There's no denying this series is my guilty pleasure (the first book in the series review can be found here). It's not high brow, or the most imaginative, but it's definitely addictive.
The story continues pretty much straight where it was left after the events of 'The Thousandth Floor'. All our main characters are still coming to terms with what happened on that night on the roof, and we see how each of them is struggling to cope. Of all the characters this time round, Leda was the most believable and complex. I loved her development and story line and thought it was a big improvement from the previous book. I loved the tension between her and Watt. However, I did find that a lot of Leda's issues were skimmed over or trivialised. She just suddenly stops her addiction and moves on without any problems, and the issue with Eris being her sister is never really addressed.
We find Avery still continuing to struggle with her relationship with Atlas. I found her storyline the least appealing, as a lot of it was the same as in the previous novel but without a lot of the tension. However, I did like her interactions with Cord as it tried to add another dimension to her, as she's basically just a beautiful doll with not much of a personality. I was disappointed this was explored further, and ended with Avery mainly mooning over Atlas all the time.
Rylin had the most far fetched storyline. She's somehow picked on a scholarship to join the highliers at their school, where a Hollywood director with a ridiculous name makes her his film assistant. And it seems she's also naturally gifted at producing films (or 'holograms'). All the stuff with her ex from the previous book is conveniently forgotten. I thought the story may have picked up slightly when she goes to LA, but the peak of her storyline was a big let down as nothing really happens except her pining for Cord.
I liked the introduction of Calliope and her mother. It brought a fresh story and different characters to the tower. Calliope is an interesting character, I liked that she basically had the same opinion about Avery as I did (ie dull but beautiful) but somehow I couldn't really connect with her. I think this was mainly because for most of the story she's a bit of an enigma with no backstory other than the con artist shtick which has been done before.
Eris is spoken about, but it feels almost as if it's a different person with a completely different personality to the Eris we saw in the last novel. I didn't think she came across as 'different' or 'a magpie for anything sparkly', and it was weird to see her friends describe her like this. The scene at the graveyard is also a little strange, and cringy and felt out of place within the rest of the book. Girlfriend Mariel, who has such a predominant role previously, is also glossed over with her only having two chapters - the first and last.
As with the previous novel, there still wasn't much world building, and what there wasn't didn't make much sense. LA for some reason is in a giant bubble that displays adverts. There are weird candles that release endorphins as it melts. I would love to have seen more of an effort given to explain exactly what on earth has happened to the world and why. The climax of the novel also doesn't really feel climactic, with no proper conclusion to many of the issues raised in the novel.
So, this book is completely ridiculous, predictable, unbelievable and yet it knows it is. That's what makes it so fun. It's main purpose is to entertain, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. It's so much like a soap opera and if anything I could have done with more scandals, and more secrets. I'm looking forward to the next one.
- 3 Stars
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