This is probably one of the best YA trilogies I've ever read. The first two books were AMAZING, packed with all the things I love -- character development, strong plot, a proactive heroine. But I felt that Anya lost some of her BAMF qualities in this book, and her narration felt a bit more -- distant, I guess. Which is maybe understandable, given all the bad things that happened, but I was left with an overall feeling of sadness and loneliness, even with the hopeful ending. Plotwise, a lot happened -- maybe too much? The focus on Anya's business plans, and the fact that Natty and Scarlet and Win were no longer around, meant that we didn't see as much of the relationships that I loved so much in the first two books. Even Theo was different -- more sarcastic, not the lovely funny boy he used to be.I guess it's difficult to take a teenage character through into adulthood, and of course I wouldn't expect Anya to be the same person at 21 as she was aged 16. And I do think Gabrielle Zevin does character growth beautifully. But I found myself missing the girl she used to be and wishing that things had been just a little easier for her. (Maybe this is a sign that I care too much about fictional characters.) I really loved this book. It was the perfect was to introduce the last installment of this series but also the perfect way to end it. The characters this time had made such changes that I didn't recognize them. The changes were totally necessary. I was completely impressed with Gabrielle Zevin's writing. This was the fourth book I read by her and, I'm still impressed by her writing. I would fully recommend this and every book written by Ms. Zevin and that's saying a lot in itself.
What do You think about Extradunkel (2000)?
I think this was the best book in the trilogy. The last few chapters were the best.
—kcroc
Love the language, love the characters. Even the plots are pretty cool.
—mayamay
