I'm about half way through this book and it has been sitting on a shelf for the longest time (probably at least 2 years?) because I just haven't gotten up the gumption to finish it. Perhaps its that its "YA" but there is just way too much going on and its written such that I really don't care to know each character individually - in fact that is the problem right there. I don't feel like the books have instilled in me an attachment to the characters. Thus I haven't finished the last one because I'm not overly interested in what happens. It is really rare for me to not finish a book once I have started it. 
 I have definitely started series and not finished them because I feel like they just weren't for me. But to get so far in a book and just stop I rarely do. I think there are way too many mystical things in these books and just as many half explanations. 
 So I'm going against the grain here when I say overall I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone since I know the general consensus has been that they were good books. Then I stop and think - if they were so good - why are there so many copies in my local bookstores? (Personally when I love a book I never give it up - it sits on my shelf waiting for a re-read). 
 Ok, I'll stop my ranting.