Pittacus Lore: Return to Zero (2019)

    Facing capture or annihilation from all sides, the only hope the Human Garde have for survival is to stand together once and for all to fight back against their true enemies (Goodreads).

    Admittedly, it has been a fair bit of time since I have read the preceding novels in this series, so that may have detracted slightly from my appreciation of this concluding novel, but this seemed largely like a rehash of the previous two books. The stakes and conflicts seemed to not evolve or develop more depth, and the grand scope of the Lorien universe, while impressive, seemed to backfire slightly, with so many characters popping in and out of significance. That being said, the writing quality established and developed over the course of the series continues to shine in this well-paced and action-packed final installment. What relationships between characters that do stand out are developed equally well, and most of the consistent main characters maintain a good semblance of depth and uniqueness. The final climax is slightly convoluted and wrapped up a little too quickly, but for the most part, this series ends on a positive note. 7.7/10

Neal Shusterman: Scythe (2016)

    Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own (Goodreads).

    The premise is grim and unique, and there is not a lot that Shusterman leaves to be desired when it comes to the basic lore and setup of his simultaneously dystopian and utopian world. As far as the actual story goes, that is equally as well done: Both lead characters are intriguing and developed along their own separate paths while still maintaining a decent semblance of a promising relationship. Wonderfully paced and extremely engaging, the only thing that is really left to be desired from this first installment in what promises to be a great series is the predictable nature of some of the plot elements, although there remain some intriguing twists, and the almost unavoidable nature of the fact that having a male and female protagonist in a young adult science fiction novel comes with its fair share of cliches to try to avoid and comparisons to previously written novels that will inevitably arrive in the reader's brain. 8.4/10