Supernova by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Clean


Nova and Adrian are struggling to keep their secret identities concealed while the battle rages on between their alter egos, their allies, and their greatest fears come to life. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are revealed as anarchy once again threatens to reclaim Gatlon City.

What a let down this series ended up being. I loved the first book. The second book ended up disappointing me, mainly because of Nova and the way she side-stepped every opportunity to do the right thing. Needless to say, I wasn't very excited to read this one, but I still had hopes that Nova would be redeemed. Well, now that I've finished the last book, I almost wish I had just abandoned this series after book two and just moved on. What was wrong with it? Let me start by saying that every single character in this book was brainless. They can't figure anything out to save their lives, even when the evidence was staring them right in their faces. The dumbing down of characters for the sake of a story is one of my biggest pet peeves, and this book was by far, the worst offender I've ever read. Add on top of that, decisions that were made that made no sense, and had no explanation, a total lack of any sort of planning or strategy on the Renegade's part, and this book had me throwing up my hands in disbelief. How did these characters ever win the first battle? From figuring out the obvious, to utilizing their super powers to the fullest, they are so stupid and inept at everything they do in this book.

Honestly I got so frustrated with this book that I felt like throwing it at the wall a few times. Nova once again declines every opportunity to do the right thing. I was expecting Nova to have a change of heart in book two, with certain people coming together in book three to be the catalyst for change. When that didn't happen, I was hoping Nova wouldn't take so long to make that change in book three, but it's just more of the same here, with Nova disappointing me over and over. **Minor spoiler here- And I'm sorry, but I don't buy that right at the last second she would finally do the right thing, and all would just be forgiven. Too much happened for a happy rainbows and unicorns ending for her.

Overall this book is longer than it needs to be, and things just keep repeating for too long. And once I got to the last 150 pages or so it felt like the book would never end, with the end battle being too long and drawn out. The big reveals in the book were also not surprising as I had figured them out already. The one about Ace, I figured out when I read the first book. The one thing I kind of liked about the book was the epilogue. The reason, is that I absolutely agreed with Magpie and her thoughts on how things had ended up. It wouldn't last. This looks like a setup for a spin off series with the revelation about Magpie, and the way it all ends. We're supposed to believe there are no villains? Give me a break! There were villains in this book who did terrible things, and they are celebrating one of them at the end of this book like they were no different from anyone else. There is something seriously wrong here...


I'm going to put some of my complaints behind a spoiler because I just really need to gripe! 

***Spoiler- The Renegades, after being so clueless they couldn't see the noses on their own faces, are finally told by Danna that Nova is Nightmare. And why couldn't Danna have come up with some way sooner, to tell them when she was stuck in butterfly form? She could have had her butterflies land on letters to spell it out or something ages ago. But now that I'm thinking about this, they would have been too dumb to figure it out anyway. I mean, they were trying to figure out which Renegade had betrayed them all, and every one of her butterflies landed on Nova and they couldn't figure that enormous hint out. Plus, there were so many clues pointing to the fact that Nova betrayed them, that Danna shouldn't have had to tell them. Then after Danna finally is human again and tells them, and Nova is in prison, they suddenly realize they only have circumstantial evidence against Nova, just because someone else dressed up like Nightmare while Nova was in custody. It was obvious it could have been anyone dressed as her, and the evidence didn't change because of that. They were going to execute her based on circumstantial evidence without even having a trial (which shows how terrible their justice system is), then they suddenly let her go and apologize, because they fell for the trick of someone else dressing up like Nightmare. There is no dialog where this decision is made either. We aren't shown the argument for releasing her at all. They are just suddenly going to release her and apparently Adrian had no trouble convincing the council that this was a good idea. 

Then there is Adrian, who has this amazing ability that he hides from everyone to the detriment of others. He tattooed a copy of the vitality pendant on his chest to protect himself from the Agent N serum that strips people of their super powers, but was too afraid others would find out about his secret abilities and his alter ego if they knew he could do that, so he wouldn't tattoo them onto anyone else. First off that was selfish, because he could have helped everyone else, but there is also another simple solution to this problem. Everyone knows he can sketch things and make them come to life. Why didn't he just draw copes of the pendant for everyone to wear? Also after everyone else finally knows his secrets and they go off to the Anarchists lair to confront them, he STILL doesn't think to make copies of the pendant for everyone else, not even in tattoo form, so they go in unprotected, and of course all his friends lose their powers.

And about the loss of powers. It looked like everyone was going to end up without powers, and you know what? I would have been fine with that. But then the book ends up with this ridiculous ending were everyone on earth has them.  [ The Renegades, after being so clueless they couldn't see the noses on their own faces, are finally told by Danna that Nova is Nightmare. And why couldn't Danna have come up with some way sooner, to tell them when she was stuck in butterfly form? She could have had her butterflies land on letters to spell it out or something ages ago. But now that I'm thinking about this, they would have been too dumb to figure it out anyway. I mean, they were trying to figure out which Renegade had betrayed them all, and every one of her butterflies landed on Nova and they couldn't figure that enormous hint out. Plus, there were so many clues pointing to the fact that Nova betrayed them, that Danna shouldn't have had to tell them. Then after Danna finally is human again and tells them, and Nova is in prison, they suddenly realize they only have circumstantial evidence against Nova, just because someone else dressed up like Nightmare while Nova was in custody. It was obvious it could have been anyone dressed as her, and the evidence didn't change because of that. They were going to execute her based on circumstantial evidence without even having a trial (which shows how terrible their justice system is), then they suddenly let her go and apologize, because they fell for the trick of someone else dressing up like Nightmare. There is no dialog where this decision is made either. We aren't shown the argument for releasing her at all. They are just suddenly going to release her and apparently Adrian had no trouble convincing the council that this was a good idea.  (hide spoiler)]