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On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.
But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?
But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Young
9 books99 followersKristen Young grew up in Sydney, but now lives in the Central West of NSW with her husband, three children, and slightly neurotic dog. She has been involved in church-based ministry for over 20 years, and loves helping people of any age to see how awesome Jesus is.
Kristen has had a number of books published, beginning with The Survival Guide series of devotions for teens. "What if? Dealing with Doubt" is a book for anyone from high school age onward, and aims to help anyone struggling with doubts about God, Jesus, or faith.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 3, 2023
This book starts off several years after the ending of book 2, which is annoying, but we get little flashbacks here and there to fill in some of the gaps. I was really liking it until the ending. WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! It was so abrupt and so much still needed to happen in my opinion, so it felt incomplete. And I never got the cute romance because of the time skip! How rude. Overall, I still enjoyed the series a lot, but the ending was so disappointing, I don't know if I should even recommend it.
November 25, 2022
About this book:
“On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.
But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?”
Series: Book #2 in the “Collective Underground” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here! And Book #2 Here!
Spiritual Content- There are other names for God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit (Composer, Lyric, & the Muse); Christians are called Sirens because they sing Scriptures; Many Scriptures (called “fragments of the Song”) are quoted, remembered, & sung (with the names replaced for the names used in this world); Cadence is called the Songbook because of her photographic memory that can remember all of the fragments she hears; Prayers & a blessing over food; Many talks about the Composer, Lyric, the Muse, & trusting them; 'H's are not capital when referring to the Composer or Lyric; Seeing Lyric; The Muse (Holy Spirit) talks to Cadence & she feels peace; Meetings with the Sirens, singing Scriptures, & receiving a blessing from a leader; Cadence isn’t sure how to tell someone that Lyric is so amazing; Cadence recalls someone telling her that The Composer is a fairytale & that he was glad it was outlawed by the government (Book #2, *Spoiler* ); Cadence ignores the nudges the Muse is giving her when she’s determined to prove that someone is putting on an act, which later causes her to not be able to hear the Composer and wonder if He thinks she’s no longer worth the effort (she snaps out of this thought when a song comes to mind to remind her that the Composer hasn’t forgotten her); Mentions of when Lyric (Jesus) was strung up on a tree by the government & Sirens singing about His return; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Sirens meeting and singing songs (of Scriptures) & Sirens using a secret hand motion when meeting others; Mentions of a necklace & a mural of Lyric’s tree (a “tree with a small, stylized figure of a person’s shadow on it”); A few mentions of people receiving visions of Lyric; A few mentions of Lyric’s country (Heaven);
*Note: “Love all, be all” is used as a common greeting/slogan; The phrase “how on (the) Composer’s green earth” is said three times; A few mentions of people saying that a man has miraculous powers, zapped someone back to life, & was able to make someone float in the air (all untrue exaggerations); A mention of an LED light giving someone an almost demonic glow.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘sucking up’, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two forms of ‘dumb’, three ‘what the—‘s, five ‘idiot’s, and nineteen forms of ‘stupid’; Made-up curses/phrases (can all be changed to actual cursing): a ‘Haters’, a ‘for Love’s sake’, and a ‘what the Love—‘; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Being chased, being tased and kicked, being knocked-out, knocking someone out, being kidnapped, being tied-up, being shot at, almost drowning, being drugged through an (implied) alcoholic drink, & being hung over (all up to semi-detailed); Pain, Injuries, Receiving stitches, Blood/Bleeding (semi-detailed); Getting a tattoo removed & major pain (semi-detailed); Seeing others attacked, beaten, tased, & arrested (semi-detailed); A group of gangsters (called “The Orphans”) throw a child into a pool of water to make a statement (the child nearly drowns but is revived, up to semi-detailed); Recalling a bomb & being tied-up (Book #2, up to semi-detailed); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Cadence is physically and verbally bullied by an adult leader (including him threatening to choke her, up to semi-detailed); After being betrayed in the 2nd Book, Cadence doesn’t think that person deserves to be happy and gives herself the mission to reveal that person’s true personality to everyone (She calls it “righteous anger” *Spoiler* ; Cadence lies a few times for her, others’ safety, or to tell someone what they want to hear; Many mentions of hate/hatred (which threaten their empire), Haters (which are deemed the enemy (followers of the Haterman *Spoiler* ) to the government system that is all about love), the Purging (which was when the government took over and eliminated anyone who stood in their way), & the government tracking down Haters to kill them (because “Haters do not deserve to live in this beautiful world we have made for ourselves” according to one leader); Many mentions of stabbings, blood/bleeding, pain, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a show where Haters are publicly execution & Haters being beaten and killed (border-line barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of weapons (guns, gunfire, a drone that has razor-sharp metallic pinchers, tasers, electric nets, & gas canisters); Mentions of Embracement (public executions); Mentions of treason, a terrorist, bombs, & an explosion (Book #2, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & rebels; Mentions of arrests, beatings, torture, & deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a fire, bodies, deaths, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a near drowning & screams (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Realignment & those who were realigned (brainwashed); Mentions of gangs & gangsters; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of nightmares (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of tattoos (all apprentices have an ID that is a tattoo on their wrist); A few mentions of stitches & scars; A few mentions of being drugged & an alcoholic drink; A few mentions of grieving (a mentor); A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of two guys looking like they would cut someone’s throat; A couple mentions of children being abducted & brainwashed; A couple mentions of a con-man & scams; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of wanting to do something but knowing it would be suicide; A mention of someone running away from home; A mention of someone being out of their mind and on “some substance”; A mention of gambling; A mention of graffiti; A mention of jealousy;
*Note: A mention of looking like a zombie.
Sexual Content- Noticing, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Hodge reminds Cadence of their “first night” (no details given); Mentions of how “fraternizing” isn’t allowed between Apprentices unless it’s a festival time and then there’s a bunch of a couples fraternizing and getting close (including a mention out of the bushes); Mentions of flirting, blushes, winks, crushes, & being interested in someone; A couple mentions of embraces; A bit of love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Cadence’s pants are removed by a doctor to treat her injuries (she’s too out of it to care); A mention of scantily clad dancers; A mention of a place filled with pheromones.
-Kerr Flick/Cadence
1st person P.O.V. switches of Cadence
Fantasy/Dystopian
276 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
I really wanted to like this third and final book in this series. I really did.
But I’m ending the book somewhat confused and feeling very jipped.
This dystopian series definitely isn’t the normal “let’s over throw the corrupt government” plotline that you see in so many dystopian series. It should be noted that I really like that plotline, personally. However, I wasn’t opposed to this one being different and I liked that it was overall different.
It’s been a couple months since I read the prior book, so it took me a while to catch up and remember past events and who everyone was. Once I remembered what was going on, it was nice to see certain characters again. I was quite lost though. Set three years after the ending of the second book, this book picks up with full speed and give only crumbs of details that happened in those three years. I feel jipped. I got to see none of the romance blooming between her and Hodge, and that’s just a jipped feeling for this YA clean romance fan.
Besides the feeling of trying to catch-up when reading, I was annoyed with Flick/Cadence at times for her reaction to someone reappearing. I totally get why she hated that person, but it felt like a very…juvenile problem for the current situation she was in.
“Flight” is a really good title for this. The ending was—like the rest of the series—different, but I didn’t hate it or feel upset. I just wish there had been more because I did feel a bit unsatisfied after the abrupt ending.
This trilogy could definitely be interesting for older readers who want something different than the typical dystopian plotline, but it’s not a favorite of mine.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.
But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?”
Series: Book #2 in the “Collective Underground” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here! And Book #2 Here!
Spiritual Content- There are other names for God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit (Composer, Lyric, & the Muse); Christians are called Sirens because they sing Scriptures; Many Scriptures (called “fragments of the Song”) are quoted, remembered, & sung (with the names replaced for the names used in this world); Cadence is called the Songbook because of her photographic memory that can remember all of the fragments she hears; Prayers & a blessing over food; Many talks about the Composer, Lyric, the Muse, & trusting them; 'H's are not capital when referring to the Composer or Lyric; Seeing Lyric; The Muse (Holy Spirit) talks to Cadence & she feels peace; Meetings with the Sirens, singing Scriptures, & receiving a blessing from a leader; Cadence isn’t sure how to tell someone that Lyric is so amazing; Cadence recalls someone telling her that The Composer is a fairytale & that he was glad it was outlawed by the government (Book #2, *Spoiler* ); Cadence ignores the nudges the Muse is giving her when she’s determined to prove that someone is putting on an act, which later causes her to not be able to hear the Composer and wonder if He thinks she’s no longer worth the effort (she snaps out of this thought when a song comes to mind to remind her that the Composer hasn’t forgotten her); Mentions of when Lyric (Jesus) was strung up on a tree by the government & Sirens singing about His return; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Sirens meeting and singing songs (of Scriptures) & Sirens using a secret hand motion when meeting others; Mentions of a necklace & a mural of Lyric’s tree (a “tree with a small, stylized figure of a person’s shadow on it”); A few mentions of people receiving visions of Lyric; A few mentions of Lyric’s country (Heaven);
*Note: “Love all, be all” is used as a common greeting/slogan; The phrase “how on (the) Composer’s green earth” is said three times; A few mentions of people saying that a man has miraculous powers, zapped someone back to life, & was able to make someone float in the air (all untrue exaggerations); A mention of an LED light giving someone an almost demonic glow.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘sucking up’, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two forms of ‘dumb’, three ‘what the—‘s, five ‘idiot’s, and nineteen forms of ‘stupid’; Made-up curses/phrases (can all be changed to actual cursing): a ‘Haters’, a ‘for Love’s sake’, and a ‘what the Love—‘; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Being chased, being tased and kicked, being knocked-out, knocking someone out, being kidnapped, being tied-up, being shot at, almost drowning, being drugged through an (implied) alcoholic drink, & being hung over (all up to semi-detailed); Pain, Injuries, Receiving stitches, Blood/Bleeding (semi-detailed); Getting a tattoo removed & major pain (semi-detailed); Seeing others attacked, beaten, tased, & arrested (semi-detailed); A group of gangsters (called “The Orphans”) throw a child into a pool of water to make a statement (the child nearly drowns but is revived, up to semi-detailed); Recalling a bomb & being tied-up (Book #2, up to semi-detailed); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Cadence is physically and verbally bullied by an adult leader (including him threatening to choke her, up to semi-detailed); After being betrayed in the 2nd Book, Cadence doesn’t think that person deserves to be happy and gives herself the mission to reveal that person’s true personality to everyone (She calls it “righteous anger” *Spoiler* ; Cadence lies a few times for her, others’ safety, or to tell someone what they want to hear; Many mentions of hate/hatred (which threaten their empire), Haters (which are deemed the enemy (followers of the Haterman *Spoiler* ) to the government system that is all about love), the Purging (which was when the government took over and eliminated anyone who stood in their way), & the government tracking down Haters to kill them (because “Haters do not deserve to live in this beautiful world we have made for ourselves” according to one leader); Many mentions of stabbings, blood/bleeding, pain, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a show where Haters are publicly execution & Haters being beaten and killed (border-line barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of weapons (guns, gunfire, a drone that has razor-sharp metallic pinchers, tasers, electric nets, & gas canisters); Mentions of Embracement (public executions); Mentions of treason, a terrorist, bombs, & an explosion (Book #2, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & rebels; Mentions of arrests, beatings, torture, & deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a fire, bodies, deaths, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a near drowning & screams (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Realignment & those who were realigned (brainwashed); Mentions of gangs & gangsters; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of nightmares (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of tattoos (all apprentices have an ID that is a tattoo on their wrist); A few mentions of stitches & scars; A few mentions of being drugged & an alcoholic drink; A few mentions of grieving (a mentor); A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of two guys looking like they would cut someone’s throat; A couple mentions of children being abducted & brainwashed; A couple mentions of a con-man & scams; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of wanting to do something but knowing it would be suicide; A mention of someone running away from home; A mention of someone being out of their mind and on “some substance”; A mention of gambling; A mention of graffiti; A mention of jealousy;
*Note: A mention of looking like a zombie.
Sexual Content- Noticing, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Hodge reminds Cadence of their “first night” (no details given); Mentions of how “fraternizing” isn’t allowed between Apprentices unless it’s a festival time and then there’s a bunch of a couples fraternizing and getting close (including a mention out of the bushes); Mentions of flirting, blushes, winks, crushes, & being interested in someone; A couple mentions of embraces; A bit of love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Cadence’s pants are removed by a doctor to treat her injuries (she’s too out of it to care); A mention of scantily clad dancers; A mention of a place filled with pheromones.
-Kerr Flick/Cadence
1st person P.O.V. switches of Cadence
Fantasy/Dystopian
276 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
I really wanted to like this third and final book in this series. I really did.
But I’m ending the book somewhat confused and feeling very jipped.
This dystopian series definitely isn’t the normal “let’s over throw the corrupt government” plotline that you see in so many dystopian series. It should be noted that I really like that plotline, personally. However, I wasn’t opposed to this one being different and I liked that it was overall different.
It’s been a couple months since I read the prior book, so it took me a while to catch up and remember past events and who everyone was. Once I remembered what was going on, it was nice to see certain characters again. I was quite lost though. Set three years after the ending of the second book, this book picks up with full speed and give only crumbs of details that happened in those three years. I feel jipped. I got to see none of the romance blooming between her and Hodge, and that’s just a jipped feeling for this YA clean romance fan.
Besides the feeling of trying to catch-up when reading, I was annoyed with Flick/Cadence at times for her reaction to someone reappearing. I totally get why she hated that person, but it felt like a very…juvenile problem for the current situation she was in.
“Flight” is a really good title for this. The ending was—like the rest of the series—different, but I didn’t hate it or feel upset. I just wish there had been more because I did feel a bit unsatisfied after the abrupt ending.
This trilogy could definitely be interesting for older readers who want something different than the typical dystopian plotline, but it’s not a favorite of mine.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
October 2, 2022
4 Stars ✨
The fight for what is right is also a fight to survive.
I am still in shock with this different dystopian gem. I went from starting this series not knowing anything - scratching my head for most of book one, to getting so attached to the characters and loving this entire journey. I like dystopian books, but after a while I have to take breaks because they are usually always the same on some level. This one was definitely the same, but also completely different than most. It was a nice change and it really caught me off guard, but in a good unique way! I enjoyed this last installment and so impressed how each book was totally different from each other, that I never knew what to expect. There were so many ideas that were presented that really makes the reader evaluate their own lives and to look around at what a picture of the future could look like. Very eye opening situations that I hope readers grasp even in a work of fiction.
The theme of hope really shines throughout this series and that would have to be my favorite part of it all. A highlight for me was seeing a certain character receiving redemption and forgiveness. Even though I was really happy with the ending, my only complaint would be I wish it wouldn’t have ended so abruptly but, that’s probably just me being needy because of my attachment to the characters. Other than that, it was a fun and interesting journey in this collective world.
The fight for what is right is also a fight to survive.
I am still in shock with this different dystopian gem. I went from starting this series not knowing anything - scratching my head for most of book one, to getting so attached to the characters and loving this entire journey. I like dystopian books, but after a while I have to take breaks because they are usually always the same on some level. This one was definitely the same, but also completely different than most. It was a nice change and it really caught me off guard, but in a good unique way! I enjoyed this last installment and so impressed how each book was totally different from each other, that I never knew what to expect. There were so many ideas that were presented that really makes the reader evaluate their own lives and to look around at what a picture of the future could look like. Very eye opening situations that I hope readers grasp even in a work of fiction.
The theme of hope really shines throughout this series and that would have to be my favorite part of it all. A highlight for me was seeing a certain character receiving redemption and forgiveness. Even though I was really happy with the ending, my only complaint would be I wish it wouldn’t have ended so abruptly but, that’s probably just me being needy because of my attachment to the characters. Other than that, it was a fun and interesting journey in this collective world.
September 18, 2022
What a fantastic ending to a wonderful trilogy! I loved the way all the different elements tied together, the character arcs came beautifully closed, and that final scene was EVERYTHING I hoped for 😭😍
Highly recommend this series for lovers of sci-fi/dystopian!
Highly recommend this series for lovers of sci-fi/dystopian!
September 15, 2022
Having read the first two instalments in this thrilling dystopian series I happily accepted an offer to read an early readers copy provided by Enclave Escape. Young provides us with a visual feast of a story world as we step out of the Love Collection bubble into an unfamiliar new world when Cadence, the series leading lady, is forced to flee.
The barrenness of this outside world reminded me of the shanty towns of Third World countries as its inhabitants live an impoverished life as a result of the iron fist dominance of The Love Collective. Young with her strong narrative takes us into this world where we get to use all our senses to experience it first hand as readers. This heightens the tension of the story as we wonder whether Cadence will be able to safely navigate these new people and stay free of the Love Collective daily patrols.
Cadence drives the story forward and having already grabbed our hearts in the first two books, continues to keep us on the edge of our seats as she seeks to survive. Once again, Young brings a strong spiritual element to the story as Cadence openly prays, challenges and questions the Muse.
We meet some new interesting characters which adds to the story who also serve to provide some background as to the history of these people living outside The Collective.
I particularly appreciated how Young’s characters portray their relationship with God. It’s very natural and we need more of this in Christian fiction. The propaganda that the Love Collective use to dominate is really not too far-fetched from what we see in today’s world in both the secular and the church and the struggle to walk the available life that God has for us is well presented by Cadence oand her little team of exiles.
This has been a thoroughly engrossing series and I hope plenty of readers will check it out. I would strongly advise you to start with Book 1, “Apprentice”, to gain a full understanding of the series arc.
The barrenness of this outside world reminded me of the shanty towns of Third World countries as its inhabitants live an impoverished life as a result of the iron fist dominance of The Love Collective. Young with her strong narrative takes us into this world where we get to use all our senses to experience it first hand as readers. This heightens the tension of the story as we wonder whether Cadence will be able to safely navigate these new people and stay free of the Love Collective daily patrols.
Cadence drives the story forward and having already grabbed our hearts in the first two books, continues to keep us on the edge of our seats as she seeks to survive. Once again, Young brings a strong spiritual element to the story as Cadence openly prays, challenges and questions the Muse.
We meet some new interesting characters which adds to the story who also serve to provide some background as to the history of these people living outside The Collective.
I particularly appreciated how Young’s characters portray their relationship with God. It’s very natural and we need more of this in Christian fiction. The propaganda that the Love Collective use to dominate is really not too far-fetched from what we see in today’s world in both the secular and the church and the struggle to walk the available life that God has for us is well presented by Cadence oand her little team of exiles.
This has been a thoroughly engrossing series and I hope plenty of readers will check it out. I would strongly advise you to start with Book 1, “Apprentice”, to gain a full understanding of the series arc.
August 24, 2022
It can be hard to talk about a final book in a trilogy without spoilers. I'll try to stay as vague as possible, while still talking about what I loved!
*fangirl flailing intensifies*
If you've read my reviews of the first two books in this series, you know that they absolutely hooked me from the start, dragged me in, and refused to release me.😉 Imagine my excitement when I received an ARC copy of the the final book in the trilogy! Well, to be honest, I was both excited and scared, because I was nervous for what would happen to all these characters that I love! In some ways, I was also worried that this final story would end up being too predictable. I mean, how many of us have read or know of dystopian books where the oppressive government is overthrown in a grand rebellion at the end? I wondered if that might be the case here, but then Young was able to surprise me with the previous two books, so I was eager to see how she subverted my expectations and predictions with this one.
I wasn't disappointed at all. AND, I was wrong about anything being predictable. This whole series has been consistently and delightfully different than other dystopian stories that I've read (I'm very picky about this genre, so me using the word "delightful" for it is significant!) Rather than Hunger-Games-style government-overthrowing, the Love Collective and other elements in this story started to remind me more of ancient Rome, specifically during the earliest days of the Christian church. Overthrowing Rome wasn't really an option for the church. There were Christians who stayed in Rome and endured persecution and death in order to spread the gospel there, and those who escaped in order to find a place to worship freely and spread the gospel to the whole world. We see something reminiscent of that going on here, and I really enjoyed that. It has never ceased to amaze me how Young was able to weave such elements like that into this futuristic dystopian setting! And she does it while still crafting a fresh, new story and world. I even spotted a little nod to the apostle Paul.
On the topic of the parts of the story that were completely unique, I just never stopped being surprised! Was this person telling the truth? Was that person who I suspected they were, or someone totally different? WERE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE GOING TO SURVIVE?!?! I won't spoil any of it, but I loved each twist and turn, even as I was alternating biting my nails, being scared, being surprised, being happy, etc, etc. XD
Speaking of being happy: THE ENDING! Again, I will give no spoilers, but I was so, so, so, nervous what would happen, but suffice it to say that when the ending finally came, tears started streaming down my face. Tears of relief, of joy, of hope, a happy surprise. Because through the whole journey, one of the biggest themes of this trilogy has been that we have hope in Christ no matter how tough our situation may be. I've needed that reminder in recent month, and this series has uplifted me so much. I could not possibly recommend it more. Even to my friends who don't normally read dystopian, you may just enjoy this one!
I am so glad I gave this trilogy a chance, and I'm excited to follow Kristen Young's career and discover what she does next!
Content Advisory:
Violence:
One of the people in charge of training the Elites can be outright physically and verbally abusive. The main examples we get here are him yelling at and forcing someone to do push ups until they nearly collapse. We're also aware that he's done other such things in the past.
There is constant threat of the Sirens being captured by the Love Squads, interrogated (aka, tortured) and sent to the "Hater's Pavilion Show". We don't have detailed examples of what goes on in the show in this book, but we know from the previous two books that the Pavilion Show is the colosseum-style public humiliation and execution of anyone who disagrees with or rebels against the Collective.
Someone does get captured by the Love Squad. They are beaten and electrocuted before being dragged away. Moderate description.
Someone's leg is attacked by a drone. Extreme pain is described, and later some blood, and moderate description of the wound itself.
Certain individuals behave threateningly toward others and then attempt to drown a child in an act of vengeance. The actual act occurs off the page, but the body is retrieved and somewhat described.
Someone get stabbed. The wounds are not described in extreme detail, but are potentially deadly and there are multiple mentions of blood, as well as the character experiencing the effects of extreme blood loss.
Someone gets electrocuted and kicked repeatedly. Description of pain and suffering from their perspective.
Sexual:
Is in the previous books, Flick has multiple flashbacks during the story. A couple flashbacks take us back to a time when the Love Collective's "Love Festival" was happening. The flashbacks aren't *about* the festival, but simply occur when the festival was happening. This is the one time of year when the Collective allows Apprentices to "fraternize," so there are brief mentions of Flick seeing couples walking around together, looking lovey-dovey, etc. No detailed observations, though.
Two people have a sweet and very innocent romantic attraction to each other that has been developing slowly for years. The focus is on the emotional, not the physical. They hold hands, but I honestly don't remember them kissing. They also talk of the life they hope to have together.
Some young girls have a massive crush on the same guy. We see a little flirtatiousness, but nothing inappropriate.
Spiritual:
As stated in my previous reviews, there are some allegorical elements in this trilogy. Lyric is the name of the Christ figure in this world, and we learn over time that the Collective labeled him the original "Hater Man" executed him (he rose again and some people have visions of him alive and well), and now persecute his followers who are called "Sirens" because their version of the scriptures are set to music and they sing them when they meet together in secret.
Cadence prays to Lyric multiple times in the story. When she receives a direct response, it's usually in the form of nudges in her spirit and reminders of the Verses she's memorized.
As stated in my review, there's talk of someone having a conversion experience similar to that of the Apostle Paul's, in which they had a vision of Lyric telling them to change their ways.
Other:
As always, we see the way the Love Collective lies to and mistreats its citizens.
Someone makes a poor choice and takes petty revenge on another person. (They experience immediate consequences.)
Someone is given a beverage that is either more strongly alcoholic than they thought, or possibly laced with drugs, as it makes them feel drunk and overly talkative very quickly. (Again, they experience immediate consequences.)
*fangirl flailing intensifies*
If you've read my reviews of the first two books in this series, you know that they absolutely hooked me from the start, dragged me in, and refused to release me.😉 Imagine my excitement when I received an ARC copy of the the final book in the trilogy! Well, to be honest, I was both excited and scared, because I was nervous for what would happen to all these characters that I love! In some ways, I was also worried that this final story would end up being too predictable. I mean, how many of us have read or know of dystopian books where the oppressive government is overthrown in a grand rebellion at the end? I wondered if that might be the case here, but then Young was able to surprise me with the previous two books, so I was eager to see how she subverted my expectations and predictions with this one.
I wasn't disappointed at all. AND, I was wrong about anything being predictable. This whole series has been consistently and delightfully different than other dystopian stories that I've read (I'm very picky about this genre, so me using the word "delightful" for it is significant!) Rather than Hunger-Games-style government-overthrowing, the Love Collective and other elements in this story started to remind me more of ancient Rome, specifically during the earliest days of the Christian church. Overthrowing Rome wasn't really an option for the church. There were Christians who stayed in Rome and endured persecution and death in order to spread the gospel there, and those who escaped in order to find a place to worship freely and spread the gospel to the whole world. We see something reminiscent of that going on here, and I really enjoyed that. It has never ceased to amaze me how Young was able to weave such elements like that into this futuristic dystopian setting! And she does it while still crafting a fresh, new story and world. I even spotted a little nod to the apostle Paul.
On the topic of the parts of the story that were completely unique, I just never stopped being surprised! Was this person telling the truth? Was that person who I suspected they were, or someone totally different? WERE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE GOING TO SURVIVE?!?! I won't spoil any of it, but I loved each twist and turn, even as I was alternating biting my nails, being scared, being surprised, being happy, etc, etc. XD
Speaking of being happy: THE ENDING! Again, I will give no spoilers, but I was so, so, so, nervous what would happen, but suffice it to say that when the ending finally came, tears started streaming down my face. Tears of relief, of joy, of hope, a happy surprise. Because through the whole journey, one of the biggest themes of this trilogy has been that we have hope in Christ no matter how tough our situation may be. I've needed that reminder in recent month, and this series has uplifted me so much. I could not possibly recommend it more. Even to my friends who don't normally read dystopian, you may just enjoy this one!
I am so glad I gave this trilogy a chance, and I'm excited to follow Kristen Young's career and discover what she does next!
Content Advisory:
Violence:
One of the people in charge of training the Elites can be outright physically and verbally abusive. The main examples we get here are him yelling at and forcing someone to do push ups until they nearly collapse. We're also aware that he's done other such things in the past.
There is constant threat of the Sirens being captured by the Love Squads, interrogated (aka, tortured) and sent to the "Hater's Pavilion Show". We don't have detailed examples of what goes on in the show in this book, but we know from the previous two books that the Pavilion Show is the colosseum-style public humiliation and execution of anyone who disagrees with or rebels against the Collective.
Someone does get captured by the Love Squad. They are beaten and electrocuted before being dragged away. Moderate description.
Someone's leg is attacked by a drone. Extreme pain is described, and later some blood, and moderate description of the wound itself.
Certain individuals behave threateningly toward others and then attempt to drown a child in an act of vengeance. The actual act occurs off the page, but the body is retrieved and somewhat described.
Someone get stabbed. The wounds are not described in extreme detail, but are potentially deadly and there are multiple mentions of blood, as well as the character experiencing the effects of extreme blood loss.
Someone gets electrocuted and kicked repeatedly. Description of pain and suffering from their perspective.
Sexual:
Is in the previous books, Flick has multiple flashbacks during the story. A couple flashbacks take us back to a time when the Love Collective's "Love Festival" was happening. The flashbacks aren't *about* the festival, but simply occur when the festival was happening. This is the one time of year when the Collective allows Apprentices to "fraternize," so there are brief mentions of Flick seeing couples walking around together, looking lovey-dovey, etc. No detailed observations, though.
Two people have a sweet and very innocent romantic attraction to each other that has been developing slowly for years. The focus is on the emotional, not the physical. They hold hands, but I honestly don't remember them kissing. They also talk of the life they hope to have together.
Some young girls have a massive crush on the same guy. We see a little flirtatiousness, but nothing inappropriate.
Spiritual:
As stated in my previous reviews, there are some allegorical elements in this trilogy. Lyric is the name of the Christ figure in this world, and we learn over time that the Collective labeled him the original "Hater Man" executed him (he rose again and some people have visions of him alive and well), and now persecute his followers who are called "Sirens" because their version of the scriptures are set to music and they sing them when they meet together in secret.
Cadence prays to Lyric multiple times in the story. When she receives a direct response, it's usually in the form of nudges in her spirit and reminders of the Verses she's memorized.
As stated in my review, there's talk of someone having a conversion experience similar to that of the Apostle Paul's, in which they had a vision of Lyric telling them to change their ways.
Other:
As always, we see the way the Love Collective lies to and mistreats its citizens.
Someone makes a poor choice and takes petty revenge on another person. (They experience immediate consequences.)
Someone is given a beverage that is either more strongly alcoholic than they thought, or possibly laced with drugs, as it makes them feel drunk and overly talkative very quickly. (Again, they experience immediate consequences.)
unfinished
April 3, 2023DNF at 25%, skimmed to find out ending
Just really not what I was expecting or found satisfying to end (?) the series.
Just really not what I was expecting or found satisfying to end (?) the series.
July 10, 2023
An epic ending to what’s been an epic series! Absolutely loved this book (and the whole series – which I definitely recommend you read all of, in order). Flick has come so far already but still has a long way to go in the fight for truth. From first chapter to last (once I got my head around the jump forward in time from the second book), I was utterly captivated by her character and journey. She has courage, and I found myself several times writing down quotes from things she discovers. Her journey isn’t easy but it sure is beautiful. Loved that the series is dystopian but with a Christian worldview. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian, sci fi or YA fiction. My only complaint was that it ended before I was ready. Sad me. Needless to say, this one will stay with me for a long time.
September 14, 2022
Flight is book 3 in The Collective Underground series. You’ll want to start with Apprentice (book 1) and Elite (book 2) because the story in book 3 is dependent on what has already happened in the first two books.
Cadence’s story continues in this fast-paced book. A short time has passed since Elite. There’s a lot that happens in Flight, we meet a lot of new and interesting characters, and there are a few plot twists I totally did not expect.
I really enjoyed reading this fabulous series and I highly recommend it! If you like YA dystopian/scifi, be sure to check it out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)
I received an ebook ARC of Flight from the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest thoughts about this book.
Cadence’s story continues in this fast-paced book. A short time has passed since Elite. There’s a lot that happens in Flight, we meet a lot of new and interesting characters, and there are a few plot twists I totally did not expect.
I really enjoyed reading this fabulous series and I highly recommend it! If you like YA dystopian/scifi, be sure to check it out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)
I received an ebook ARC of Flight from the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest thoughts about this book.
October 13, 2022
Wow. How am I just now jumping on the Kristen Young train when it’s the final book in a series!? I’ve had my eye on her books for awhile. The covers just speak to me! But I just wasn’t able to get to reading them, until now. And while I started with book three, which seems silly, I actually okay with it. I was able to keep pace and really enjoyed it.
First of all, Young is such a talented writer. She had my attention right from the get go, and honestly it didn’t let up. I read it all in one day. In fact, I’m pretty sure if I went back to the beginning, I could binge the series in a day. Maybe two at most. Everything is balances perfectly. Dialogue, action, emotions, fun, faith, and so much more.
Second of all, she brings you into the storyline, which is totally out of our realm (that’s the awesome part about reading YA Dystopian and Sci-Fi), but makes it seem totally normal. I could see everything play out in my head like any book. And for the record, this would make an awesome series or movie! Wink wink producers! But really, Young has created a setting that I want to jump into. Even during the scary times.
Cadence is a character I’d love to hang out with. I feel like we would both get into some trouble together. I really enjoyed watching her character grow, and try to solve the “puzzle” she was given. I just need to go back and read books one and two so I can spend more time with her!
Flight is a book that teens will love, adults will love, and everyone in between. I highly recommend this book, although don’t be like me and start on book three. Just save yourself the time and start with book one 🙂
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First of all, Young is such a talented writer. She had my attention right from the get go, and honestly it didn’t let up. I read it all in one day. In fact, I’m pretty sure if I went back to the beginning, I could binge the series in a day. Maybe two at most. Everything is balances perfectly. Dialogue, action, emotions, fun, faith, and so much more.
Second of all, she brings you into the storyline, which is totally out of our realm (that’s the awesome part about reading YA Dystopian and Sci-Fi), but makes it seem totally normal. I could see everything play out in my head like any book. And for the record, this would make an awesome series or movie! Wink wink producers! But really, Young has created a setting that I want to jump into. Even during the scary times.
Cadence is a character I’d love to hang out with. I feel like we would both get into some trouble together. I really enjoyed watching her character grow, and try to solve the “puzzle” she was given. I just need to go back and read books one and two so I can spend more time with her!
Flight is a book that teens will love, adults will love, and everyone in between. I highly recommend this book, although don’t be like me and start on book three. Just save yourself the time and start with book one 🙂
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 30, 2022
I remember how much I loved the previous books in this series and am excited to see what happens with Cadence. I do think it would be beneficial to read the previous books in this series in order to be able to understand what is happening. This book is the last in the series and will give readers an exciting adventure as we anticipate the ending.
The big day is fast approaching for Cadence’s graduation. It seems like everything is falling into place for her to finally become an Elite working in the Hall of Love. I was excited for her but the author throws a curve ball and a trap is set that could endanger Cadence. Who sends her a code that sets up a cat and mouse scenario? I had my suspicion but with the author’s brilliant writing the story takes on secrets, danger and a question of who Cadence can trust.
I loved following Cadence as she tries to stay hidden from the enemy who is hunting her down. She encounters several people who I found to be intriguing. I especially liked Lark. She is there at the right time to help Cadence and brings her a safe place for now. With her injured leg she can’t do much. Lark makes her feel welcome in this secret underground environment. Will Lark be someone who Cadence can depend on?
I like that the author has Wil and Cadence cross paths again. The people she is staying with seem to trust him, but she knows how deceitful he can be. It is hard for her to forget the things he did yet these people trust him. Cadence is having a hard time understanding how Wil can be forgiven after she tells everyone about him. When Cadence can’t hold her anger anymore she turns on Wil. She didn’t quite get the reaction she wanted and runs away from the scene. This reminded me of a recent encounter I had with someone. After being verbally attacked by someone, I decided to walk away yet was expecting someone to comfort me. When it didn’t happen I felt shame and hurt. Cadence must have felt the same as she thought perhaps others would see that Wil is not who he says he is.
There is a lot going on in the story but one thing is clear. Faith and forgiveness are evident in this story as Cadence faces betrayal, danger and surprises that keep the story going. I loved how the author shows us how a person can be forgiven and changes into a person who wants to do right. The author also touches on worry. “We can’t extend our lives by worrying.”
The ending is explosive, intense and dangerous as Cadence encounters old friends that come to help her. I am sad to see the series end but really loved the characters and being reminded about forgiveness and trust.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
The big day is fast approaching for Cadence’s graduation. It seems like everything is falling into place for her to finally become an Elite working in the Hall of Love. I was excited for her but the author throws a curve ball and a trap is set that could endanger Cadence. Who sends her a code that sets up a cat and mouse scenario? I had my suspicion but with the author’s brilliant writing the story takes on secrets, danger and a question of who Cadence can trust.
I loved following Cadence as she tries to stay hidden from the enemy who is hunting her down. She encounters several people who I found to be intriguing. I especially liked Lark. She is there at the right time to help Cadence and brings her a safe place for now. With her injured leg she can’t do much. Lark makes her feel welcome in this secret underground environment. Will Lark be someone who Cadence can depend on?
I like that the author has Wil and Cadence cross paths again. The people she is staying with seem to trust him, but she knows how deceitful he can be. It is hard for her to forget the things he did yet these people trust him. Cadence is having a hard time understanding how Wil can be forgiven after she tells everyone about him. When Cadence can’t hold her anger anymore she turns on Wil. She didn’t quite get the reaction she wanted and runs away from the scene. This reminded me of a recent encounter I had with someone. After being verbally attacked by someone, I decided to walk away yet was expecting someone to comfort me. When it didn’t happen I felt shame and hurt. Cadence must have felt the same as she thought perhaps others would see that Wil is not who he says he is.
There is a lot going on in the story but one thing is clear. Faith and forgiveness are evident in this story as Cadence faces betrayal, danger and surprises that keep the story going. I loved how the author shows us how a person can be forgiven and changes into a person who wants to do right. The author also touches on worry. “We can’t extend our lives by worrying.”
The ending is explosive, intense and dangerous as Cadence encounters old friends that come to help her. I am sad to see the series end but really loved the characters and being reminded about forgiveness and trust.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
November 2, 2025
Cadence is this close to graduation, and about to become an Elite, when she gets an odd assignment from Crucible. Her friends warn her it is an obvious trap and she’ll never be allowed to graduate knowing what she knows. She’s so close to graduating, she refuses to go on the run. But when some of her friends and fellow Sirens are arrested, Cadence finally sees the writing on the wall. She goes into hiding. Can she avoid being arrested by the Love Collective? Where can she find safety? And will she and Hodge ever have the future they dreamed of? What is the Composer doing?
This was a satisfying conclusion to the Collective Underground series. I think this was my favorite in the series. It had a good balance of growth for Cadence along with action. It let us see outside the Love Collective for the first time, and wrapped up several friendship/frenemy/love story arcs of the series. Young weaves in the Christian allegorical elements well and very naturally, and wraps things up very well. Hand this to dystopian fans.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss.
Violence: Someone is stabbed by a drone and gets a nasty leg wound, another person is stabbed by a person and gets a nasty side wound. Someone is drowned, some are hauled off and you don’t know if they’re headed to torture or death, there are flashbacks about a genocide of anyone who didn’t fall in line with the Love Collective, and someone sets a fire that injures/kills several.
Ethnic diversity: I don’t remember clear ethnic descriptions of any characters beyond hair color.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: The Love Collective controls information, brainwashes children and forces parents to let them raise them, and claims to be loving and against haters but kills/imprisons anyone who doesn’t fall in line.
This was a satisfying conclusion to the Collective Underground series. I think this was my favorite in the series. It had a good balance of growth for Cadence along with action. It let us see outside the Love Collective for the first time, and wrapped up several friendship/frenemy/love story arcs of the series. Young weaves in the Christian allegorical elements well and very naturally, and wraps things up very well. Hand this to dystopian fans.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: Nothing beyond a kiss.
Violence: Someone is stabbed by a drone and gets a nasty leg wound, another person is stabbed by a person and gets a nasty side wound. Someone is drowned, some are hauled off and you don’t know if they’re headed to torture or death, there are flashbacks about a genocide of anyone who didn’t fall in line with the Love Collective, and someone sets a fire that injures/kills several.
Ethnic diversity: I don’t remember clear ethnic descriptions of any characters beyond hair color.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: The Love Collective controls information, brainwashes children and forces parents to let them raise them, and claims to be loving and against haters but kills/imprisons anyone who doesn’t fall in line.
October 6, 2022
Dystopian society comes to life in this novel. Flight is book three in the Collective Underground series. I’m not a huge fan of dystopian novels. They’re not my favorite cup of tea. But I have to say that the plot of this one kept me reading. I had to know what was going to happen.
I have read the other books in this series and do feel that they should be read as a series and in order. It is my opinion that you will feel lost if you try to just pop into the series by reading this book first.
This isn’t just a cute dystopian novel either. In this book you’ve got hope, love, and fleeing for your life. It’s not just a fight to try to be somewhere or do something, it’s a fight to survive!
Cadence is a very complex character and I really enjoyed her. I did feel like I was lost a few times and have to go back and re-read some sections but I think a lot of that is just because my brain isn’t quite formulated for dystopian. I’m more of a historical kind of gal.
If you love dystopian you’re going to love this book and series. If you hate dystopian, I think you should still give this series a read or at least a try. I’m normally a dystopian hater but I did enjoy this series and will be keeping it on my shelf. My teenagers have loved it!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
I have read the other books in this series and do feel that they should be read as a series and in order. It is my opinion that you will feel lost if you try to just pop into the series by reading this book first.
This isn’t just a cute dystopian novel either. In this book you’ve got hope, love, and fleeing for your life. It’s not just a fight to try to be somewhere or do something, it’s a fight to survive!
Cadence is a very complex character and I really enjoyed her. I did feel like I was lost a few times and have to go back and re-read some sections but I think a lot of that is just because my brain isn’t quite formulated for dystopian. I’m more of a historical kind of gal.
If you love dystopian you’re going to love this book and series. If you hate dystopian, I think you should still give this series a read or at least a try. I’m normally a dystopian hater but I did enjoy this series and will be keeping it on my shelf. My teenagers have loved it!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
October 12, 2022
What I think you should know:
Flight by Kristen Young is the third book in the Collective Underground series. It is Dystopian / Science Fiction appropriate for Middle grade readers and above. I would not read this book without reading the previous books in the series first. This book relies heavily on knowledge of the previous books to understand the story. Start with Apprentice
What you might need to know:
This book does contain violence.
What I think about this book as a reader:
Will you do whatever it takes to survive? That is a question that Cadence faces in this book. This book does not begin directly after the previous book, instead it
offers flashbacks to catch the reader up on what has transpired since the last book. I have been fascinated with this series since I started and became emotionally invested in Cadence and Hodge. This book had a much heavier theme to me than the previous books. It showed much more to the reality of the “Love Collective” and what they would do to stop “Haters” . I loved the way that the author allowed the story to unfold and was thrilled with the end of the story.
What I think about this book as the Mom of a YA Reader:
This is a great book for middle grade readers and above. I would use caution with younger or more immature readers, in this book in The Bible is reworded to fit the context of the Allegory.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
Flight by Kristen Young is the third book in the Collective Underground series. It is Dystopian / Science Fiction appropriate for Middle grade readers and above. I would not read this book without reading the previous books in the series first. This book relies heavily on knowledge of the previous books to understand the story. Start with Apprentice
What you might need to know:
This book does contain violence.
What I think about this book as a reader:
Will you do whatever it takes to survive? That is a question that Cadence faces in this book. This book does not begin directly after the previous book, instead it
offers flashbacks to catch the reader up on what has transpired since the last book. I have been fascinated with this series since I started and became emotionally invested in Cadence and Hodge. This book had a much heavier theme to me than the previous books. It showed much more to the reality of the “Love Collective” and what they would do to stop “Haters” . I loved the way that the author allowed the story to unfold and was thrilled with the end of the story.
What I think about this book as the Mom of a YA Reader:
This is a great book for middle grade readers and above. I would use caution with younger or more immature readers, in this book in The Bible is reworded to fit the context of the Allegory.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
October 3, 2022
I have enjoyed getting to know Cadence, Hodge and the other characters in Kristen Young’s series Collective Underground. Kristen Young has taken Biblical truths as well as Scripture passages and re-framed them as words from the Composer (Father God). Jesus appears in the series as Lyric and the Holy Spirit at Muse. Sirens in the book are the Christian community.
In Flight Cadence has to flee for her life and ends up in an underground community of Sirens. The Ghetto is a large community of “illegals” who have fled from the Love Collective. Cadence finds herself in the midst of the largest group of Sirens she has ever experienced. She also finds herself not knowing who she can trust. The biggest obstacle for her ends up being forgiving someone who has wronged her.
Readers will learn what it might be like to live in a world where belief in God is forbidden and singing unauthorized songs is illegal.
I recommend reading the books in order to best understand the story.
Even though the book is full of Biblical truths it may be able to find a way into public school libraries since God and the Bible are not directly mentioned. I recommend Flight and the other books in the Collective Underground series for a K-12 Christian School library. I think it is probably appropriate for mature older elementary students and up.
I received a complimentary copy of Flight. This is my honest review.
In Flight Cadence has to flee for her life and ends up in an underground community of Sirens. The Ghetto is a large community of “illegals” who have fled from the Love Collective. Cadence finds herself in the midst of the largest group of Sirens she has ever experienced. She also finds herself not knowing who she can trust. The biggest obstacle for her ends up being forgiving someone who has wronged her.
Readers will learn what it might be like to live in a world where belief in God is forbidden and singing unauthorized songs is illegal.
I recommend reading the books in order to best understand the story.
Even though the book is full of Biblical truths it may be able to find a way into public school libraries since God and the Bible are not directly mentioned. I recommend Flight and the other books in the Collective Underground series for a K-12 Christian School library. I think it is probably appropriate for mature older elementary students and up.
I received a complimentary copy of Flight. This is my honest review.
May 23, 2025
A thrilling conclusion to the Collective Underground trilogy, Flight delivers a powerful punch on the importance of forgiveness. As Cadence struggles to trust God through many twists and turns, Young reminds readers that He will make a way, if only we will listen.
I must admit… I was SO disappointed that we missed so much of Cadence and Hodge’s relationship developing! So much happened between book 2 and 3, and all we get is little flashbacks. Come on… where’s the romance in that? I feel that I missed out quite greatly. Plus, I love Hodge, and he did not get enough page time.
However, overall, I felt this book satisfyingly concluded the series. I feel I could have been given an epilogue, but oh well. The faith content in this series was especially surprising, since many Enclave books and series don’t really have such an obvious faith message. Young did an excellent job weaving it into her storyworld and convincingly portraying Cadence’s faith journey.
I highly recommend this series to any Christian readers seeking a clean dystopian adventure!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
I must admit… I was SO disappointed that we missed so much of Cadence and Hodge’s relationship developing! So much happened between book 2 and 3, and all we get is little flashbacks. Come on… where’s the romance in that? I feel that I missed out quite greatly. Plus, I love Hodge, and he did not get enough page time.
However, overall, I felt this book satisfyingly concluded the series. I feel I could have been given an epilogue, but oh well. The faith content in this series was especially surprising, since many Enclave books and series don’t really have such an obvious faith message. Young did an excellent job weaving it into her storyworld and convincingly portraying Cadence’s faith journey.
I highly recommend this series to any Christian readers seeking a clean dystopian adventure!
I read this book of my own free will, courtesy of my local library, and all the above thoughts are entirely my own. 😊
September 13, 2022
Ahhh! Amazing finish to this YA Dystopian Sci-Fi. Action-packed and full of twists and turns.
⚠️ Possible spoilers below if you haven’t read the first two books.
I’ve been enamored with the whole Love Collective concept from the beginning. The notion is quite believable, especially with how “love” is interpreted and projected in our current culture. The Love Collective society looks sweet and sounds nice on the surface, albeit a very thin surface, but is truly rotten to the core and hiding a big, fat lie!
There is an element of allegory throughout— more obvious in books 2 and 3. While the main character is still very much a part of the Love Collective, working toward her goal of becoming a prestigious Elite, she is also a committed member of a secret community of Sirens (believers) who are risking their lives to find Song fragments (God’s Word).
Definitely recommend if you like dystopian fiction.
⚠️ Possible spoilers below if you haven’t read the first two books.
I’ve been enamored with the whole Love Collective concept from the beginning. The notion is quite believable, especially with how “love” is interpreted and projected in our current culture. The Love Collective society looks sweet and sounds nice on the surface, albeit a very thin surface, but is truly rotten to the core and hiding a big, fat lie!
There is an element of allegory throughout— more obvious in books 2 and 3. While the main character is still very much a part of the Love Collective, working toward her goal of becoming a prestigious Elite, she is also a committed member of a secret community of Sirens (believers) who are risking their lives to find Song fragments (God’s Word).
Definitely recommend if you like dystopian fiction.
September 22, 2025
Was very excited to finally get my hands on a copy of this, the third and final book in the Collective Underground series. It had been a long time between reading the previous book so I wondered how I'd go adjusting to the characters and world again. It's a credit to the author's world building and storytelling that I didn't have any issues!
One of the things I love most about this series is the way it offers an allegory of the Christian life, both in personal growth/faith and as a community of believers. Young addresses issues of societal pressure to conform and responses to persecution in a way that encourages readers to think about their own situations. This is a YA novel, true, but I came away from it encouraged in my real life faith in God, the work of his Son and the guidance of his Spirit. Plus, it's just a good story - fast paced with lots of tension and interesting characters.
Well recommended!
One of the things I love most about this series is the way it offers an allegory of the Christian life, both in personal growth/faith and as a community of believers. Young addresses issues of societal pressure to conform and responses to persecution in a way that encourages readers to think about their own situations. This is a YA novel, true, but I came away from it encouraged in my real life faith in God, the work of his Son and the guidance of his Spirit. Plus, it's just a good story - fast paced with lots of tension and interesting characters.
Well recommended!
September 3, 2022
I enjoyed reading the second installment from Kristen Young’s Collective Underground series, Elite and was looking forward to reading the follow up, Flight. I thought it was a good read. I liked taking an adventure for a little while to a new world. The characters go on quite the journey that I had no way of predicting and kept me intrigued all the way to the finish. It was a fun read and said to say goodbye to the series.
I am giving Flight four and a half stars. I believe fans of fantasy and science fiction will want to read this one. I would be curious to see what other stories Kristen Young has in store for her readers in her future releases.
I received a digital copy of Flight from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I am giving Flight four and a half stars. I believe fans of fantasy and science fiction will want to read this one. I would be curious to see what other stories Kristen Young has in store for her readers in her future releases.
I received a digital copy of Flight from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
October 12, 2022
Continuing the story of Cadence, the Elites, the Sirens, and the Sirens, the Young Adult dystopian novel Flight drew me in as did the previous books. Someone powerful wants her dead. This third book In The Collective Underground series definitely should be read after the other two books in order to understand the story and the characters.
Having read the earlier books, I appreciated the development of Cadence. I feel this story provided the perfect conclusion to the series. I feel Kristen Young did an excellent job with character-building and world-building throughout this series.
So if you are looking for a Young Adult novel and series, check out this book and this series for yourself. I definitely recommend them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
Having read the earlier books, I appreciated the development of Cadence. I feel this story provided the perfect conclusion to the series. I feel Kristen Young did an excellent job with character-building and world-building throughout this series.
So if you are looking for a Young Adult novel and series, check out this book and this series for yourself. I definitely recommend them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
October 18, 2022
This is the third book in a trilogy and I totally think you should read the other books first just so you don't feel like you are missing something. I like scifi as long as it is good and somewhat (at least) original. This book kept me interested and the characters were the pulling point for me.
I love Cadence and went through the emotional roller coasters with her. There were a couple of twists here that I wasn't expecting. I think the author is super talented with this kind of writing as the story pulls you in and you just have to know what happens next to Cadence and who can she trust!?! Very well written story.
4/5
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book via Celebrate Lit. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
I love Cadence and went through the emotional roller coasters with her. There were a couple of twists here that I wasn't expecting. I think the author is super talented with this kind of writing as the story pulls you in and you just have to know what happens next to Cadence and who can she trust!?! Very well written story.
4/5
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book via Celebrate Lit. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
March 20, 2023
Binge worthy! This is the third book in a three part series, that had me listening to the other books as well in a span of 6 days.
***I listened to the audiobooks, and did not read the print versions***
***I listened to the audiobooks, and did not read the print versions***
April 29, 2023
What a great conclusion to this thought-provoking dystopian series. I probably should've reread the previous books because it took me longer than I would've liked to get settled back into this world and remember how things left off. But once I did, oh man, I couldn't read fast enough! There were so many things that surprised me. It took some turns that I never saw coming. A lot happened, and while I usually struggle with a book that's so jam-packed, I didn't here. It never felt like too much. In fact, it felt just right.
I don't want to say too much, but wow! What a powerful read. I absolutely loved the faith element. It was so strong and impactful. And that ending? Perfection! I might've even shed a tear or two. If you're a fan of the dystopian genre, don't hesitate. Run and grab yourself a copy of this series. You'll love it!
I don't want to say too much, but wow! What a powerful read. I absolutely loved the faith element. It was so strong and impactful. And that ending? Perfection! I might've even shed a tear or two. If you're a fan of the dystopian genre, don't hesitate. Run and grab yourself a copy of this series. You'll love it!
October 11, 2022
Book three in a series, this one is quite an adventure. It's an amazing continuation to Apprentice and Elite, the first two books in this series. I feel like this story took off and sucked me in, and the ending was perfect! It just ended so VERY well! If you are looking for a really GOOD Sci-Fi with dystopian, this series is a must read. It's strong, it will make you cry, you will jump with joy, and at the end of it all, you will be smiling, and cheering and find it worth the read!
Special thanks to Celebrate Lit for my digital copy of this book. A positive review is not required and this review is what I thought of this book.
Special thanks to Celebrate Lit for my digital copy of this book. A positive review is not required and this review is what I thought of this book.
October 13, 2022
recommend reading the previous two books in this series before reading this one. “Flight” by Kristen Young keep me reading because I had to know if Cadence gets away safety. This book had a twist that I really didn’t see coming. This is a story of faith and forgiveness. This book doesn’t mention God as such but Christians will be able to see where He is in this story. I really think of the three books this one is my favorite. I really want another book but this is the last book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
May 31, 2023
The concept of all three of Kristen’s books is great. I love the world and the analogy of God being the composer. I was really excited to see where book three went but ended up being a little disappointed. Flick has no real goal throughout the story. She just keeps reacting to things. And if the Sirens are supposed to be Christians they are very complacent. There’s no desire to evangelize and witness to the world, they just hide underground. A very promising story that was somewhat disappointing.
November 25, 2025
I have to admit that I was expecting a slightly different ending to this series. I think I'm used to those dystopian books about girls breaking down the entire government (slight spoiler: this is not such a book). However, I ended up really liking this book. Mostly because I like how this girl understood that sometimes survival is more important than changing an entire system. Just like she learns about forgiveness, about love, about people capable of changing, about Lyric and his true message, about trusting a higher power to get you where you need to be.
September 19, 2022
Great ending to a fantastic series! I loved the memory portions that helped glimpse into the backstory more, giving us little easter eggs along the way. I would love a series of these characters a few years in the future to see how things pan out, perhaps a way to overthrow the Collective... I love this universe and would love to read more!
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. I am not required to leave a review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
January 27, 2024
This book was a wonderful ending to the trilogy. To be honest, book 2 was not my favorite, but I found this book difficult to put down! There was lots of action and some surprises. Without saying too much, I loved the struggle for forgiveness. Completely relatable. The spiritual growth of the protagonist was definitely something I appreciated about this series. I would read more books set in this world. I'd love to see a story about Sif!
October 18, 2022
This was a fantastic finale to an amazing series. Absolutely loved it on all the levels!
It kept me guessing right up until the end, and may even be my favorite of the 3 books (no easy feat; I typically go for Book 1 as my favorite in a given series, haha)! So good!
It kept me guessing right up until the end, and may even be my favorite of the 3 books (no easy feat; I typically go for Book 1 as my favorite in a given series, haha)! So good!
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