For the First Time, Again by Sylvain Neuvel is the final book in the Take Them to the Stars trilogy. Once again, Mr. Neuvel knocks it out of the park. Combine a (ahem) stellar story with the fun chapter titles and corresponding playlist, and For the First Time, Again is one satisfying conclusion. 

As with the previous books in the series, the heart of For the First Time, Again is Aster, the last of the Kibsu. She doesn't have the privilege of learning about her heritage from her mother or grandmother. In a fun twist of fate, she must gain knowledge of who she is from her family's sworn enemy. 

Aster learns her lessons well, making her the fiercest, craftiest, and most cold-blooded Kibsu we've met. How Aster solves all of her problems is stunning in its cleverness. It is a solution I did not see coming, but I appreciate it for the shock and awe I felt as a result. 

As brutal as the action scenes are, For the First Time, Again is all about hope. It feels weird to say about a series that is nothing but a cat-and-mouse chase, a very bloody and ruthless one, but it is true. Unlike her mother and her mother's mother, who were singularly focused on their attempts to "take them to the stars," Aster's goals are more widespread and universal. She doesn't see herself as other, and it makes all the difference in her outlook and her achievements. This includes the sense of hope Aster has, not just for herself but for all of humankind. 

I would be remiss if I failed to discuss Mr. Neuvel's chapter titles and song choices. I've listened to the playlists for all three books and enjoyed every minute of them. Not only do they give you a great sense of the era in which each book occurs, but they also directly set the tone for each chapter. Plus, all of the songs are really good. It is as if Mr. Neuvel selected the best songs of each era and wrote each novel around them. In For the First Time, Again, we finally reached the 80s and 90s, my childhood era, which made this last book and its chosen songs particularly special to me.  

For the First Time, Again ends the second trilogy by Mr. Neuvel, and I remain as impressed as ever with his writing. I love the chances he takes in selecting female teenagers to tell his story. I also enjoy that Mr. Neuvel allows his characters to travel the world, and through their eyes, so do we. His novels are grandiose in scope and well-executed, entertaining, and intense. They are violent but not gratuitously so because the violence helps further the plot. I am sad that For the First Time, Again is the end of another trilogy but hopeful that Mr. Neuvel won't make me want too long for his next novel. I'll be waiting to see what he does next!