Extremely slow to build up. Also, the main character was so unlikeable and so slow to change that I didn't begin to care about her until the end. ( )

I am slowly learning that I am not into protagonists who take eons to trust their new friends. I guess that's on me and not the book. ( )

Poe loses her love to violence - and that sends her into the arms of revenge. She trusts no one and has shut herself off from relationships, instead focusing all her energy into hurting those who killed her love. But she is forced to recognize that things aren't as black and white as she has told herself, and in spite of herself Poe begins to find herself trusting and caring even at the risk of her heart. A good post-apocalyptic adventure. ( )

Ally Condie does not strike me as an angry person. In fact, based on her social media postings, she seems perfectly lovely. With a gorgeous family and close-knit set of friends, her posts exude happiness. Something must have been bothering her while she was writing her latest novel, however, because it is the epitome of an angry novel.

The titular character of The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is an unhappy woman. She loses her one love during a raid and funnels all her pain and rage about that loss into seeking revenge of the bloodiest, most brutal kind. Poe is extremely capable, intelligent, and crafty, and she doesn’t give a damn about anything. It is sort of awesome.

Wherein all the other novels on this list start with women who are not angry and become so as they understand hard truths, Poe’s story is one of reversal. Poe already understands the hard truths. Hers is a journey to remember her humanity. Poe reminds us there is a balance to working through your anger, that to let it consume you means the bad guys win. It is every bit as timely a message as is the messages to fight against the injustices of the world and is perhaps the most important message of all.

Unfortunately, The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is the weakest of these angry novels. The fault lies not in the writing but in the lack of world-building. We have no frame of reference for the setting, no history to let us know if this is an alternate universe, the future, or a re-imagined past. There are clues, but the gaps are wide, requiring a bit too much imagination which then does not allow you to sink into the story as you should. The secondary characters are weak, providing inadequate support for Poe’s formidable character. The plot is simple, a bit too much soo, and while the action is hot and heavy, the lack of plot becomes obvious the further into the novel you go. It isn’t a bad novel, but when compared to the other angry author novels out there, it falls short.

First, I have to say I absolutely loved the Matched trilogy and Atlantia by Ally Condie. I've been a fan of her work for a long time. So, that being said, The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe is my least favorite of all. It's not a bad story. The Mark Twain steampunk vibe is truly unique for a dystopian story. I have never read anything like this world. The main character is indeed cold and calculating with a specific goal in mind. I understand her motivation for wanting to exact revenge on those who so justly deserve it. Poe is a sympathetic character who is also very determined and possibly slightly obsessed with revenge to the point where she is blinded by it. My main problem is that my attention kept drifting off. Something was lacking for me ,and I'm not exactly sure what. Still, it's a clever and original story for readers to enjoy. ( )