Book Synopsis:
Back in the underground State against her will, Thalli is no longer the anomaly she was before. She has proven herself to be a powerful leader aboveground and returns with information that Dr. Loudin needs to complete his plan of uniting the world under one leader: himself. But he, too, has information. A secret he has kept from Thalli her entire life. A secret that, once revealed, changes everything about the person Thalli thought she was.
Hoping to help Thalli rise up against the Scientists, both Berk and Alex join her underground, but their presence only brings more trouble for her. Now Dr. Loudin knows just the leverage to use on his captive, and she is forced to choose between the two of them. Is her first love her true love? Or does Alex ultimately claim her heart?
Unsure of everything around her, including her own identity, Thalli doesn’t know where to turn. She knows she needs the Designer, but he seems further away than ever. What she does know, though, is that if she doesn’t do something to stop Loudin, the fragile world aboveground will be lost once and for all.
My Review:
5/5 stars. I liked this better than both of the other two books in the trilogy; it was a great conclusion. The story was very engaging and full of good twists that kept the plot moving forward. The romance elements were much more prevalent in this one compared to the other two. Those parts weren't the most swoon-worthy, but they were still sweet. I also loved the Christian themes in this one, especially a small one about how people come to know God in different ways. Just like the other two, there was still a lot of cliche and repetitive writing, but everything I already mentioned made up for that.
One aspect of the writing itself I loved was how often Thalli compared things to music, like how different characters' voices sounded. Music has always been a big theme throughout the trilogy, and as a musician myself, I really enjoy that. A lot of times in this book, more than the other two, someone would be compared to an instrument being played a certain way. That was cool to read. One line that related to the theme of music that stood out to me was "I discover that music can be made with no instruments at all."
When it comes to the faith content, a theme in this book in particular that I loved was how God reaches people in different ways based on what would speak to them most. For Thalli, it was music, for Rhen, it was logic, and for Berk, it was the beauty of creation. It's so true that different aspects of God will resonate more with different people, acting as their entry point to Him.
As I mentioned, this book had the best plot out of the trilogy, in my opinion. There was one part I didn't see coming at all. I was tricked and confused by Thalli's plan until it was revealed what was actually happening. I liked that it kept me on my toes. The ending was also unexpected but well done.
Speaking of Thalli, I felt like she was a better character in this book more than the other two. The things she said and did, her courage and faith, were great. She was still flawed and made mistakes, but I loved her.
Content:
Language: None
Sexual Content: A few kisses along with descriptions of the way they make Thalli feel, but nothing beyond that.
Violence/Gore: Death, mentions of blood, mild gore. A lot of violent things happen but they are described in detail
Drugs/Alcohol: At one point, characters are drugged to make them submissive.
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