Spoilers, only read if you’ve already read the book.
The first few chapters were okay, and I kept reading, anticipating that things would pick up.
But my goodness, they did not.
Lack of Depth in Characters
Lets start with the characters.
There is absolutely no depth to any of them.
The protagonist, Violet, feels like a cardboard cutout of a special girl trope with no real substance.
Supposedly, she is the smartest cadet, but her intelligence is reduced to reciting random facts from books.
Her inner dialogue is tedious and repetitive, making it hard to connect with her.
Instead of feeling like a fully realized character, Violet comes off as a vehicle for predictable plot points.
Also the villain?So vanilla.
Poor Worldbuilding and Fragmented Flow
The books flow is fragmented and has little buildup to anything.
Weak Romance
Then there is the romance.
The chemistry between Xaden and Violet is lackluster and basic, and their eventual relationship feels rushed and unearned.
When they finally get together, the payoff is underwhelming.
Side characters are one-dimensional and forgettable.
Violet herself barely changes or grows throughout the story.
But without depth or good storytelling to back it up, the book falls flat.
In my opinion,Fourth Wingis a perfect example of how buzz does not always equal brilliance.
