The Characters: 
 Tod - has always been my favorite (he and Uncle Brendon) right from the beginning, and to borrow a phrase from the book, I am even more impressed with the man he has become than the boy he was. We already knew he could be cheesy and silly, as well as selfless and dedicated, but he took both qualities to a new level in this book. I love him even more now. 
 Kaylee - from having no respect for her for the first four books, I have come to have tremendous respect for her growth and resilience in the last hook and in this one. 
 Sabine- I still don't agree with anything that comes out of her mouth and I still hunk her relationship with Nash is unhealthy, but my feelings toward her have mellowed somewhat. 
 And that's about it. Don't care about the rest of the cast. 
 The Big Twist: 
 Considering the resolution, it wasn't that big a twist after all. The dead character still lives on In another fashion, taking the sting of what was supposed to be 'permanent' away. Eh.