Atlas Six (Atlas Series, 1)

I listened to this on audiobook, but only when my friend was with me so it took a long while to get through. This is not a book where all of the characters are lovable, the flaws were front and center here and people are mostly motivated by wanting knowledge/power. There are some lofty discussions of scientific/philosophical topics which are interesting but can sometimes make the story drag. Not much happens besides the Six studying and interacting with each other, then at the end the plot all rushes forward and just as it's getting exciting the book stops there. Hopefully this is promising for the next book, but it leaves you feeling a bit cheated after spending so much time reading this one.

“I know exactly what shape she takes up in the universe,” he pleaded in explanation. “If anyone can recognize her, it’s me.”

I will never recover. I adored this book and I knew when I picked it up it was going to be my first five-star read of 2022. The characters are fascinating and I loved the sinister/mysterious feel the entire book had.

I am usually really good at guessing where a book is going, who is the villain, what kind of plot twists there will be, etc. This book kept me on my toes the entire time. I did not guess a single element of the plot correctly.

Started off very good and could have been interesting. But 100 pages in became wordy and academic and couldn't hold my interest.

4.5 stars!

I almost gave this 5 stars, but I think it's not quite at the 5 star level compared to the rest of my 5-starred books. But I was obsessed with this book in so many ways. I'm going through a huge urban magic in the "real" world kick and this really was the book that kicked it off. While I wish the magic system was a little more clear, that didn't really feel like the point of the book. For me, the point of the book was the characters and their flawed personalities and relationships with each other. While none of them were inherently likable, I still found myself invested and into all of them (except for Callum, he sucks). Books that focus on character development over plot tend to be my favorites, which this book definitely did.

I also adore dark academia, and this was all dark academia. The vibes with the old house, the mysterious "headmaster," and everything was just *chef's kiss*. I did want a little bit more found family, but I'm fine with the way things are right now. (Also I know people ship Nico/Gideon, but I'm a Nico/Libby shipper all the way RIP). I am so invested in where these characters end up in the next book and if they manage to band together. I really hope that they continue using their powers together in order to ||defeat Atlas and Ezra|| because I do love a good ~discovering compatibility and saving the day~ storyline.

The only thing I think I struggled with a bit was some of the language and concepts when they were talking about physics and time and all that. It all just went a bit over my head, so I skimmed those bits. I got the jist of it, so that was good enough for me. I don't know if I just need a better grasp of physics or something to get those bits, but the rest of the book made up for it regardless.

I'm so looking forward to the next book and maybe getting my Nico/Libby ship. Also Ezra sucks so hard, what a typical guy. I still dislike Callum, but I think I hate Ezra even more than that lol.

I adore dark academia.  The characters were all terrible and yet I worried and rooted for each of them at different times.  There were some slow bits in the middle but I was engaged and enjoyed the book until the end.  I will be reading the next one.