Check out more of my reviews!I'm a huge fan of Beautiful Creatures and all of the other books in the Caster Chronicles series. When I heard of Icons, I was extremely excited because I was so excited to see how Margaret Stohl would fare without Kami Garcia. Stohl blew me away with Icons and it exceeded any expectations I had. It's so hard to express how much I loved Icons in one short review. Margaret Stohl tosses out all of the generic alien stories and creates her own original alien mythology. All of the world building and alien mythology is like nothing I've ever read about! The aliens (or should I say, The Lords) are not your typical aliens at all, they don't say "Take me to your leader" or hyperbeam people into their ships. Icons is more of a dystopian novel than paranormal book even though it's about aliens. I would have liked to read more about Earth before the Day but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. I love how Stohl used documents, letters, and posters to help advance the story. I definitely didn't expect any of the plot twists and that left me completely shocked. Icons is a fast-paced, fantastic dystopian novel that will leave you desperate for the sequel. Even though Stohl creates a sort-of love triangle, she doesn't overly emphasis the romance. The romance is definitely a component of Icon's plot but it doesn't slow down the plot in any way. The romance isn't overdone at all and it was done extremely well. (This is coming from someone who usually isn't a huge fan of romance in YA novels.) I just hope that in the sequel, the romance doesn't become too overwhelming. Don't make me choose between Ro and Lucas, seriously I like them both in different ways. Also I don't pick teams in YA books because I just hate all the "Team Edward" or "Team Gale" nonsense. I really love all of the characters Stohl created, even the evil ones. I have such a strong connection to all the characters and I have such strong feelings for them. Al of the characters are so wonderfully developed that I felt like they are real people. Stohl brought her characters to life so beautifully that they are real and they live on in my mind. I've said it then and I'll keep on saying it. Stohl is an extremely talented writer and her writing style is absolutely fantastic. I was so engaged by Stohl's beautiful writing and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It The pages flew by while reading Icons and by the end I desperately needed the sequel. I can't recommend Icons enough! I am seriously in love with the world and characters that Stohl created. It's no surprise to me that Alcon swiftly optioned Icons to become a movie. I think Icons would make a terrific movie and I hope it becomes a movie soon! I am so excited for book #2 of Icons, I am legitimately desperate to find out what happens in book #2. Thank god, this didn't end on a cliffhanger otherwise I probably would have had a heartattack. (I know I'm dramatic but you get my point!). Icons is Margaret Stohl's brilliant solo debut and I look forward to reading more of her upcoming books. Now I have to cross my fingers that I get an ARC of Unbreakable by Kami Garcia.