Genre: YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic
What I love about the characters: This is a spin-off novella that takes place after the events in Mafi's Shatter Me. The main focus of this book is Warner. When I read Shatter Me, there was something about him I couldn't completely write off. I thought maybe Mafi was going to present more facets to his character, and she did so in a big way in this novella. I have a much better grasp of who Warner is and what makes him tick, and this book changed the way I felt about him. I can't say I think he's a hero, but I definitely have a more sympathetic view toward him now.
What I love about the setting: I got to know a little bit more about the Reestablishment in this book, though it's still not fully developed. I did like the detail about the world, such as the housing that was set up for the common people. I hope the next book will go into even more detail about why the world is as it is, but this book was really more about Warner than anything, and I was very happy with that.
What I love about the plot: There's not a lot of "plot" to this book, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Instead, the novella offers a lot of insight into Warner. We get some detail about his background, and I gained a better understanding of his relationship with his father, which was a doozy. I thought this novella was an excellent example of how to do a character study and do it well.
What I'm jealous of: Mafi's writing. I really love her prose. I loved it in Shatter Me, and I loved it in this novella. She just a really lovely way of writing.
Who I'd recommend it to: Anyone who read and enjoyed Shatter Me, since this novella provides a lot more insight into Warner. If you haven't read Shatter Me, I think you'd be much better off reading it before reading this, because a lot of events that take place in Shatter Me are referenced here, and you might feel a bit lost otherwise.
