“Idiots are highly flammable, love. Let them all burn in hell.”
Alright, I know that quote is very inspiring. It’s meant to offer up some confidence for our girl Juliette. But, THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO GO KILL 600 PEOPLE. I MEAN, COME ON. I have a lot to say. A lot of feelings. I can’t really be bothered to write an intro paragraph. So, here’s my best attempt: I’m shook. I’m so shook. Here are the reasons why:
Rating: 5 Shells
WARNING: UNMARKED SPOILERS ARE EVERYWHERE IN THIS REVIEW!!! SORRY!!
THE ENDING: was too much. Is Kenji alive? Is Warner alive? Where the heck is Juliette and why do I feel like she stepped into a psychotic experiment? Are we not gonna talk about how she killed like 600 people? Nareeza is her sister? What? Is my OTP really broken up? Where can I find a Warner? Did anyone else shout about 30 times while reading this? And for the other thousand questions I have, here’s a universal one, it should cover my confusion well, I suppose. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Ok, ok. Let’s try forming a coherent thought. I loved the inclusion of Juliette’s journals from her time at the asylum. I like how she develops here (I think). It’s sort of an anti-heroine rise. And yet, it’s sort of a return to the asylum version of herself, which is why I think the letters were so fitting. As the book gets closer to the end, Juliette seems to return closer to that old version of herself. Yes, she’s a lot more fierce, she’s smarter, she’s not totally the old Juliette. But that inner monster is clearly rising as the book progresses, and is brutally released when, you know, she kills 600 people by screaming.
I liked Warner’s POV here- most of the time. It was swoon-worthy to read his inner monologue as he’s with Juliette. Sometimes, though, his plight gets a little annoying. Towards the end his inner monologue feels quite repetitive. I’m a monster. I’m just who my dad said I was. I mean, I get it. I’m just as heartbroken over the whole break-up scenario. But it gets to be a little much. I will say, I’m so glad Mafi avoided him trying to turn off his emotions. I was scared that with all of this hurt, Warner was going to decide he didn’t care for anything anymore. That would have been the worst. I’m so glad it didn’t happen. One more thing, I totally forgot how much my heart loves Warner calling Juliette “love” and “sweetheart.” I think I made heart eyes like 200 times.
Oh, how I missed Kenji. I missed that boy so much. He’s funny, he’s a good friend, and this series would not be the same without him. So if that blood on him in the last pages means he’s going to die…someone is about to get sued. Just saying. Speaking of Kenji, I love Nareeza. I was worried Mafi was going to pull an Evangeline trope (sorry to @ you, King’s Cage. Actually, let me @ The Selection. Celeste, you’re the worst. America, you’re also so so terrible. I feel better.) and make Nareeza unlikable and The Worst and Every Basic Mean Girl ever. But I’m so glad that Nareeza is strong, likable, and a friend to Juliette (also maybe a sister?). An important thing I want to address:
Meeting Nareeza tonight- seeing how tall and brave she was- made me wonder where she learned to be that way. It made me wish I’d had a sister. Or a mother. Someone to learn from and lean on. A woman to teach me how to be brave in this body, among these men.
Take note, YA authors (Kiera Cass). See! You don’t have to make every girl a threat to another girl. Girls can learn from each other and want to empower each other instead of being catty and jealous. This I found to be a refreshing and necessary way to introduce a new female character. Juliette isn’t immediately jealous; she feels inferior, sure, but she admires Nareeza and wants to learn from her. I think that’s so important.
A lot happened in the last 25% of this book. At times, some whining from Juliette and Warner gets repetitive, but if you liked the other books in this series, you probably won’t mind. It’s not that the first 75% of this book was boring, but sheesh. So much happened in the last few chapters.
Well, it’s gonna be torture to wait another year for the next book. I finished Ignite Me for this first time this past summer, right around the time Mafi announced she’d be continuing this series. At first, I was annoyed. After rereading Allegiant before this series, I was content to end a series with no character deaths (you know what I mean, none that would make me cry). When I heard there’d be more I thought, crap. Because surely three more books couldn’t be published without Warner and Juliette having some relationship troubles, without a character death I’d cry for. But wow, when I thought crap, I didn’t think half the stuff that just happened would happen. I wasn’t convinced this series needed to go on. Now I’m sure I need the next two books and I need them now. I’m also thinking this: how in the world is all of this going to be solved in only two more books? Maybe Mafi should continue this series forever. That would be fine with me. I welcome the pain these next two books are sure to bring. We’re in for one heck of a ride, aren’t we?
Books by the Water 