Review: A thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
A thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the series, Contrition ties up loose ends on a thrilling and emotional rollercoaster ride. There’s the whole Noah/Zoe/Taylor/Mary love square, Zoe’s grandfather, now President, the cyborgs, and the fact that Zoe and Noah are number one on President Vanderveen’s most wanted list. When war breaks out, things go from really bad, to worse, to hopeless. Or so it seems. This is the most tragic book of the trilogy, but it’s not completely devoid of hope as neither Zoe nor Noah ever give up.PlotThere was a lot going on. This is the most action-packed book of the series and it careens along, sometimes nearly out of control, but there is a lot of ground to cover in this final book. In fact, I think the author could easily have written a fourth book in the series and kept us hooked through one more without losing anything.There were a few issues that seemed implausible, even in this scifi future world and a couple things were predictable, but overall, it was a solid plot that moved the story forward to a heart-pounding climax and a sweet resolution.CharactersNoah and Zoe really develop the most in this third book. They’re both so young that they have no choice but to grow up fast in the midst of a war, but it’s good to see that arc in both of them as they realize the world is more than just their teen angst and what they want.Bottom LineContrition is a wild ride that runs at breakneck speed, twisting and turning, and finally rolling into the station as we all say a collective, “ahhhh.”