Carve the Mark - Veronica Roth

I love when books are stuffed full of tropes. This one definitely was. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, first love, etc, etc. The stakes were great...what's better than saving your family, or those you love? 
And yet, I just couldn't fall in love with this one.
I can see that Roth was trying to make Cyra the strong female lead, with her martyr nature and torturous fate. But to me, she felt flat, almost whiny. There was much to admire, but I just couldn't get past the obvious opportunities she squandered.
Akos was similar, but not quite as bad. He wanted to help his brother, and would do anything to make that happen. He fought for himself and for those he loved, while still keeping a piece of himself intact. While he was the love interest, again, I just couldn't get in to their connection.
It gave kind of Shatter Me meets Hunger Games kind of vibes, which was why I was excited to read it. And I've loved Roth's previous books, so figured this was a sure thing. I liked the setting, the originality and the immersive world building, but at times it felt repetitive and a little anti-climatic. I mean, the Shotet want to rule, and yet they scavenge from other planets? It just felt a little unlikely, in terms of political dynamics.
Overall, it was okay. Not sure if I'll read the second one or not...

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