Envy

Let me say how happy I am to be the first to review ENVY (I do so love being number 1)! Now let's get down to it. Robin Wasserman's Envy had some sizeable shoes to fill after the release of Lust in Mid September and many (including yours truly) did not expect this book to surpass it's predecessor. But, in fact, it does. Envy is by far better than Lust in that there is just as much action and even better exploration of who the characters are and how they came to be who they are. One basic flaw of Lust was that Miranda and Adam were immediately introduced as dear friends of Alpha Girl Harper, but then there was little interaction between the characters and Harper. There was little evidence supporting many of Wasserman's claims (such as Miranda being snarky, Adam and Harper being best friends, Harper being witchy and selfish) but in this book, Wasserman raises the bar by taking the focus off of sex (shocking for a teen book of this day and age) and creates a more personal analysis of personality and background, the former more so than the latter. Kane and Kaia, for example, were portrayed in Lust as the troublemakers. The manipulative, heartless schemers who just took what they wanted and to heck with everyone else. In the latest installment of the series, there are rare moments where Kaia recalls her childhood (being passed around like luggage by two uncaring parents) and readers glimpse Kane's conscience. Wasserman makes these moments memorable without overdoing it. She doesn't try to go too far too fast in "redeeming" these characters. She just makes them understood, if not immensely liked. Also notable are the interactions between Harper and Kaia and Harper and Adam. The Harper/Adam relationship becomes believable and natural and the moments between Kaia and Harper, two virtual enemies are pure fun. Kaia and Harper's scenes light up the page with their snide remarks and witty banter. They are so much alike, and it was hilarious to see them bond and become partners in crime. The author does a fabulous job of illustrating that while they are enemies, Harper and Kaia are the real soulmates in this book. By far the best part of Envy is the action packed last chapters. Unlike Lust, the book had a huge payoff and all the plotting and schemeing came to a head. Very few will be disappointed by the conclusion. However, as delightful as this book was, there were a few drawbacks. First off, Harper became a complete witch as she abandoned Miranda in her time of need and gave up her old loyalties to chase blindly after Adam. While Harper is so well-developed a character that readers will certainly forgive her, it is disappointing to watch her downard spiral into witchiness. Miranda also spiraled down into a whiny, whimpering brat that should be smacked in the face and forced to take responsibility for her own life. There were also too many Beth scenes (the series is written in third person, but the book is separated into segments told from the point