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 If you have read in my review of SPLINTERED, then you know I love originality-especially in YA. While LEVEL 2 brings this, it falls short in other categories, leaving much to be desired. Its major downfall was the concept of memories, which are basically cleverly designed flashbacks. 
 Let me give you a little background here. Felicia, our protag, is trapped in Level 2. "Limbo," if you will. How did she die? Well you'll find that out soon! By soon, I mean the end. Yep! You find out what she has been talking about almost nonstop in the book and in her memories literally ten pages to the end. Anyway, a boy she knows from her past suddenly appears, and Felicia is about to find out just how much of the afterlife was hidden from her. 
 Since I addressed it first, let's talk about the flashbacks memories. I hate them. Blunt, sorry, but true. Especially when they are not even in order. Not only am I going into the novel with no knowledge (and slowly-so slowly-gain more) but I have to try to figure out if one memory happened before the other and it's just a mess. Frustrating, to say the least. 
 Religion plays a relatively substantial role in LEVEL 2, in a hidden sort of way. There is talk about God, angels, Church, fallen angels, and Heaven. I am a Catholic, and even I thought it had a bit too much. A few of the flashbacks take place in Church and I found myself skimming those pages. There is a way to talk about such issues and I did not feel this was it. 
 The ending was tied up, even pretty much hinting that it was done, with no real plot holes or room for expansion. I felt it was thrown together, though. The conflict was solved in a ridiculously fast pace-and not in a good way. 
 Felicia is forgettable, she's not really anything special except for the fact we are told she is special. I'm still not quite sure why she was so important to everyone. 
 As I am content (if you could say that) with the ending, I will not be reading the sequel. Three stars because it was semi-entertaining and unique.