3.5 stars. What the heck...I'll give it 4.
It's hard for me to put into words why I like this series. I'm going to say some things now that might seem insulting to the book/author, but I'll explain later.
* This story is boring...not alot of action.
* The characters are pretty flat and uninteresting. They show very little emotion, unless highly scared or mildly confused.
* The author only gives crumbs when it comes to world building. I want big chunks of buttery bread with jam...but I get crumbs.
* There is no romance. NONE.
BUT STILL... I find the story interesting. Sparse Prose, maybe meant to reflect the sparseness of the time they are living in.
* The story: yes, a little boring, nuttin' much happens. And when it does happen, it's still pretty sparse. Maybe the author uses the lack of showy words and world building to allow you the reader to build it for yourself. Coming in a 235 pages, this is ok. If this book was say, 500 pages of this, I would throw it against the wall in frustration.
* The characters: Flat, I tell you. But again, they seem like real people. So many books nowadays just try too darn hard to make the characters interesting. They all have a favorite book, they all play an instrument, they are all amazing at _____ but love to point out that they suck at _____. Again, I think the author leaves it in to your hands to decide about the characters.
Rachel seems like your average teen girl from the future who has been sequestered away from her peer group and has no idea how to interact with people.
Pathik, too. Only growing up with a few his age, I'm glad he's not this sassy, smirking fool that is trying to sweep Rachel off her feet. He's trying, but the past has shown him love only brings pain and loss.
* Crumbs: There is NO world building. I shouldn't say there isn't any at all...but you only know 3 or 4 very vague things about this time. There was a war...the people are segregated by The Line...The Others have mutated enough that some have powers...It's rough out there in Away.
That's it. Oh, and the Government wants to use the Others with Powers for something.
* Romance...Yeah, they occasionally hold hands, and there is a little kiss near the end. Thank God there are no 'knowing glances, and raised eyebrows, and smirky smirks, and lips brushing collar bones, and fingers in hair' stuff. See "Sparse Prose" above. If anything, neither of them would know any of that stuff because both grew up in a place with people who weren't with those they loved. They wouldn't have seen real courtship and affection. So it works.
I might be TOTALLY off base with all of this, but this is how I feel. The author could really pull an awesome rabbit out of her hat and have the next book be a real Door Stopper (like 500+ pages), and just really thoroughly explain everything... and throw in a little more emotion.