Shadowfever

so, i ended up binging the series bc i wanted to know how the story would come together... just a draft of my initial thoughts right after i (and partially sleep deprived LOL). i was trying to figure out what “label” i would give the series, how to explain the genre, and couldn't come to a satisfactory conclusion...anyway, here's my first review on Goodreads:

Whatever genre label you give to the story, there is only one way to put it - it's an addictive read. told in first person, there was a two way unfolding of the story - the short term and the long term. Not everyone is able to pull that off as masterfully as Moning did: she kept the reader engaged just enough, while also setting up elements that are made clear only in hindsight, when the reader reflects back on the story (despite the narrator's constant reminders throughout the story that hindsight is 20/20).

And despite knowing things are not as they seem (never trust first person narratives), it's easy to fall into the world of illusion that Mac creates. Much like the person she started off as, at first glance, the book appears to be eye-candy. But only as you keep reading (and as the story keeps unfolding) and more mysteries keep appearing, you get engrossed in the futuristic dystopia that Moning paints.

The story follows Mac's arc from being a superficial, “barbie-girl” into...the person she becomes at the end of the story (you'll have to read to find out lol). The character growth is achieved through multiple factors: experiencing life-changing trauma and overcoming it; learning to see the varying shades of grey of the world; having an existential crises and trying to figure out her boundaries / how she want to live your life post trauma...

Despite being a highly enjoyable read, there were moments when these musings were repetitive and detracted from the natural progression of the story...in that, Mac kept reiterating the same musings to the point that it felt like jargon...good thing there was Barrons was around LOL

Then there's also Jericho Barrons.

I find Moning's presentation of his character to be fascinating....he's paradoxical in that it's hard to characterize him but at the same time it's simple to do so. He doesn't fit the cookie-cut model of most male interests, and half the times his intentions appeared conflicting but were actually completely in-line with what you would expect of him...(but then, you also don't really know what to expect from him LOL idk! it's hard to explain!). It's an interesting dilemma, and I like such (grey) characters because they force me to think from a different framework. Ultimately, I don't have to agree with the character or their methods, but they definitely give “food-for-thought”.

Which leads me into Mac/Barrons' relationship....(ok im running out of adjectives now LOL) but basically - Barrons' “????” nature and Mac's transition from who she was to who she became makes for an interesting relationship . (just...read the book and get back to me).

anyway - after a lot of banter and foreplay (pun intended), book 5 provided a satisfying closer to Mac/Bannon ‘s story............for now :^)