In the third installment of the Shadow Children series, we follow Nina, who has been unjustly arrested for treason by the boy she "loves."

I was really irritated with the "love" theme. Nina is supposedly 13 years old, but there's a lot of talk about her being in love - she even uses the word "beloved" at one point - and is constantly remembering all the kissing that apparently went on between them, and it was incredibly ridiculous!

The story itself, of her trying to find a way out of prison, and learning who she can and can't trust, was alright, but I never really connected with her character, which was disappointing, especially since this was the first book in the series to have a female protagonist.

On top of being unlikeable in general, Nina was exceedingly dumb - at one point, she asks if it's possible to die from not drinking water, because she doesn't know. She also doesn't realize the sun rises, that apple trees take years to grow, and I could go on... This all seemed very implausible, because even though she had spent her life secluded indoors, her Gran and aunties read books to her. Surely she would have picked up a few things that way?

I'll continue the series, because I'm a finisher, but I really hope the following books are better. ( )

FROM AMAZON: What does it mean to save yourself?

Nina Idi - a third child in a society where families are allowed only two children - has been betrayed by the boy she loved and arrested by the Population Police for exposing other alleged third children. Angry and confused, Nina knows only one thing for sure: She is innocent of the charges. But now she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life: Get three other prisoners to admit they are shadow children and be spared herself, or refuse to cooperate and be killed. The options are clear. The choice, Nina discovers, is not....

"Everything that had happened to Nina was real. She had real handcuffs on her wrists, real scars on her back, real fear flooding her mind.
"'They're going to kill me,' Nina whispered, and it was almost a relief to finally, finally give up hope."
In a society that allows no more than two children per family under penalty of death, third children are forced into hiding, or to live with false identity papers. In Among the Impostors, Nina Idi was arrested for treason for supposedly trying to trick the Population Police into arresting other students she said were illegal third children. Now she faces torture or death -- unless she agrees to betray three other imprisoned third children. Her dilemma intensifies when she meets the prisoners -- who are only ten, nine, and six.
As she did so brilliantly in the Publishers Weekly best-selling Among the Hidden and in Among the Impostors, Margaret Peterson Haddix once again brings readers to a world in which nothing is as it seems -- a world in which an imprisonment leads to an adventure of mind, body, and spirit. ( )

good - Michael

My memory tells me this was my favorite book from the entire Shadow Children series when I read it years ago, but that's pretty much everything I can still remember about it. I definitely have to reread the books in order to refresh my memories. ( )

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.

This book told the story from a different person's point of view, but still a shadow child. I liked the switch up, and the ending was amazing. These are short and easy to read books with a scary kind of plot. I'm excited to see how it progresses. ( )