Review Detail

When I first saw this book, I got the urge to read it because of both the cover and the summary. It sounded intriguing and I was in the mood for an exciting dystopian book.
I wasn't disappointed at all.
The Forsaken is a mixture of Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games on acid. Once you start reading, there's no stopping. It's blow after blow after blow. The idea, at first, might sound a little overused, but Stasse took me by surprise with every turn of events. Even after reading so many post-apocalyptic books with the same concept utilized in the same way, The Forsaken shaped an entirely new world where nothing ceased to surprised me. It took me on an adventure I will probably never forget. It was raw, intense, and chilling to the bone.
Alenna was someone you could like and not like at the same time. She was brave, I'll give her that, and maybe a little determined. The only faults I found in her was the fact that she was very hesitant and didn't have much of a personality. She didn't make me laugh, or cry, or frown, or anything. I found her to be a little bland at the beginning, which would make sense since she was mostly invisible back in the U.N.A. but she kept it up through most of the book. I loved her sudden ferociousness closer to the end though, she was finally turning into that kick-butt heroine everyone needed her to be.
Gadya was my favorite character. She was Alenna's contrast (until the end of course). She was also the key ingredient to many of the upsides in this book: such as it's tinge of humor, sudden anger, and female fierceness that had me biting my nails throughout the story. She had a personality that marveled and stunned, which made her famous and even well-liked (at her worst moments as well). This was something Alenna lacked. Gadya is memorable, she made her place in the story, Alenna didn't.
Liam's character was the only character I failed to care for. He was interesting up the point where he turned into this drooling dog over Alenna. It was weird how he grew feelings for her before he even knew her. Alenna felt it too, and it's a connection that failed to make it's mark in the book. Liam was like a ghost. Yes, he was important (sort of), but it didn't seem like it. He was too simple, too gushy and cliche. No matter how faulty his character seemed to be, he was actually very flawless.
The romance between Liam and Alenna was the downside of this book. Stasse didn't give it enough time to ripen. There were no swoon-worthy, hot moments. The whole 'I like like you after meeting you two days ago' made Liam seem like a tool. The relationship was super fast, unexciting, and a little disappointing.
The plot was incredibly compelling. I enjoyed every minute of it. There were no holes and it was easily understandable, but not so easy as to ruin the entertainment. There were some parts that were predictable and others that had my jaw drop to the floor. I seriously underestimated the element of surprise in this book and now I've learned my lesson (again). The adventure was gruesome, but definitely worth it. I had trouble not gasping out loud after every turn of events. Stasse has this way of absorbing me into this new world she spun with her words so I really felt like I was part of the journey.
Overall, I really loved The Forsaken. Yes, the romance was bad and most of the characters didn't leave that much of a mark on me, but the adventure and the concept of the book itself had me glued to the book. There's nothing like a thrilling venture through a world of the unknown & deadly to keep you on your toes. I recommend this to anyone who loves a wild, gruesome roller coaster ride.