** spoiler alert ** 
 More of a 3.5, but I'm feeling generous. 
 Alternate title; All Beautiful People Must Die 
 Poor Humberto. At least when the two sexy men who die have sexy Spanish names I can scream dramatically while shaking my fist at the sky. "Alejandrooooooooooo!!!" 
 Best part of this book; all the love interests die. I can not believe 
 I just said that, but it was needed. Alejandro was a douche-canoe and Humberto...Well, I loved him, but this book isn't about me. He wanted Elisa to abandon her birthright and all of her power for his attraction to her. Lets be honest, his plan meant for some dramatic escape with them running off into the night. Bad idea. So he served his purpose, I still got upset when he died, but he was there to tell Elisa she could be loved, she could be beautiful, and the right one would come along. I kind of wish he lived and she dumped him, it would show more character growth, but a horrible death worked, I guess. 
 My initial problems with this book sort of evaporated the more I read. At first I found Elisa to be pathetic and a little unpleasant. but like her character, and everything else I didn't like, was resolved by the end of the book. I hated Alejandro and her desire to be loved by him. By the end of the book, she don't need no man. She gets tougher and smarter. She really grows as a character. 
 And I happen to like the weight loss. Don't bite my head off, she grows more athletic. she doesn't starve herself. She never skips a meal, if she can. She loses weight by walking across the friggin desert for three weeks. So it's a result of strength. It's not vanity, it's survival. So more power to her. 
 Overall, enjoyable plot, especially after the kidnapping. Great messages for teen readers, boys are stupid and romance is fun, so if you ruin your future to be with a teenage boy YOU ARE SO STUPID. At least that was what I got out of it. Elisa grows into a tough force of nature/messiah/kung fu action jesus/chosen one/whatever. Great female characters, the ugly but smart people triumph, and motives are continually questioned and revealed. Very complex and smart. not always the most engrossing, but I'm actually very glad I finished this, for all the clever choices the author made. Look forward to finishing book 2.