I really loved this book. The story concept was fantastic. I also really loved the inclusion of a signed language and it was well explained you knew what signs they were doing. The mutism was an addition to the story that was really well done and added another layer to the story. The toxic family vs the found family was such a great contrast that really resonated with my own life. Marie Lu really created an amazing world that felt so real and characters you could really connect with and felt things for. I felt all the emotions Red and Talin felt. The characters really made this story as they should in most stories. I felt grief and excitement. The book overall was very fast paced and very well written. I think this is the best book Marie Lu has written, hands down. Everything was so flushed out. The storytelling is impeccable with so many important messages threaded throughout the story. I cannot wait to read the second one!