Post by kait on Feb 5, 2012 20:27:18 GMT -5
We are tearing through this book, ladies and gents! Can you believe we're already into CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE?!
Lena finds herself standing outside the Crypts, the filthy rotting jail meant for criminals, the mentally unstable, sympathizers and resisters. Is this where Alex thinks Lena's mother is? It sure seems so, because even though it's absolutely foul, they're venturing inside.
Alex uses the cover up story that Lena is the daughter of a high-powered official who had an incident of disobedience at her evaluations. They all believe it, but even more concerning than that is that Alex KNOWS most of the security personnel.
"He blows air out of his cheeks and says 'My father's here. That's why I come.'"
"But isn't Alex's father dead?", you ask! He is. He died in the Crypts after being caught, then he was buried in the lackluster graveyard in the facility.
"I never knew he'd been taken into custody ... My aunt and uncle told me when I was fifteen. They wanted me to know. I came down here to meet him, but... Anyway, it was too late."
In the midst of all this, there's a sweet moment were Lena realizes Alex doesn't use his real last name either, so they both his one true name and one name for the persona they share with Society. Finally, there's someone else just like her in the world!
Alex's father was in the dreaded Ward Six reserved for political prisoners. In CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO he goes back there again, this time to see if the woman he knows is Lena's mother.
Then things hit a terrible snag: The guard isn't the person Alex thought it would be. In fact, the old guard Alex knew was thrown into Ward Six for being a sympathizer. And the new guard is highly suspicious.
"There's something strange about his eyes, a flatness and hardness that reminds me of a snake. I've never had a gun pointed at me before, and staring into the long black tunnel of its barrel makes me feel like I'm going to faint."
Thankfully, Alex manages to convince the man that he's with the Controlled Information Department, sent out to check out the situation and write a report. After some vague discussion with the new guard, Alex discovers the other man was jailed because he let a prisoner escape.
He also convinces him to let Lena back into Ward Six with the same story he gave the our security personnel, though it takes must more persuasion this time. Thankfully, the guard doesn't feel compelled to check their I.D. badges, otherwise they too would be in the Crypts.
"I am filled with competing thoughts and desires: My mother cannot be here; I would rather she was dead; I want to see her alive. And filled, too, with that other word, pressing itself underneath all the other thoughts: escape, escape, escape."
Sure enough, they go down the row of cells to the one that should belong to Lena's mother. She is not there. LENA'S MOTHER ESCAPED!
"On the ground ... a dull silver chain with a charm still attached to it: a ruby-encrusted dagger whose blade has been worn down to a nub. My father's charm. My mother's necklace."
It turned out Lena's mother have written the word LOVE all over the walls, then turned the O in one particularly large instance into a tunnel to break out!
Upon leaving the Crypts in CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE, Lena promptly freaks out . It actually gets to the point where she is in physical pain and has to walk into an abandoned alley with the help of Alex as to not make others suspicious.
"She's not there somewhere, breathing, thirsty, eating, walking, swimming. Impossible to imagine sleeping, and lacing up my shoes for a run, and helping Carol load the dishes, and even lying in the house with Alex, when I know that she exists."
Lena is overcome by the part that her family has allowed her to think her mother was dead for TWELVE YEARS, and also by the fact that her mother never came for her after escaping.
Suddenly, Lena is very ready to leave Portland for good and live in The Wilds. Alex tries to discuss the possible pitfalls of doing so, but all that does is make Lena MOAR ANGRY!
Alex has no choice but to give her a bit of a reality check. The truth train is a-coming!
"Your mother loved you. Do you understand that? She loved you. She still loves you. She wanted you to be safe ... And I love you too."
After that day, plans are made. Alex and Lena will disappear into The Wilds in a week, after Alex has taken trips a few times before to make sure they have supplies.
"I know that life isn't life if you just float through it. I know that the whole point-- the only point-- is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go."
How beautiful is that quote?!
Lena goes for what may be her last run ever with Hana in CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.
Their run ends at East End beach, where Lena finally builds up the guts to tell Hana about her escape plan. Like most people who hear their best friend met someone a few weeks ago and is running off to live with them in a third world country, Hana is pretty shocked.
"'We could do it,' I say, more gently. 'The three of us together.'
For a long time, Hana doesn't say anything. She looks out to the ocean, squinting, Finally she shakes her head, an almost imperceptible movement, shooting me a sad smile. 'I'll miss you, Lena.'"
For all her rebellion and unruliness, Hana's heart isn't really in it. She likes illegal music, she likes talking to boys, but she won't give everything up for it. Instead, she'll have her procedure, marry the mayor's son, and continue on in a comfortable, unfeeling life.
This scene! It aches! Lena and Hana immediately feel the strain as Lena explains why she must go. They too share a love-- the love of a good, solid friendship. Now it is at a crossroads.
Also, even if you hate everything else about it, I think the book is worth reading FOR THIS QUOTE ALONE:
"Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
But that isn't it, exactly.
The condemner and the condemned. The executioner; the blade; the last-minute reprieve; the gasping breath and the rolling sky above and the thank you, thank you, thank you, God.
Love: It will kill you and save you, both."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE comes along and everything goes straight to hell.
It's the night of Alex and Lena's escape into the Wilds. They're to meet at their usual place, 37 Brooks, but Lena finds it locked when she gets there, but assumes it's Alex's doing... until he arrives and knows nothing about the lock.
"A voice booms through the night 'Freeze! Both of you! Hands on your head!' At the same time, Alex's voice finally reaches me, urgent--'Go, Lena, go!'"
The regulators knew something was going on at 37 Brooks and set up a sting operation. Lena tries to make a run for it, but she is caught and literally beaten unconscious.
She awakens to find herself locked in her room. She can overhear Aunt Carol speaking with regulators, absolutely outraged that they did not catch the boy Lena was with. Alex is still safe and out there. THERE IS HOPE!
Lena is shocked when her sister, Rachel, walks in. She has a fleeting moment of hope when she remembers that Rachel was infected too. Maybe she understands!
Instead, Rachel is frigid and clearly pretending to be nice simply to discover the identity of the boy who "infected" Lena. The true location of their mother is brought to Rachel's attention for the first time, but Rachel thinks Lena is just sick and confused.
"She sighs ... 'In the few days you'll see. It was like a dream to me.'
'And you're happier now? You're glad you did it?' I ask her.
... 'Much' she says.
'Then you're not just like me,' I whisper fiercely. 'You're not like me at all.'"
Lena takes two "Advil" given to her by Rachel just before she and Aunt Carol break the big news: They've arranged for Lena to have her curing procedure a week early, in two days.
Just before she passes out, Lena falls apart as Rachel and Aunt Carol tie her down to her own bed.
_______
Now that we're all super depressed and frustrated for Lena, let's take a torturous break. We'll pick up next week, at which time we will FINISH THE BOOK! Can you handle it?!
Lena finds herself standing outside the Crypts, the filthy rotting jail meant for criminals, the mentally unstable, sympathizers and resisters. Is this where Alex thinks Lena's mother is? It sure seems so, because even though it's absolutely foul, they're venturing inside.
Alex uses the cover up story that Lena is the daughter of a high-powered official who had an incident of disobedience at her evaluations. They all believe it, but even more concerning than that is that Alex KNOWS most of the security personnel.
"He blows air out of his cheeks and says 'My father's here. That's why I come.'"
"But isn't Alex's father dead?", you ask! He is. He died in the Crypts after being caught, then he was buried in the lackluster graveyard in the facility.
"I never knew he'd been taken into custody ... My aunt and uncle told me when I was fifteen. They wanted me to know. I came down here to meet him, but... Anyway, it was too late."
In the midst of all this, there's a sweet moment were Lena realizes Alex doesn't use his real last name either, so they both his one true name and one name for the persona they share with Society. Finally, there's someone else just like her in the world!
Alex's father was in the dreaded Ward Six reserved for political prisoners. In CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO he goes back there again, this time to see if the woman he knows is Lena's mother.
Then things hit a terrible snag: The guard isn't the person Alex thought it would be. In fact, the old guard Alex knew was thrown into Ward Six for being a sympathizer. And the new guard is highly suspicious.
"There's something strange about his eyes, a flatness and hardness that reminds me of a snake. I've never had a gun pointed at me before, and staring into the long black tunnel of its barrel makes me feel like I'm going to faint."
Thankfully, Alex manages to convince the man that he's with the Controlled Information Department, sent out to check out the situation and write a report. After some vague discussion with the new guard, Alex discovers the other man was jailed because he let a prisoner escape.
He also convinces him to let Lena back into Ward Six with the same story he gave the our security personnel, though it takes must more persuasion this time. Thankfully, the guard doesn't feel compelled to check their I.D. badges, otherwise they too would be in the Crypts.
"I am filled with competing thoughts and desires: My mother cannot be here; I would rather she was dead; I want to see her alive. And filled, too, with that other word, pressing itself underneath all the other thoughts: escape, escape, escape."
Sure enough, they go down the row of cells to the one that should belong to Lena's mother. She is not there. LENA'S MOTHER ESCAPED!
"On the ground ... a dull silver chain with a charm still attached to it: a ruby-encrusted dagger whose blade has been worn down to a nub. My father's charm. My mother's necklace."
It turned out Lena's mother have written the word LOVE all over the walls, then turned the O in one particularly large instance into a tunnel to break out!
Upon leaving the Crypts in CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE, Lena promptly freaks out . It actually gets to the point where she is in physical pain and has to walk into an abandoned alley with the help of Alex as to not make others suspicious.
"She's not there somewhere, breathing, thirsty, eating, walking, swimming. Impossible to imagine sleeping, and lacing up my shoes for a run, and helping Carol load the dishes, and even lying in the house with Alex, when I know that she exists."
Lena is overcome by the part that her family has allowed her to think her mother was dead for TWELVE YEARS, and also by the fact that her mother never came for her after escaping.
Suddenly, Lena is very ready to leave Portland for good and live in The Wilds. Alex tries to discuss the possible pitfalls of doing so, but all that does is make Lena MOAR ANGRY!
Alex has no choice but to give her a bit of a reality check. The truth train is a-coming!
"Your mother loved you. Do you understand that? She loved you. She still loves you. She wanted you to be safe ... And I love you too."
After that day, plans are made. Alex and Lena will disappear into The Wilds in a week, after Alex has taken trips a few times before to make sure they have supplies.
"I know that life isn't life if you just float through it. I know that the whole point-- the only point-- is to find the things that matter, and hold on to them, and fight for them, and refuse to let them go."
How beautiful is that quote?!
Lena goes for what may be her last run ever with Hana in CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.
Their run ends at East End beach, where Lena finally builds up the guts to tell Hana about her escape plan. Like most people who hear their best friend met someone a few weeks ago and is running off to live with them in a third world country, Hana is pretty shocked.
"'We could do it,' I say, more gently. 'The three of us together.'
For a long time, Hana doesn't say anything. She looks out to the ocean, squinting, Finally she shakes her head, an almost imperceptible movement, shooting me a sad smile. 'I'll miss you, Lena.'"
For all her rebellion and unruliness, Hana's heart isn't really in it. She likes illegal music, she likes talking to boys, but she won't give everything up for it. Instead, she'll have her procedure, marry the mayor's son, and continue on in a comfortable, unfeeling life.
This scene! It aches! Lena and Hana immediately feel the strain as Lena explains why she must go. They too share a love-- the love of a good, solid friendship. Now it is at a crossroads.
Also, even if you hate everything else about it, I think the book is worth reading FOR THIS QUOTE ALONE:
"Love, the deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
But that isn't it, exactly.
The condemner and the condemned. The executioner; the blade; the last-minute reprieve; the gasping breath and the rolling sky above and the thank you, thank you, thank you, God.
Love: It will kill you and save you, both."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE comes along and everything goes straight to hell.
It's the night of Alex and Lena's escape into the Wilds. They're to meet at their usual place, 37 Brooks, but Lena finds it locked when she gets there, but assumes it's Alex's doing... until he arrives and knows nothing about the lock.
"A voice booms through the night 'Freeze! Both of you! Hands on your head!' At the same time, Alex's voice finally reaches me, urgent--'Go, Lena, go!'"
The regulators knew something was going on at 37 Brooks and set up a sting operation. Lena tries to make a run for it, but she is caught and literally beaten unconscious.
She awakens to find herself locked in her room. She can overhear Aunt Carol speaking with regulators, absolutely outraged that they did not catch the boy Lena was with. Alex is still safe and out there. THERE IS HOPE!
Lena is shocked when her sister, Rachel, walks in. She has a fleeting moment of hope when she remembers that Rachel was infected too. Maybe she understands!
Instead, Rachel is frigid and clearly pretending to be nice simply to discover the identity of the boy who "infected" Lena. The true location of their mother is brought to Rachel's attention for the first time, but Rachel thinks Lena is just sick and confused.
"She sighs ... 'In the few days you'll see. It was like a dream to me.'
'And you're happier now? You're glad you did it?' I ask her.
... 'Much' she says.
'Then you're not just like me,' I whisper fiercely. 'You're not like me at all.'"
Lena takes two "Advil" given to her by Rachel just before she and Aunt Carol break the big news: They've arranged for Lena to have her curing procedure a week early, in two days.
Just before she passes out, Lena falls apart as Rachel and Aunt Carol tie her down to her own bed.
_______
Now that we're all super depressed and frustrated for Lena, let's take a torturous break. We'll pick up next week, at which time we will FINISH THE BOOK! Can you handle it?!