Review: let Ellie have Javier, I'll take Camden
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 22, 2013
I love Karina Halle's writing, and cannot wait for book three! However, this is not my favorite of her books (please oh please do not let this be the curse of signing with a publisher). Karina is always a 5 star read because of her amazing writing, dialogue, and characters. However, Shooting Scars is missing what book one and the novella gave us. Ellie loses too much luster in this book, so I feel very disconnected from her and am not cheering for her.Shooting Scars also reads very much like a transition book. It is a story that doesn't evolve as much as the other books, but the purpose seems to set up book three. As a result, it feels drawn out at times. Although On Every Street was a novella, it had a much more complete feel because of the amount of time, events, and emotions in covered.Overall, I have mixed emotions on The Artists Trilogy.  I love the action, twists, and drama. The characters are amazing. That said, I am not rooting for Ellie to be with anyone coming off book two. She does not deserve Camden, and the poor guys is put through the wringer over this girl and is constantly pummeled (physically and emotionally). I wish there was someone better who deserved him more in this story. Javier and Ellie totally do deserve each other, and it would make sense if they end up together. I think Gus and Camden win for the most endearing relationship in book two...they had the best dialogue and relationship development. The secrets that are to-be-revealed in book three were obvious from early in Shooting Scars, so I am hoping the final book will give more excitement and twists. And if Ellie ends up with Camden, I hope we are given a better sense if her and why the poor guy would stick with her.