3.5 stars 
 I really enjoyed the world that was being presented in this story. I know a lot of people are complaining that it is reminiscent of the Hunger Games and other YA dystopia, but most YA dystopia utilized the same tropes and ideas, so I didn't penalize the book for that. 
 I liked the how the author created the Reds and Silvers and how you can see how having superpowers and being the X-men would create a world where those who have power with no soul would suppress a people who they deem weaker than them. That's real and also Magneto's dream come true. But I appreciated the realness of that as well as the notion that there are other cultures, nations out there instead of this being the "I'm taking down the whole world by myself" situation. It's more controlled with larger implications and I liked that. 
 The story itself was paced well. There were battle scenes and set-up scenes which worked very well. You didn't lost in all the action and you didn't get bored with all the non-action. 
 And I completely dig the superpowers, especially Mare's power, completely awesome. 
 Now, what I had an issue was the characters. I dislike when you have character that is supposed to be sweet-wise but is the most gullible character known to man. Like, prior to this, how did you ever survive. And I get making realistic character who is figuring things out, but when you already have information just from your life and you don't use it, or better when key people tell you important advice, but you apply it to the wrong people, it was annoying. So yea, I would have liked the book more if 1) Mare Barrow actually acted in the way she was described 2) if Cale wasn't so wooden - like his character was there but hollow like and 3) there was no love triangle/square. To the book's credit, I've never seen a love square before so that's new. 
 Overall, I did enjoy the story, can't wait for the next one, and hopefully Mare gets some street smarts.