This series has received so much praise and attention, but as usual, it doesn't live up to the hype. There are many YA dystopias out there better deserving of all the acclaim this one has got. The whole series is short enough not to be a waste of time, though. The premise is interesting and the adventure entertaining, but there wasn't enough in-depth development of the themes it explores, nor a great break from the tropes of the genre.

More like 3.5 stars. I’d describe this book as an easy-read YA page-turner built around a great idea —what if we could make everyone pretty? The post-post-apocalyptic world-building is really interesting, the portrayal of the adolescent protagonist is spot-on, and the philosophical and ethical dilemmas are compelling. It’s packed with action and suspense, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but find it a bit naive in some ways, and I felt the other characters lacked depth. I’m still uncertain whether I want to read the next one in the series, even though this one ended on a cliffhanger.