The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

I don't think I can give this book a fair review. My full opinion rests on the third and final book, The Winner's Kiss, due to be published on March 29. If the third book pays off, struggling through the second book will have been worth it. That being said, it was quite the struggle. There is little action or plot development, and the "romance" between the two main characters is limited and forced. I kept thinking it would get better, but instead it only got worse. The author's writing style is strange: sometimes she adds inane details that you don't need, and then other times, she skims over the plot developments so much that you have to read between the lines. She sets up great story lines and heart-wrenching situations, but never fully delivers in a satisfying way.

405 pages