** spoiler alert ** 
 I had a very difficult time trying to get into this book. Maybe if I hasn't been super busy with school I would have done a little better getting this book read. I didn't feel very connected with any of the characters until the very end when pretty much EVERYONE dies! But I think it's because of the ending that I even decided to give it an extra star. I didn't get in the book AT ALL until Max came into the picture and even then I had a difficult time getting into it. Overall, I gave it three stars. I thought the overall book was "ok", but "i liked" the ending.