Release Me

I don't hand out five stars lightly, but Release Me absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. I went into this wildly excited. I've been a devoted Tahereh Mafi fan for years because of how masterfully she builds character development and spins gorgeous, descriptive prose. So, I had sky-high expectations, and somehow, she still managed to exceed them.

First off: this is exactly what I wanted from book one. Watch Me set the stage, but Release Me kicks the doors off the hinges right from the opening pages, picking up perfectly from that brutal cliffhanger. There is just so much going on here, and the pacing never lets you breathe.

Mafi has a way of making me completely forget I'm reading. Her descriptors are so next-level that I genuinely felt like I was physically standing in the surveillance state of Ark Island alongside them. You feel the volcanic tension in every single scene.

The character arcs in this installment are phenomenal. Rosabelle is such a fierce, compelling FMC. Watching her icy, trained-assassin exterior crack as her defenses come undone; all while desperately trying to get back home and save her sister; is written with such agonizing precision. And James Anderson? He has grown into the perfect mix of Aaron Warner's fierce protectiveness and Kenji's heart. He makes her feel things she didn't think were possible, and their dynamic is absolute perfection. Plus, getting Aaron Warner’s POV as an extra treat? Seeing him try to read Rosabelle and realize she’s a total "dead battery" emotionally was everything I didn't know I needed.

The stakes are higher, the betrayals hit harder, and the emotional payoff is incredible.

My only complaint? The wait. I am dying. honestly, borderline mad, that book three (Escape Me) doesn't come out until September. If you haven't started The New Republic series yet, do yourself a favor and dive in.