Review: Resist by Sarah Crossan

Resist by Sarah Crossan

Book Two of the Breathe series

Publisher: Greenwillow

Publication Date: October 8, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

The sequel—and conclusion—to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel.

What I Liked:

For me, Resist was an... interesting conclusion to the Breathe duology. I expected more, but at the same time, I wasn't too broken up that I didn't get a better end to the series. My interest in this stemmed from Crossan's integration of environmental issues and themes, and I'm happy that the series was so concretely based on the environment. The story itself is pretty good, but in this book, it wasn't BETTER than in the first book - in fact, it wasn't as good.

Bea and Quinn survived the destruction of The Grove, but were separated from Alina, Silas, Song, Bruce, Maude, and the others. The latter journey to find Sequoia, what seems to be the last non-pod refuge, and eventually Quinn leaves Bea and a new-found (but injured) companion to find Sequoia as well. But things in Sequoia are sooo not ideal - in fact, they're worse than in The Grove, or in the pod. 

There are FOUR perspectives in this book - Alina, Quinn, Bea, and Ronan (Ronan is the son of someone really important politically in Breathe, but I can't really remember the father's position). Each teen has a very important role in this book. I liked all four of them quite a bit, which was nice, because in Breathe, I really was not a fan of Alina. Alina is tough, Bea is unshakable, Quinn is matured, and Ronan, well, Ronan makes decisions that affect the outcome of this novel. Good for him.

Life in Sequoia was so weird, and definitely dystopian. I was totally grossed out when I read some of things that went on in Sequoia, but at the same time, I expected it. I think it was admirable that Crossan included such a society in this series - she's showing readers what could happen. It reminds me a bit of In the After by Demitria Lunnetta.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story, but I had problems with major plot points (see below). What I did absolutely LOVE was the environmental science part of this series. It didn't seem as prevalent in this book as it did in Breathe, but I love that Crossan made it a central theme in the book (and series). What happens when air is not breathable? Find out in Breathe and Resist.

I may have had problems with the plot (the climax, specifically), but I liked the ending. It seemed a bit vague - I would have wanted to know more about the new society, but I'll accept it as it is and move on. Crossan does take the ax to a few characters, but I think it was necessary. I kind of wanted to know what happened to other characters, like Quinn's parents, but whatever. I enjoyed this book, for the most part, and I'm glad I read the series!

What I Did Not Like:

This book was not as good as the first book. It sucks that sequels get compared to their predecessors, but it's bound to happen. I expect books in series to get better and better as the series goes on, or at least, the same level of "great" with which the series started. This book felt like a bit of a letdown, even if overall, it was a satisfying read.

For one, I had to skim or almost peruse parts of the book. Unlike the first book, not everything grabbed my attention. The FOUR alternating perspectives started to wear on me, and I found that I didn't always want to read next perspective that I encountered. Like, I would quickly read Ronan's part, in order to get to Bea's part. At some points in the book, some characters had more boring perspectives than others. Or, others had more interesting perspectives than others.

It seemed too easy, when Alina and the rest of the refugees at Sequoia escaped. It didn't seem realistic. Like, EVERYONE got away, unhurt, perfect, free. And then they reached the pod? Where did the children go? I was confused about that - where did everyone else go? I know Alina, Silas, and a few others made it to the pod, but where were the others? 

The same goes for the actual fight for the pod - who was fighting who? Vanya versus the pod? Who was fighting for the pod, the rebels, the Resistance, the pod's army? A combination of everyone? I really didn't understand the climax (the final battle), and that kind of sucked (to not understand). 

Would I Recommend It:

Overall, as a single book, not entirely? If you read the first book, I think you should read this one - it's important for closer and whatnot. Finishing series is important, and the first book was GREAT. This book wasn't as good as the first book, but it wasn't horrible or anything.

As a series, I would recommend this series to people interested in environmental science, like me. This duology will always stick out to me (i.e., I will always remember it) because of the heavy environmental science content. That is easily my favorite "thing" about this book - how involved it is with environmental issues. So, as a series, if you're interested in the science, read it! 

If you weren't dying to read the series, then skipping it wouldn't hurt. It's not a majorly popular series, and it probably won't be the next Twilight, so don't feel bad about skipping it. But I think it's worth the read, for science-y people out there, like me.

Rating:

3 stars. This was a pretty okay conclusion to the series! Sarah Crossan is definitely a solid author, and I'm looking forward to reading her next project!

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