strongly doubt my feeling at some points). I personally think the whole series would've been better off without the love triangle and if Kyra stuck to one guy so she would seem more serious about him--none of the unnecessary angst would be there, and nor would my slight sadness for the guy that lost. That's my opinion.
Yes, I would recommend this book and this series. It's nicely action-packed with a thoughtful romance, plus a few twists. If you enjoy science fiction, urban fantasy, or anything along those categories, and especially if you don't mind a love triangle, chances are you'll enjoy this series.
July 30, 2017
This is a great conclusion to this series. Now don't get me wrong, it isn't flawless. There are several super annoying things, highest among them was the epilogue. The plot was quick. The revelations pretty amazing. The resolution wonderful. The epilogue.... that was the lame part.
Parts that were amazing:
Throughout the course of the novel, Kyra learns some new things about herself, gets some kick butt new powers, and learns something about her DNA. There is some super creepy alien communication. YIKES! Kyra, Simon, and Griffin get to find out who betrayed them and find an old friend. We find some new details out about Kyra's dad. We get to meet another secret branch of the government. Alien technology..... planes that can fly and "jump" locations. Finally, Adam is super cool. He ended up taking the story in a direction I totally didn't see coming. Awesome!
Seriously annoying things:
Love triangle..... yes another one. There was a small one in the first book. And the end of the second created another which turned into a full blown thing in the third novel. Seriously!!! Just because the main character is a strong independent kick butt girl doesn't mean every boy will fall in love with her but apparently all young adult novelists seem to think so!!! Let's try to include some realistic love patterns in our literature. Next, the alien technology. I will give more details later on in the spoiler part but let's just say it didn't feel original enough. Finally the epilogue was totally a cop-out. In fact the more I think about it the madder it makes me. I almost hate the book for how horrible it is.
PG -13 Tons of violence. A girl is tortured. Several people are shot in the head. There is tons more violence than that. There is a ton of bad language in this book which was very different from the forest two. There is kissing.
Parts that were amazing:
Throughout the course of the novel, Kyra learns some new things about herself, gets some kick butt new powers, and learns something about her DNA. There is some super creepy alien communication. YIKES! Kyra, Simon, and Griffin get to find out who betrayed them and find an old friend. We find some new details out about Kyra's dad. We get to meet another secret branch of the government. Alien technology..... planes that can fly and "jump" locations. Finally, Adam is super cool. He ended up taking the story in a direction I totally didn't see coming. Awesome!
Seriously annoying things:
Love triangle..... yes another one. There was a small one in the first book. And the end of the second created another which turned into a full blown thing in the third novel. Seriously!!! Just because the main character is a strong independent kick butt girl doesn't mean every boy will fall in love with her but apparently all young adult novelists seem to think so!!! Let's try to include some realistic love patterns in our literature. Next, the alien technology. I will give more details later on in the spoiler part but let's just say it didn't feel original enough. Finally the epilogue was totally a cop-out. In fact the more I think about it the madder it makes me. I almost hate the book for how horrible it is.
PG -13 Tons of violence. A girl is tortured. Several people are shot in the head. There is tons more violence than that. There is a ton of bad language in this book which was very different from the forest two. There is kissing.
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