RESIST by Sarah Crossan

Rating: C-
Release Date: 10/08/13
Synopsis:
The sequel—and conclusion—to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel.

My thoughts on the book:
Resist was a huge letdown for me. I didn't have the highest hopes for it, but I thought I'd at least enjoy it as much as Breathe, if not more. However, the ending was so awful that it ruined the entire book and series for me. Also, there's not enough character development, there are too many points of view to keep up with, and only Alina and Ronan are remotely likable. This book, and series, was a big disappointment. 

I really wanted to see Alina grow and change in this novel, but Crossan insisted on focusing on Bea and her obnoxious insecurities more than letting us get to know the other characters. Bea supposedly grew, but I couldn't tell. Bea and the other characters kept talking about how wonderful Bea was, but I never agreed with them. Basically it felt like Crossan was trying to force readers to like her completely obnoxious leading character. Bea remained weak, annoying, and stupid. And she ruined Quinn's character. He was interesting before he hooked up with Bea in the last novel, but he turned into a total loser. I couldn't stand him in this book either. I really liked Ronan, but unfortunately, I didn't get to learn a lot about him. Also, Alina's sections didn't focus on her at all and simply served to advance the plot. 

The plot itself was action-packed and intriguing, and I enjoyed it... until the ending. Not only did I hate the ending itself, but it felt rushed and not fully developed. The epilogue section, which was actually part 4 of this book, was much too short and didn't explain how things changed at all, or if they changed. Therefore, I ended this series feeling like I wasted my time reading two books and getting no resolution. Also, the way certain characters' fates were handled really disappointed me. Things could have been handled much better. 

Overall, there are much better dystopian series out there with much more likable characters. I'd only recommend this series to you if you're completely obsessed with the genre. The concept was unique and interesting, the plots (other than the ending) were intriguing and action-packed, but the characters were extremely lacking, and the ending just flat out sucks. I wish I hadn't wasted my time on this series.