Dramatic irony, thy name is Supernova. (And it’s amazing.)

By the way, this is a review for the third book of a trilogy, so there will probably be minor spoilers for the first two books.

In Supernova by Marissa Meyer, a powerful villain is on the verge of taking over Gatlon City, a beloved boy’s life hangs in the balance, and secrets seem about to be exposed at any moment. Nova and Adrian have to face tough revelations and even tougher decisions. And as their greatest fears take form, they will have to see if they can break down the division between heroes and villains, because the stakes have never been higher.

Seriously, the dramatic irony is insane in this book! The reader knows things that certain characters don’t know, and it’s somehow both agonizing and delightful. I couldn’t decide if, when, and how I wanted everything to be revealed, and not knowing how it would go down was actually so fun. That’s a really great thing about this series—not being able to really predict where the plot would go. There are definite goals the characters have, and motivations, and secrets they want to protect, but in terms of what events will occur, it’s not always clear. That unpredictability makes this such a wild ride!

Furthermore, things introduced in the first two installments of this story develop and evolve in such cool ways. From the technology, to certain characters with murky backstories, everything starts converging. Things set up long ago get paid off, and it’s amazing. I especially loved how Nova’s storyline progressed, with her being so torn between the people she loves and what they all stand for. The nuance of the two sides of the core conflict are so well explored, particularly through her inner struggles. That said, Adrian’s journey is also wonderful. And the way these two come together is fantastic!

In terms of the other characters, I still really like the other team members, especially Ruby and Oscar. Max is a favorite, of course, and I loved seeing him in this book! I also enjoyed the scenes with Simon and Hugh, though I still wanted even more of them. This might be the one area I found lacking, though only slightly—the intricacies of how the Renegades run the city. There’s certainly depth, but I still wanted more somehow, especially in terms of Simon and Hugh’s feelings and motivations. I don’t know, it was still great though. I felt that I wanted to support the Renegades, since their intentions were so genuine and good, but also saw the Anarchists’ point about freedom being better than control and oppression. And Meyer does a good job weaving the theme through the plot without glorifying one side over the other.

I feel like I’m being so vague, but it’s really hard to talk about anything in this book without spoiling something important! Basically, this book is fantastic. From the characterization and the emotion, to the action and the drama, everything is so well-written. The scene in the arena stands out as one of the most thrilling sequences, but of course the climax is also pitch-perfect. So many moments had me enthralled, or shaken, or thrilled—or a combination. Supernova is an incredible conclusion to this story that delivers in essentially every area. I loved it!

(Side note, the epilogue?! I’m still internally screaming a little. Marissa Meyer, if I ever meet you again, I need to discuss that!)