This book...was scary.
And, as an avid horror movie fan, this is not something I say lightly. The tension kept ratcheting up the further I got into the book, and by the end, I was actually afraid for our intrepid duo. (I'm putting the rest of this under a spoiler cut, though I'm not sure how spoilery it is. Better safe than sorry.)
To see the changes in both of them as the island took hold of them--especially with Perry as we were privy to her thoughts--was really horrific. This is easily my favorite of the series thus far, and I cannot wait to dig into the next book.
I think I mentioned this in my review of the first book, but Perry is one of the most 'real' fictional characters I've come across lately. Her doubts, her insecurities, the way she tends to overthink a lot of stuff are all things I can relate to. It's almost painful at times to see everything through her eyes; the things she sees and her doubts about her sanity, her feelings for Dex--and knowing that he has a girlfriend, her worries about Dex's health (both emotional and physical), her self esteem issues, and I could go on here. Yet, for all her insecurities and issues, she's tough. She's a hell of a lot tougher than she thinks she is.
Dex...is an interesting character. I almost don't quite know what to make of him most of the time. He can be so sweet and caring towards Perry and then...well, there are times I wish I could strangle him. But he's definitely interesting, and I'm enjoying learning more about what makes him tick as the series progresses.
I also like the fact that Perry can put him in his place when he needs it.
I'm curious to see how the relationship progresses between the two of them as the series continues. We know how Perry feels about Dex, and he sure seems to have strong feelings for her...but then there's Jenn, his girlfriend, who he actually doesn't really seem to like that much, so why is he with her? (I know there's a novella from his perspective that I've not quite gotten to yet, and that one, I can't wait to read.)
I'm hoping that will be revealed in the next book, since we're finally going to get to meet Jenn.