Status Updates From Island of Graves (Unwanteds...

Beyond feeling like most of these plot points are quite contrived in order to move the plot along, I am really enjoying the character interactions here. Also, these are the most restrained 16 year olds I have ever come across in real life or fictional media. No matter how much they've had to grow up early, there is no way they're asking important life questions before committing to a relationship. But it's fun.

"Be your own strong, Aaron."
Dare I say I'm kind of enjoying Aaron's development on the island? He really needed a few old men and an eternal hurricane to give him the opportunity to learn to be a normal functioning and polite human, and also to take him down a few pegs. This is good, because Aaron's POV has been constantly boring since forever.

On second thought, this does also feel like kind of a contrived plot point like the false cliffhanger from the end of the last book. I feel like the author just needed something for Alex and the others to disagree on and a way to make Gondoleery more threatening and make Alex feel extra guilty all in one go.

Ok he's realizing he did something wrong and is now attempting collaboration to fix it. Good on you, Alex. I still think it was a stupid decision in the moment, but the fact that you're taking time to reflect on that makes me respect you again. And you're also being a very diplomatic leader while dealing with your advisors being mad at you, and I forgive you any time you start sounding like Mr. Today.

Are you SERIOUSLY telling me they had a chance to end this whole thing by killing Gondoleery and Alex chickened out. How many more people will she kill before they get another chance?? Idiot. Alex is a good leader, but a terrible soldier.

I am six pages in. SIX. And Alex has already turned around and decided not to go after Aaron. Which reverses the entire point of the cliffhanger at the end of the last book. What was the point of that?? Just to have a cheap way to trick the readers out without any consequences? That was a character defining moment, where Alex finally chose between his people and his brother, and he chose wrong. Not a good start here.