I really enjoyed the first book of the series. The sequel was a bit boring in comparison. It had its moments that I enjoyed but most of it just seemed kind of pointless and I just never cared about any of it. 

Third Read, 2022.

I'm too attached to the show to give up on this series. I liked this book a lot better divorced from the first one. It still has some misogyny (and other harmful -isms) but significantly less than the first. The addition of Julia's perspective was a nice upgrade from only Quentin's.

I still have a lot of issues with the use of

rape as character development

in Julia's plot. I detest the message that comes along with that choice and

especially the choice to both remove Julia's shade and start her transformation into a goddess with it, which felt like a type of commentary on the outcome of sexual assault in terms of personal growth (as if to say, sure, it breaks you, but it also makes you into a better form of yourself?) which just wasn't Grossman's to make in the first place.

 

_________________________________

Second Read, 2021.
Made it fifty percent through before tiring of having my filter for blatant misogyny constantly on. There are better books to put my energy into. DNF.
_________________________________

First Read, 2015.
Ugh. Why did I finish this.