Here are my reviews for Book 1, The Taking, and Book 2, The Replaced, in the Taking trilogy.
Release: May 10, 2016
Pages: 384 [Goodreads]
The Countdown is the final book in the Taking trilogy. After the NSA attacked Blackwater Ranch in the previous book, all the returned and replaced scattered to find safety. When The Countdown begins, Kyra, Kyra’s father, and Tyler are hiding out at a campground. The trio has been bouncing from campground to campground — never staying more than one night in one place in order to stay off the NSA’s radar.
Early on, Kyra is separated from her father and Tyler. She’s jumped and drugged by an unknown blonde assailant. For a while, Kyra is on her own, her father and Tyler are desperately trying to find Kyra, and the rest of the Blackwater Ranch crew who made it through the attack are trying to locate Kyra and any other potential survivors.
The first third of The Countdown was a tad forgettable because it was mostly recap and slow buildup. However, once that 100 page mark came and went, and more of the taken and replaced joined up again, the story really exploded! We got some badass-power-wielding Kyra, some deceptions and twists, and some swoony romance — all the elements that made me love this series so much in the first place!
I said it in my review for Book 2 and I’ll say it again: the romance between Simon and Kyra was too forced. Maybe Simon had feelings for Kyra, but I never once felt like Kyra showed any romantic or sexual feelings towards Simon. All Kyra can think about is Tyler. Even though I think this weird triangle unnecessarily dragged during the entirety of Books 2 and 3, I’m glad that it was resolved by the end of The Countdown.
When I started reading The Countdown, I thought I had everything figured out, but then towards the middle of the book, a slew of hidden agendas and lies were divulged, and I had no idea what to think anymore. Thank you, Derting, for pulling the rug out! It’s exactly what this last book needed!
I was initially worried that Derting had made the overall story too big for just three books, but by the end of The Countdown I was satisfied with how she tied things up.
I’m sad to see the Taking trilogy end, but the story and characters have run their course. I’ll miss Kyra and her feistiness, but I’m sure Derting is hard at work on another stellar book that you can bet I’ll be reading!
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing us with a copy in return for an honest review.
