Book Review: Opal

Goodreads summary:

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

My review:

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Opal ever since the terrible cliffhanger in Onyx back in August.  This is one of my favorite series ever, and Opal is just as amazing as the previous books, Obsidian and Onyx.  Also, I totally admit to stalking Opal on the UPS tracking website.  Yes, I was that anxious to know when it would arrive.  And it was completely worth it. :)

Anyway...on to the actual review.

Opal.  Was.  Epic!

I loved everything about it!  The characters...I could gush about them all day.  Katy is as wonderful as ever.  She is one of the best characters I've ever read.  I relate to her so much because of her love of books and her snarky sense of humor.  And I loved Daemon so much in Opal!  He's so sweet and caring and protective of Katy, yet he still has his cocky and arrogant side at times.  Completely swoon-worthy.  And poor Dee - she went through a lot in Onyx and it's so heartbreaking to watch her deal with it in Opal.  Then there's Dawson.  This one scene where he's talking to Katy almost made me cry...so sad!

The plot is amazing!  I read this book in one day and I barely put it down at all.  I always had to know what was happening next.  There's slightly less action than in the previous books, I think, but the stakes are constantly rising.  Unputdownable!  I loved it!

Another thing I love is how these characters are so realistic.  Take Katy, for example.  In Opal she struggles over whether she's able to kill someone if she needed to and how she'd deal with the guilt.  It was so refreshing to have characters that care about things like that. 

I should probably also mention that I despise Blake.  Yes, he shows up again in Opal.  He's just one of the most annoying characters on the face of the planet.  There's this awesome scene where Dee punches him.  I seriously loved that part.  And I love how Katy acts toward Blake - she's not afraid to stand up to him and tell him to mind his own business or stay away from her.  Yet on a more serious note, Katy worries over whether she and Blake are really so alike - is he truly evil?  He just did whatever it took to save his friends, and Katy knows she'd do the same.  I loved this particular struggle that Katy tries to figure out in Opal.

Lastly, I'd just like to say that Jennifer L. Armentrout is the definition of awesome.  I wish I could write like she does.  There's something about her books that makes them impossible to put down.  And her strong characters, hilarious dialogue, and action-packed plots are always amazing.  I love that while Opal has its serious moments, there's tons of hysterical scenes that make me laugh and smile.  She's such a talented writer!

Oh, and that cliffhanger at the end?  That was simply cruel.  I thought the cliffhanger in Onyx was bad.  Well, Opal is ten times worse.  Waiting for Origin to come out in July will be torture.

My rating:  10 out of 10 (5 stars)

~ The Bookworm