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A review by erinarkin20
Three by Kristen Simmons
5.0
I flailed a little when my sister got a copy of Three…I can’t lie. I kind of wanted to wait to read it only because I didn't want the story to end. Eventually I got over it and dove right in. Now, I am going to do my best to review this without giving anything away – but don’t hate me for not revealing anything specific.
First, let me say, I don’t envy authors trying to wrap up a series. They must know going into it that they will never make every reader happy. I myself have been one of the grumblers when a series doesn't end the way I wanted it to. Please keep in mind…I would never say anything because you know what; it isn't my story to tell. With all of that said, I thought Kristen did a wonderful job of closing out this story. She stayed true to the characters and kept the story moving. As a reader, I was brought back into the dangerous world that Ember and Chase are living in and ultimately trying to survive in. It is fast paced and full of action while at the same time, Simmons takes the time to move the relationship between Ember and Chase forward.
The story picks up with Ember, Chase and the rest of the group trying to find those that survived the destruction of the safe house. As they struggle to find a safe place, they also find themselves looking for evidence of Three, the secret organization that has created the resistance groups. Along the way, they run into someone from Chase’s past who ultimately plays a huge role in the rest of the book. There are some things that happen along the way that made me wonder how this was all going to come together. Would we finally get to see the Chief of the Reformation (Reinhardt) and how would they stop the plans he had for wiping out the article violators? (I can’t tell you anything without giving away critical parts of the story – just trust me, I had these questions and they are all answered.)
If you recall, I had a hard time with Ember in book one. I needed her to move beyond what had happened to her and recognize what others were trying to do for her. With that said, she definitely grew in book two and in this book she is focused on everyone else. She absolutely changes over the course of the series and I loved seeing it happen. She still struggles with what she went through and how her mother was taken from her but she also now understands that the struggles that everyone is going through are bigger than just her.
Chase…I still love him. I don’t even know what to say as I don’t want to give any of his swoonyness away so everyone can enjoy it in context of the story. With that said, he is struggling still with who he wants to be. He knows what that is but he also knows that he has done some things in his past that he is not proud of and he struggles with coming to terms with them. On top of that, he has moments where he feels like he isn't worthy of being with Ember. The moments where she makes him see he is more than just his past and not someone she could just walk away from were some of my favorites. He does have some great lines and I will only include a few.
“Is it too redneck to say you look sexy operating a radio?”
“You’re the prettiest thing I've ever seen.”
Seeing Chase and Ember together and the evolution of their relationship is just one aspect of the story. Rebecca captured it perfectly in this section,
“I knew it when I saw you two together. You’re different, you know; the way you look at each other.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know. Like you have a secret no one else knows.”
In addition to Rebecca, Sean is back as are a number of other new secondary characters. Tucker is still around and I continue to have no words for him. Just when I think one thing about him, he goes the complete opposite direction. They all add different layers to the main story and allow us to see different sides to the main characters.
If you enjoy the dystopian genre and have not yet picked up this series, definitely check it out. It has a great story that has a believable plot and some characters that draw you in. Three comes out February of 2014 so you have a few months to complete books one and two if you haven’t started. Either way, get ready for more action, a bit of swoon, and a great end to Ember and Chase’s story. Kristen Simmons I leave you with this:
All quotes are taken from an Advance Reader Copy of the book.
First, let me say, I don’t envy authors trying to wrap up a series. They must know going into it that they will never make every reader happy. I myself have been one of the grumblers when a series doesn't end the way I wanted it to. Please keep in mind…I would never say anything because you know what; it isn't my story to tell. With all of that said, I thought Kristen did a wonderful job of closing out this story. She stayed true to the characters and kept the story moving. As a reader, I was brought back into the dangerous world that Ember and Chase are living in and ultimately trying to survive in. It is fast paced and full of action while at the same time, Simmons takes the time to move the relationship between Ember and Chase forward.
The story picks up with Ember, Chase and the rest of the group trying to find those that survived the destruction of the safe house. As they struggle to find a safe place, they also find themselves looking for evidence of Three, the secret organization that has created the resistance groups. Along the way, they run into someone from Chase’s past who ultimately plays a huge role in the rest of the book. There are some things that happen along the way that made me wonder how this was all going to come together. Would we finally get to see the Chief of the Reformation (Reinhardt) and how would they stop the plans he had for wiping out the article violators? (I can’t tell you anything without giving away critical parts of the story – just trust me, I had these questions and they are all answered.)
If you recall, I had a hard time with Ember in book one. I needed her to move beyond what had happened to her and recognize what others were trying to do for her. With that said, she definitely grew in book two and in this book she is focused on everyone else. She absolutely changes over the course of the series and I loved seeing it happen. She still struggles with what she went through and how her mother was taken from her but she also now understands that the struggles that everyone is going through are bigger than just her.
Chase…I still love him. I don’t even know what to say as I don’t want to give any of his swoonyness away so everyone can enjoy it in context of the story. With that said, he is struggling still with who he wants to be. He knows what that is but he also knows that he has done some things in his past that he is not proud of and he struggles with coming to terms with them. On top of that, he has moments where he feels like he isn't worthy of being with Ember. The moments where she makes him see he is more than just his past and not someone she could just walk away from were some of my favorites. He does have some great lines and I will only include a few.
“Is it too redneck to say you look sexy operating a radio?”
“You’re the prettiest thing I've ever seen.”
Seeing Chase and Ember together and the evolution of their relationship is just one aspect of the story. Rebecca captured it perfectly in this section,
“I knew it when I saw you two together. You’re different, you know; the way you look at each other.”
“Different how?”
“I don’t know. Like you have a secret no one else knows.”
In addition to Rebecca, Sean is back as are a number of other new secondary characters. Tucker is still around and I continue to have no words for him. Just when I think one thing about him, he goes the complete opposite direction. They all add different layers to the main story and allow us to see different sides to the main characters.
If you enjoy the dystopian genre and have not yet picked up this series, definitely check it out. It has a great story that has a believable plot and some characters that draw you in. Three comes out February of 2014 so you have a few months to complete books one and two if you haven’t started. Either way, get ready for more action, a bit of swoon, and a great end to Ember and Chase’s story. Kristen Simmons I leave you with this:
All quotes are taken from an Advance Reader Copy of the book.