Thank you very much for the ARC! I've been looking forward to this sequel ever since I finished "Until We Shatter", so I was over the moon being given access to this early! Technically, both books can be read as standalones, but there are a few crossovers that happen AFTER the events of UWS, so if you have not read that yet you will be spoiled a bit going to it after Before We Collide. The book is amazing, the way that Dylan has structured her magic colour coded system is refreshing from the usual "dark academia" trope, and the language and banter between the characters is fun. The POVs are from opposite sides of the events, so you have a more spherical understanding of what is happening and how it affects and moves the plot ahead. The ending was satisfying, but I would love to see more of this world, so I hope we get at least a few books on more characters!

Before we collide is an interconnecting stand alone set in the same world as Until we shatter. Whilst it can be read alone, I really would recommend reading Until we shatter first as it not only gives some context to the characters of Esso, Cemmy and Chase, it also helps to explain the way the colour based magic system works and what the grey is. I really enjoyed this one. Raya is an interesting character, the daughter of two powerful Indigo shades who can see the future and expect her to succeed well in her life, except she’s failing. She asks the future an open ended question leading her trapped on a fateful path that cannot be changed. She meets Esso, still struggling after the death of his beloved in Until We Shatter, and together they must decide if they can work together to save the world or perish.

3.75