Backlist Book Review #2 | This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing another backlist book review. I did my first last week on Monday, in which I reviewed Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi. In this series, I review a book I read weeks, perhaps months, ago. As time passes, details fade. So instead of my regular paragraph format, I answer four questions: What is my rating, what is the book about, what do I remember, and does the rating still stand. 

Goodreads

Without further ado, here is my review for This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada!

Title: This Cruel Design
Author: Emily Suvada
Series? Yes, the second in a trilogy
Pages: 394
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
Date Read: November 17, 2018
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Source: I received an ARC of This Cruel Design via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

What did I rate it?

Four out of five flowers!

What is it about? 

This Cruel Design is a sequel to Emily Suvada's debut, This Mortal Coil. The second in a series, This Cruel Design follows Cat after the events of the first book. Cat believes that she and her friends defeated the Hydra virus. However, new cases occur after the antidote is given to everyone, and this new mutation is even more dangerous. Cat must travel to the city of Entropia to fix the vaccine before more people die. Along the way, Cat learns more about her past and her own identity. 

What do I remember? 

Much like my last backlist book review, I remember the key points, like the reveal at the end. This Cruel Design leaves on a cliffhanger, so that really stuck with me. I also remember who gets infected, who dies, and what happens between Cat and Cole in regards to their romance. There were a couple other reveals that I remember as well, but I definitely forgot details about the world and what caused certain characters to drift apart. I also still remember my biggest critique of This Cruel Design. In the first half of the book, there wasn't a clear direction where the plot was going. While I like being on my metaphorical toes as I read, this lack of direction did drag the book a bit. Although the book dragged, I really liked Cat's internal conflict. 

Does the rating still stand?

Yes, the rating still stands! This Cruel Design isn't a perfect book, but it was highly entertaining and provided more insight into the world. I thought Suvada's multiple twists and her conflicts, both internal and external, were done well. I wish there was more direction in the plot, but I still enjoyed the book a lot. I am looking forward to and will be reading the third and final book! 

Did you read This Cruel Design? What did you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!