Actual rating: 2.5/5 
 When I read books, I tend to take a lot of notes, quotes, observations, anything that stands out to me (for better or worse). After having read Elegy, I looked down at my notebook and realized that I've got almost nothing scribbled down. There was almost nothing that I found memorable. It wasn't exceptional on any front; it wasn't terrible, it wasn't good. I just didn't like it very much. From my subjective standpoint, it was just outstandingly boring, despite the fast pace and action-filled plot and despite the fact that this book closes the Hereafter trilogy. 
 In the first book, we are introduced to the main characters and the mystery of how Amelia died; we meet Josh, we see them as they fall in love. In the second book, Amelia and Josh goes to New Orleans, meet a whole clique of Seers, and some new friends. Now, we come to a close as Amelia is threatened by some ghosts who wants her to join their dark side under duress. Despite all the plotting and planning, all the action as Amelia and her friends plan to get back at the dark side. 
 I found their planning and and plotting to be harebrained and confusing. The writing seemed to be explanatory, until I find myself read passages where Amelia & co. were concocting their course of action and I realized I didn't have a damn clue what was going on. It seemed well-explained enough on paper, it just didn't make any sense. It feels like listening to a very confident speaker who's just bullshitting his way through a speech; the strong tone masks the fact that the whole damn thing doesn't make a grain of sense. Transfer powder? What the heck? 
 And it's not just the mechanism of the plan that doesn't make sense, some of the things that the teenagers do in preparation are just thoughtless beyond belief. They're supposed to be secretive and try to stay under the radar, yet they show up at prom in everyday clothes and try to lure kids into joining their side with beer. The idiocy of their plan are laughable at times. Hint: one plan involves a actual hand grenade. The plans they hatch are full of holes, and I didn't think a single one held up in credibility. Brilliant ideas hatched up by Amelia, and certain decisions made by the people involved just didn't make any sense, nor did the reasoning behind them. 
 The writing is fine, nostalgic, since it's from our sentimental ghost (or rather, Risen) Amelia's point of view. Amelia has always shown initiative and she does the same in this book, even if her plans are considerably more preposterous. She shows a pretty considerable amount of martyrdom, which I absolutely hate, blaming herself for things beyond her control. Amelia even recognizes it in herself: 
 "'Do you hate me now, knowing that I caused someone's death?' 
 My question dripped with self-pity, and I hated myself a little for asking it." 
 Good lord. YA heroines, let me tell you once and for all: if people threaten to kill the ones you love, it's their problem. Unless you are a mass murderer, you are not directly responsible for anyone's death. Stop taking the blame for things beyond your control. Amelia is not a bad character in this book, she has never been overall, but I just can't find myself liking her or feeling like I connect with her character. Her behavior is consistent with the person she is overall, but she never really grows, despite making the sacrifices she has always done throughout this series. I never felt like she's a real person...even if she's not a real person. Or a real person in the book. And not because she's a ghost. Whatever, you get my drift. 
 I feel like we could exchange Joshua's character for Ethan Wates in the Beautiful Creatures series and the story wouldn't miss a step. Joshua is just too good to be true. He's kind, loving, caring, observative, forgiving; he's mopey, overly attached. He's more of a girl than Amelia is, I got pretty sick of Joshua's character because of how clingy and feminine he was. I know some readers find his actions to be sweet, and his and Amelia's relationship to be beautiful and strong. That it is, but it is also really unrealistic. I know guys are capable of the higher emotions, that they feel love strongly, that sensitivity is a positive character trait. That said, Joshua's character is just too much, too unbelievable, too perfect to be true. Their relationship is too perfect; they're too in love. 
 "'We can run,' he said fervently, bringing our clasped hands between us and clenching tightly. "Amelia, let's just run...we'll run away---to California, or Wyoming, or...hell, we'll just pick a state with as few rivers as possible and settle there." 
 Instead of arguing with him---countering his appeals with all the reasons that they were wrong---I shook my head and smiled sadly. 
 'We can't, Joshua. I can't.' 
 Almost as soon as I said it, his face fell." 
 Yep, their fights are pretty legendary, all right, if legendary means "mild, half-hearted, and absolutely lacking any form of dissension." Amelia and Josh's fights last all of five seconds, Joshua concedes to Amelia 99% of the time, and the relationship is more idealistic than realistic. 
 I just couldn't conjure up any bit of emotion about this book. People die. Things get destroyed. I couldn't bring myself to care one way or the other.