Deliverance

Deliverance - C.J. Redwine In my previous reviews for Deception and Defiance (the 2nd and 3rd books in the Currier's Daughter Trilogy) I had stated my concerns for the lack of closure, and my hopes that a resolution would come by the end of the series. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed! These books do not stand alone from each other. They are truly three parts of the same story. But that being said, it is a story worth reading. This deserves 4.5/5 stars, for me.
I have loved the characters from the beginning, even though it took until this book for some of them to really come alive to me. By the end we see they are well constructed and complex characters. The villains, who were one-noted in the beginning, were given different nuances in this book. Some of them even redeem themselves. But the heroes - and there are many - are the ones who truly shine here. Rachel and Logan grew so much throughout this story, and end up becoming all they had the potential to be. They both learn how to open up to the people they trust, how sharing burdens and responsibilities can be a sign of intelligence rather than weakness, and how the only thing a person can control in life is the choice they make towards the kind of person they want to be. It's a beautiful lesson to learn. And it's even more beautiful because they don't do it alone. All the supporting characters - Willow, Quinn, Adam, Nola, Drake, Tom, Frankie, Connor, Marcus, Samuel, Ian, and so many more - had depth and purpose in this story. They could stand on their own and didn't need to be part of Rachel and Logan's story to be believable. Yet, they worked together beautifully.
In this book we also better understand this world and how it turned out. It is interesting to see Redwine's vision of an unglobalized world ruled by a few (often tyrant) rulers. Even though there are still inconsistencies, they haven't bothered me here. I like this danger-filled world enough to let them pass.
The dangers and the action are other terrific features in this book. I bet that, like me, you'll always be left guessing what will come next and will have a hard time putting this book down. Like the former books in the series, it is a thrilling, fast paced, action packed adventure. There are fights, love scenes, sweet moments, and heart breaking ones - and most of them fall nicely into the plot.
The love scenes, by the way, are lovely, but not too steamy (therefore proper for any audience, I would say). The violent scenes, on the other hand, though exciting, are sometimes pretty graphic (lots of blood, torture and raw violent emotions). For that reason, I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 12 years old. But since the lessons are pretty clear over the consequences of those violent actions, I believe this book is great for teenagers. I also think it's a great book for people who have gone through any loss. Like Deliverance, this book deals with the different ways people handle grief, and I think many people could relate and maybe even learn new ways to deal with their own pain. This is not a self-help book, though, so obviously don't rely on it to be.
All in all, these books are great reads. I would recommend this series to any YA lovers, and most definitely would recommend this book for people who read the first and second ones.