Second Verse, Better Than the First

 

The Betrayed

By Kiera Cass

Publisher : HarperTeen (July 6, 2021)

Hardcover : 304 pages

ISBN-10 : 0062291661

ISBN-13 : 978-0062291660

Reading age : 13 years and up

Grade level : 8 - 9

Publisher’s Blurb:

Can you follow your heart when it’s already broken?

After fleeing Coroa and leaving the memory of her beloved Silas behind, Hollis is unsteadily adjusting to life in Isolte. The Eastoffe family’s affection is a balm on her weary spirit, though Etan, a surly cousin with a deep distaste for Coroans, threatens to upset the uneasy peace she’s found.

While tensions at home ratchet up, disquiet in the kingdom of Isolte is reaching a fever pitch. The Eastoffes may have the power to unseat a tyrannical king—but only with Hollis’s help.

Can a girl who’s lost it all put the fate of her adopted homeland over the secret longings of her heart?

 My Thoughts:

Let me be honest: I did not like the first book of this duo, The Betrothed. I only gave it two stars, and began to think that I might have finally gotten too old to enjoy YA novels.

 In the first book, I found the protagonist, Hollis, to be a shallow, vapid pushover. I didn’t like her “bosom friend” Delia Grace at all—talk about conniving. And there was a nagging plot hole about a certain set of deaths that really, really bothered me.

 By the end of book 1, I knew pretty certainly who Hollis would end up with. (Narrator voice: Vicky was right.)

 Really, I only requested an ARC of the second book because there were a couple of characters that I did enjoy, and did want to know the fate of.

 Reader, Kiera Cass redeemed herself in this one.

 This book picks up immediately after the first book’s end. So many of the things I disliked about the first book were resolved in the second. Delia Grace was barely present. Hollis matured from a vapid girl into a responsible woman. The plot hole was resolved, in a twist that might have even surprised me. Just a little.

 And there was one heck of a plot twist near the end that, although I realize now that it was heavily foreshadowed, I was not prepared for.

 Is it a perfect book? No. Middle-aged person that I am, I tire of the “instant love” of YA novels, in this case with Hollis and Silas (first book) and to a somewhat lesser degree here. At least, with Hollis’ ultimate pairing, there was a little bit more time for the relationship to blossom. (Let me be clear, I don't protest "insta-love" because I'm old. I protest it because I believe it sets up unrealistic expectations.)

 What I did like, though, was that Hollis learned what she was good at—caring about making people feel comfortable and safe—and she used it for the good of those around her. When she stopped thinking of all her weaknesses, she really bloomed. I loved the lesson about the importance of “found family” as well.

 If you didn’t like the first book—and I didn’t—definitely give this one a chance. It was a great three hours of a lazy Sunday morning.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Lots of murders. A little fighting. Plotting and scheming. Kiera Cass is pretty squeaky clean, so the romance scenes don’t go beyond kissing.

 Who might like this book:

Fans of the author, of romance, of women who learn to stand on their own two feet.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.