Review: definitely better than book 1 (Survival) ****spoilers****
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 14, 2012
i bought this book specifically because of the horrible cliffhanger in Survival AND because some of the other reviewers said the author had corrected some of the flaws in her method/manner of storytelling from the 1st book.i agree.  many of the flaws that existed in the 1st book HAVE been corrected in this book - making it MUCH easier to follow.  there WAS still some repetition problems, but they were fewer for sure.  maddie & rayn's coversations still constantly revolve around how much they love each other, the depth of their love and how beautiful each other each, how much they want each other, etc - which still got old.  REAL characters would at least OCCASSIONALLY talk about OTHER things.  they would not CONSTANTLY talk about their own love & beauty.  that still got old fast in this book - BUT, the fact that rayn blew up & left maddie during this book DID at least make him more realistic & believable as a character.  (no1 is perfect, even rayn.)what i liked LEAST about this book was the need the author seems to have to pack too many stories/ideas into one book.  is she never planning to write again?  between the serial killer dying, maddie's recovery, ryan's trial & acquittal, maddie planning then calling off the wedding, the traitor discovery & suicide, the alien invasion & subsequent war, maddie going to the academy & getting kidnapped AGAIN & almost dying AGAIN & being rescued by the brothers AGAIN, then graduating as a guardian, then ryan blowing up & leaving, then them moving on with thier lives seperately (each after almost killing themselves by their depression at their relationship falling apart), then maddie becoming an ambassador, 2 new character's introduced & becoming love interests of the brothers, ryan being kidnapped, maddie rescuing him & going back to blow up a big chunk of the alien enemy homeworld, the secret wedding etc, then the REAL wedding & celebration, etc.  thats a LOT to pack into one book.what i liked MOST about this book was the way maddie evolved as a person/character.  her evolution was believable from an emotional & intellectual standpoint (not so much from a physical since i find it hard to believe she would be SO powerful since her alien blood is diluted w/ human blood).i DO appreciate the author at least giving maddie & rayn an actual "ending" in this book though.  the cliffhanger in the 1st book was the worst.  i totally appreciate a great series of books (theyre usually my favorites), but i want each story to be able to stand on its own & that just isnt possible w/ the 1st book and it IS with this one - which i liked.i dont know if ill read the next one or not.  i do like rykerian (or however u spell it i forget) as a character (i like all the siblings) & i have a feeling the girl in the car is maddie's old roommate january (maddie hints in the 1st book that she'd later learn how january had similar tragedy in her life, but then never references it again - so i have to assume the girl in the car is january & will make a reappearance in the next book.)  BUT that may just be me misunderstanding the author's intention.i downloaded beginnings (rayn's parents story), so ill read that when i get around to it.all in all, id definitely recommend resurrection!