Let's say 3.5. It took me around 150 pages to get into the world building. At first it was hard to read but then I couldn't stop.<br/>I loved all the angst in this. Kai being mean, Elliot suffering, misunderstandings. Exquisite. <br/>The end however felt a bit rushed and I'm sad we didn't get to read the Letter.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars. This book was a very pleasant surprise to me. I came into it expecting a cute romance and while I still got that, it was so much more! It was a really well thought world, with interesting and well-constructed characters, an engaging plot and, yes, a nice romance to top it off. It was written as a retelling of Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, the feel is that of a country state of Jane Austen's England. There are nods to the original work, and even though it follows the plot of the book, the new elements the author brought in, the personality of the characters in itself and the story as a whole is fresh and engaging. One of the things I liked the most was the fact that all of the characters in the novel had a purpose, not simply to further the MCs storyline, but with a plot and background of their own. Obviously, it doesn't that much characters, but those presente are there for the entire book. I absolutely loved Elliot. I mean, what this girl had to go through, and the entire time she always did what was right and what she could to protect the people she loved, while sacrificing her happiness and her chance at freedom for the greater good. And she had to suffer a lot, with a snobby and self-absorbed sister and a controlling father. I think that, even though I know that Kai was upset with her (for a very idiotic reason), but the fact that he conscientiously tried to hurt Elliot and stomp on her, dismissing her as another elitist Luddite, during most of the book upset me a lot. Their fights tore at my heart, because all I wanted was for Elliot to be happy. The ending and the letter got me smiling like a fool. I also loved the little introductions in the form of Elliot and Kai's letter for each other when they were kids for each past event that required kind of a flashback or a explanation, it helped to understand the situations with more ease. The dilemmas and moral debates in the book, as well as the criticism of technology and human genetics, enhancements and all that was super interesting and was well written into the book. It made me think about a lot of what was discussed. The only reason it's not a 5 star book was because I thought that the reason that Kai and Elliot were fighting was kind of stupid and unreasonable on Kai's part, especially because of what he defends the entire book. Still, this series was a nice surprise, a quick and enjoyable read.