i would've honestly rated this book higher if julian didnt exist. i have a lot of bones to pick with him, but i dont want to spoil it too much

all in all, it was just mediocre. the plot could've been good and the characters couldve been good, but there was no development at all. to me, at least, because drastically changing the way the character thinks and acts without showing the process of it in the last 150 pages of the book doesnt really count as "development" to me. it just counts as "oh shit, i was supposed to do that, wasnt i?" from the author.

i absolutely hated the romance. i couldnt buy it at all. it felt pushed down my throat. julian's only redeeming quality was the fact that he was hot (allegedly). and maybe he wasnt a complete piece of shit by the end of it and the author threw a poor explanation on why he was acting like one, but that didnt change my feelings towards him. i think there couldve been a better way to write him.

onto scarlett, i actually liked her. kind of. she felt kinda flat after a while, although i could understand where she was coming from in everything she was doing / thinking. understanding it doesnt mean i have to completely agree and not find her naivety a bit annoying tho. i wouldve enjoyed the book and her development a lot more if she played the games without julian because it didnt feel like she really changed. REALISTICALLY changed, i mean. because, as i said, doing a 180 in the middle of the book doesnt count as changing to me, it counts as lazy writing

donatella was actually the only part of the book that i found interesting, and when she finally joined at the end, i started to enjoy the book. shes the only reason why i gave it 0.75 extra, cuz the original rating was just 2 stars. im also really curious about legend and her and legend as they were the only ones i found interesting and i think i will read the second book only for them. initially i didnt want to, but their characters won me over in the very end