Originally posted on my blog, With Her Head In a Book. 
 The Invasion of the Tearling is essentially two books in one - flashes to the pre-crossing and the present tale about Queen Kelsea. Kelsea is overtaken by visions that follow the life of a woman named Lily. These flashbacks to the past were my favorite parts of the novel. Readers are finally given insight into the origins of the Tear. It may have just been my mood, but the Tearling kingdom and the war with the Red Queen honestly could not hold my interest as well as Lily's life. Possibly because The Invasion of the Tearling is reduced to only half of the book - if that. I felt like we spent more time in the past. Any readers expecting to be immersed into Kelsea's kingdom get the short end of the stick. The novel could have benefited as having Lily's story as a novella with the final bites included in the actual book. 
 The first book The Queen of the Tearling wasn't a show-stopper but was good enough for me to burn through in a few days and see enough potential for a good second book. So based off my past feelings, I'm not surprised that I wasn't crazy for the fantasy world of the Tear. If you didn't really like the first book, the second book won't win your heart over. I will mention it does answer many of the questions readers were left wondering about, yet be prepared for new puzzles. 
 Kelsea is still the same badass girl that won me over in the series opening, but she's lost her way. Her magic is growing and she has to choose which side to feed - the good or the bad. She doesn't always make the right decision, even though that is what she continuously strives for. She's grown up and she reflects that - what a woman she has become! Her interests are refined and she's not quite the naive girl we met in the first book. I was not satisfied with a couple of her decisions at the end of the book, though the ending in itself was pretty enjoyable. She seemed to fall back into her First Book issues of stupidity and rashness. 
 This is NOT a book for all audiences. The detail to self-harm, torture, and rape surprised me considering the genre. If you're considering this novel for a younger teen, please decide carefully. There's almost too many "bad things" being taken on all at once in the novel. Somethings like the child sex slave industry and fight clubs are only lightly touched on and muddled the complex and confusing Tear world. I like that the author talks about the tough things - I just wish she did so better. Having said that, the writing style is absolutely pleasing and well-done. I was captivated into the novel, often forgetting that I was even reading a book. 
 I will be picking up the third and final book with the same mindset I had upon completing the first novel: the series has potential. This isn't a homerun of a series like I had hoped for, but I have enjoyed reading Johansen's works nonetheless. 
 If you've finished the novel and deeply enjoyed the pre-crossing visions, like I did, and want more of the same stuff, I have a recommendation for you. While not apart of the same series, the novel California by Edan Lepucki (view my review on Tumblr and Goodreads) shares the same tone and desolation. Lily is "one of the lucky ones" and lives a decent life in a disastrous society; California offers the view of someone not so lucky on the other side of the wall. 
 Plot: 2/5 
 Characters: 3/5 
 Writing Style: 4/5 
 All Around Idea: 3/5 
 Total: 3/5