2.5 stars 
 I know, this rating came as a shock to me too. This book was an ambitious one in a lot of ways, and yet it fell short in many areas. Its characters were a mixed, and rather empty, bag. Its world building left me skeptical while wanting more. And its plot felt aimless at times, with large events often lacking scale. Nonetheless, I will admit that This Savage Song kept me reading quickly (with a few frustrated furrows and mystified eyebrow lifts along the way). 
 The Worldbuilding 
 Schwab sets the bar incredibly high in V-City. As in, 24 million people high. That's the populations of New York, London, and Hong Kong combined in one city. And yet, we only see V-City through the lenses of August an Kate, meaning we only see the lives of the city's rich and powerful. Without many characters leading average lives in V-City, Schwab has no choice but to directly tell (not show) the reader what things are like for its citizens. (view spoiler)[The scenes with the two soldiers, Harris and Phillip, were a notable exception. I also appreciated August's exchange with man at the truck stop, who responds to August's comment that he is tired of fighting by saying "Aren't we all?" (hide spoiler)]. Without any view of ordinary life in the city, it begins to feel quite small, despite that huge population. 
 Then there's the world outside V-city. This bit felt really artificial. For exampe, when the characters helpfully get a literal history lesson on the continent, all of the provinces have virtuous names (like "Valor, Charity, Fortitude, Verity," etc), which felt both implausible and heavy-handed. 
 The Characters 
 Kate: Although I've seen some complaints that she's a generic, badass female protagonist, I actually found Kate's character to be quite believable. Her fixation the other Kates, living out what would have happened after every choice she didn't take, was a great twist on her worldview. Her motivations, such as her search for her father's power and approval, made her bold stunts believable as well. 
 August: our other protagonist was also understandable, yet often aggravating. He faces huge issues with his own identity throughout the book, yet this struggle (between being a monster and a human) lacks depth. It's clear to the reader from the start that he is human in his emotions and thoughts. (view spoiler)[ His character arc, of coming to grips with the fact that he truly is a monster, felt messy and drawn out. I'd love to here other opinions on this part, though! (hide spoiler)]. 
 Callum Harker: though he may act charismatic in public, his plans never seem fully formed or particularly cunning. It becomes clear that he feels no emotional connection to those close to him, leaving the reader with no clue what motivates him. I wish Schwab had unearthed a little more of his wishes and desires, so that he could have some semblance of the drive of our protagonists. 
 Sloan: (view spoiler)[Seriously, this guy was simple, pure evil from the start. We never even get an interesting monologue from him! (We do get some nice, tense conversations between him and Kate, though.) At one point, Kate has a temporary realization that someone with red eyes was present at the car crash. This makes it super clear to the readers that Sloan was to blame all along. Learning this way before Kate does feels aggravating, and lessens the final reveal. When KAte does eventually learn that Sloan murdered her mother before her eyes, the narration barely touches on her emotional reaction, adding to the sense of anticlimax. But more on that below. (hide spoiler)] 
 Ilsa and Leo: Finally, some supportive characters! They're a precious rarity, in this book. Still, they both had strong beliefs and motivations, and I really found myself caring about them. (view spoiler)[ For Ilsa, I would say her belief/motivation is a sense of responsibility for the city, given how she ended the war. Thus, she pictures the city's instability as cracks, and they all emanate from her. And, when the Flynns can't find August, she considers it her personal duty to take action and go to him (hide spoiler)]. 
 The Monsters 
 Using violence to breed her monsters was a stroke of genius on Schwab's part. As the undeniable bad guys, though, the Corsai and the Malchai could have been a whole lot scarier. The monsters felt like too little of a threat, in the face of the technology and reinforcements of the city. Although, the use of ultraviolet light (similar to daylight) to combat the Corsai, creatures of the night, was explicable, inventive, and consistent. 
 The Sunai had a lot of odd pieces thrown into one. Their eyes, their tallies, their body temperature, their "falling," their confession, their music, their invulnerability. The list goes on and on, and although many of their features serve the Sunai's central purpose, their features otherwise seem quite random. 
 The Plot and Pacing 
 Schwab uses a very gradual style of exposition. She explains facts about the world to the reader as they go, even if these facts were already obvious to the characters. This technique sidesteps exposition dumps, but it still takes some patience. Otherwise, things will start confusing and then stay confusing. 
 As for the pacing, I felt that certain information was needlessly restated near the beginning, but the balance between action and information improved as the story progressed. Later in the plot, the protagonists sometimes moved quickly yet aimlessly. On the bright side, the antagonists normally provide a goal soon enough. 
 Finally, I felt that the narration seemed oddly devoid of grief. When horrible things happen and characters die, the protagonists function like pretty much nothing has happened. I kept waiting for the release of anxiety or grief that must surely be building, but it never came. In short, it felt like the opposite of catharsis.