Asunder (Incarnate)
I really loved this book, more than the previous one, although I gave it the same rating. In some sense it stayed the same, mostly, but in some sense there was more confidence and depth to the story, I felt. Sam and Ana have the rare kind of relationship in YA that I actually feel is sincere and not forced. Sure, they kiss a lot. Yes, they fight. But it all fell together well, especially Ana's thoughts and realizations about Sam's past, his actions, it showed her growth as a character as well as her natural reactions and thoughts.
I'm happy with the plot twist and the new advancements in the story compared to the first, specifically in terms of Stef and Cris, especially Cris. I feel his connection to Sam could've been elaborated further but I'm not too picky. Sef needed that sharp edge to her that she received, so I was satisfied. She seemed a bit too soft in the first book and I had a feeling there would be some hidden datrk layer to her. Meuric and Deborl, as well as Janan - boy oh boy I was not expecting that. I hope it's explained further in the next book because, while the basic foundation for the resolution is there and is already promising, it needs to be expands more. The temple, what they found inside, ah I was just so good!
What I enjoyed most about the book though was the attitude of protection towards the new souls that Ana starts pushing. It really made me emotional and that doesn't always happen when I read YA. I feel like it's one of those books, another one being the Hunger Games series, that can be seen as a reflection of our modern society, the wsy we isolate people or hurt them or hate them for being different and lacking something that a majority of people have. I don't know if this was necessarily done on purpose or not but it's so pleasant to see. The whole new soul situation is probably my most favourite part of the entre series so far, the way it is written so well and touched upon in a way that isn't too light but isn't too serious either. It's a book with a deeper layer to it that I feel people would appreciate if it's given a chance.
It was an emotional book, with several episodes, that I won't name, which moved me, and that won me over. The whole series just won me. It's so much better than what I first expected when I picked the previous book up, and this one didn't disappoint. I look forward to the next and last part of the series with hope that it not only upholds the same high level that Meadows showed in these two books but that it also answers the questions which are still left hanging and wraps it all up with a satisfying conclusion. As of right now however I loved this book, I was moved, I was smiling and tearing up and chuckling and it was exactly what I've been needing to read in the YA genre.
