Another awesome book in the Red series. With each book we get another side of Red, last book I commented on how much she’d changed from meeting her family but now I feel like she’s becoming herself. The beginning of this book was almost nostalgic, I’m starting to realize that there’s a pattern with the Red series, we always awaken with Red and her complicated thoughts and her complicated life.

The first few chapters felt more like contemporary fiction for me, and that’s not a complaint. We see Fiona again, and she’s lovely as usual. But we also see a softer side of Red, she often compares herself to her sister but in a way that doesn’t make her come off as jealous. I mean, no one could blame her for being jealous of her sister. Fiona got a family, and grew up in a [mostly] functional household. Instead we see bonding, as Fiona cares for a weak and ill Red. This is the strength of Fiona, a sister who doesn’t necessarily fight on the battlefield but she does fight in her own right.

Fiona is so well developed and is a much needed character for the story, she’s like the other half of Red and even though it was just her and Red in some scenes it felt like the room had been full of people, full of emotion, and full of characterization. I wouldn’t dare call Fiona useless, in fact, I would wonder how this story came together without her.

One character I found to be quite unique was Angus. There was clearly some thought and characterization poured into him as he stepped up in this book. His language and tone is very different but he still manages to fit in with the rest of the cast. I liked him but I’ll still say that he was definitely weird. Some of his lines made me go…what Angus? What!? But I thoroughly enjoyed him and found him funny, though I doubt that was Witt’s intentions.

I said before that this book felt contemporary in the beginning but it turned out to be the same psychological thriller I loved from book one and two. Don’t hold your breath, the action is there and the thrill is real. This is another adventurous, heart-pounding ride that you’ll have to hold onto something to get through. I loved it from beginning to end and I can’t wait to wrap up the series in book four. Hats off to Witt for giving us a shift in the dystopian genre. I’d just like to point out how much of the story revolves around Optica but doesn’t actually take place there.

We’re not locked in a prison with prisoner characters, we’re given a view from the outside in and it makes for a great story. Well done Witt.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*