Betrayed: Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: In which the wangst continues. I'm very sorry
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: Zoey exits her shower and finds that Shaunee and Erin have brought her soup and brown pop. They tell her to eat something so she can drink the stuff Neferet gave them, as well as to feel better. Zoey says that she doesn't think she'll ever feel better and, if this were better written, it would be believable as her reacting to her grief. As it is, I expect to hear her whine "What is food?" at some point.
Of course everyone is in full-on drama llama mode, so when Zoey says she won't ever feel better, Erin bursts out crying and declares that if Zoey never feels better, she will never feel better. By this point, I don't think I'll ever feel better either and we're not even one page into this chapter. Shaunee plays the old "the deceased would be unhappy if you never got over it" card, and they all fondly reminiscence about Stevie Rae's over-the-top accent. So nice to know that Stevie Rae had so little characterization that there's nothing to remember her by but her stereotypes.
Zoey starts to eat, but pauses to wangst over how the House of Night won't be holding a funeral for Stevie Rae. Erm, we already established this, hun. You know they don't hold funerals, seeing as they ignored the deaths of Elizabeth and Elliot in the last book. The Twins mention that there probably will be a funeral held by Stevie Rae's family, and we get some "hilarious" banter about how Stevie Rae was from such a remote hick town of a bumpkin area that no one from the House of Night will bother to stop over and visit. This causes them to remember the Fighting Hens mascot from the town and gets them to wonder if hens really do fight and ultimately leads to them making jokes about cock fighting because ha ha, they said "cocks", isn't that funny?
Someone kill me. Please.
Zoey finishes her soup and goes off for bed. The Twins remind her to drink Neferet's liquid, but Zoey, in a burst of genre savy-ness, is mindful of Aphrodite's warning and pours it down the bathroom sink. Just as she gets to her room, her phone rings. Surprise, surprise, it's Grandma Redbird! Grandma has had a completely unexplained Deus Ex Machina feeling that Zoey's soul is tortured (no, they don't word it exactly like that, but they pretty much go on like it is) and whatever could the matter be? Zoey tells her grandmother about the death of Stevie Rae, and Grandma Redbird is appropriately sad and gives comfort. She goes on about Stevie Rae being reunited with Nyx, and I have to wonder what is up with the mentality of the people in this world that they just drop their previous beliefs on the spot to worship the same deity. Doesn't anyone hear about Nyx but say "That's nice, but I still am a devoted [insert religion here]" or "I get what you believe, but I still believe blah, blah, blah". It's unbelievable and it's pretty unfortunate implication-y in regards to the People of Faith, considering that they're the only ones who know about Nyx and decide to hold on to their previous faith instead of jumping on another ship.
Anyway, Zoey tells her grandmother about how she's expected to treat Stevie Rae's death as a speed bump and how she can't bring herself to do that and will instead see to it that her friend's death is properly honored. That's all well and good, and as I've said several times, it's a great flaw in the vampire world, except for a few things.
First of all, the entire thing just comes across as rather casual, considering what they're discussing. I know there are ways people talk about the death of a loved one, but referring to someone refusing to acknowledge the deaths of children as anything more than temporary setbacks is more than "shortsighted" (which is how Grandma Redbird describes it).
Second of all, Zoey has known about this since the first book. She learned about this when Elizabeth died. She saw it all when Elliot died. And she only suddenly decides it's Sick and Wrong when it's her own friend who has died? I'm serious, her thought process is basically "Oh, well, that sucks. OH MY GOD, HOW DARE THEY IGNORE STEVIE RAE'S DEATH???" Protagonist-centered morality, anyone?
*sighs* Grandma Redbird warns Zoey not to do anything that might get her in trouble. Zoey replies, and I'm dead serious, "Grandma, I am the most powerful fledgling in the history of vampyres. I think I should be willing to get in a little trouble for something I feel strongly about".
There you have it. Zoey just outright said "I'm the best, most important fledgling in the history of vampires and I can do what I want". Yes, I realize it's supposed to be her saying she should use her power for a good cause, but keep in mind that she also considered this as a reason why she should be allowed to shack up with her teacher.
Grandma Redbird sends Zoey love and says she'll pray for their grandmother's spirits to watch over her (because she's a Majik Cherokee, remember?) and they hang up. Zoey starts getting ready to wangst some more when Heath texts that he got his own Deus Ex Machina feeling, and is everything alright? Christ, what is up with everyone magically knowing that something happened to Zoey so they can run and hold her hand? Zoey texts back that her friend died and, in a rare poignant moment, Heath texts back how his own friends have been dying.
Yes. Thank you. Remember that, Zoey? Remember that stuff is going on with the lowly humans? I guess if your hot human boyfriend isn't bringing it up, you don't remember it. After all, they smoke pot and deserve to die for it.
Zoey sins thine ass off about forgetting that Heath's friends have been getting violently murdered and texts that she's sorry. He offers to come visit her, and she instantly starts going on about how much she'd love to find comfort in his manly arms. While her boyfriend just came home and has been very worried about her. Just thought I'd remind you that Erik does, in fact, exist. Zoey seems to have forgotten about him.
Finally, Zoey pulls herself out of her flight of fantasy and texts that no, she's good. Plus he has school. He replies that it's a snow day, and there's a brief moment where Zoey remembers snow days at her old school and how much she misses them. That would be great, if it wasn't pulled out of thin air for this one moment. Cast ladies, you can't do that. If you have Zoey do nothing but go on about how her human life sucked and how she doesn't miss anything about it, having her randomly say "Oh yeah, there was that one thing that I never mentioned before and will never mention again that I miss" has no emotional connections to us.
Heath texts back that he'll comfort her on Friday, and Zoey goes on about how much she'd love to be with him on Friday. I really cannot wait for Erik to break up with her in the next book. Zoey sins her ass off some more, this time in regards to her imprinting on him. She acknowledges that she ought to go to Neferet, confess that she drank some more of Heath's blood, and see what can be done to fix it. She then remembers what Aphrodite said about Neferet being a liar and uses that as an excuse to do nothing. That's right, she doesn't figure to try talking to another teacher or something, she just decides to ignore the problem. Oh, and she texts Heath and tells him that sure, she'll see him on Friday.
*head desk*
"What the hell. It felt as if my life was unraveling like the hem of an old skirt. I didn't want to tell Heath no, and worrying about our Imprint was just one thing too many to worry about right now"
ZeldaQueen: Yes, you just sin that ass off, Zoey!
Zoey snuggles down to go to sleep, when Shaunee and Erin enter the room and ask if they can sleep with her as well because they don't want to be alone. Whatever, can we please just end the chapter already?
No, because now Damien is coming in with a sleeping bag and pillow. Erin and Shaunee make a stupid joke about him "getting ready to defile us virgins". Erm, is the usual terminology "deflower"? Anyway, Damien launches into a sappy speech about how they must all stick together. He finishes by assuring them that no *ahem* defiling will be taking place and congratulating them on using such a big word like "virgin". Oh, for Christ's sake, if virgin's a big word what's the smaller word equivalent? "Unsexed"? There's also a jab at the fact that Erin and Shaunee are probably not virgins, which they are not bothered by and which I honestly do not care at all about. Zoey does though, because she makes a mental note to ask them questions later. Okay then...
Damien tells them that it's a snow day tomorrow, so they won't have to worry about sneaking him out as everyone will be sleeping in. He asks if Zoey and Stevie Rae had ever listened to the radio in the morning, and Zoey replies that they always listened to country music, which served as a motivator because she wanted to escape it. Ha ha, it's funny because Stevie Rae is a hick and only hicks like country music!
Everyone goes back to being sappy and promising each other that if they die, they won't forget one another. Thank the lord, they all finally go to sleep and the chapter ends. GAH, this is boring!!!
Onward to: Chapter 25
Back to: Chapter 23
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 24
ZeldaQueen: Zoey exits her shower and finds that Shaunee and Erin have brought her soup and brown pop. They tell her to eat something so she can drink the stuff Neferet gave them, as well as to feel better. Zoey says that she doesn't think she'll ever feel better and, if this were better written, it would be believable as her reacting to her grief. As it is, I expect to hear her whine "What is food?" at some point.
Of course everyone is in full-on drama llama mode, so when Zoey says she won't ever feel better, Erin bursts out crying and declares that if Zoey never feels better, she will never feel better. By this point, I don't think I'll ever feel better either and we're not even one page into this chapter. Shaunee plays the old "the deceased would be unhappy if you never got over it" card, and they all fondly reminiscence about Stevie Rae's over-the-top accent. So nice to know that Stevie Rae had so little characterization that there's nothing to remember her by but her stereotypes.
Zoey starts to eat, but pauses to wangst over how the House of Night won't be holding a funeral for Stevie Rae. Erm, we already established this, hun. You know they don't hold funerals, seeing as they ignored the deaths of Elizabeth and Elliot in the last book. The Twins mention that there probably will be a funeral held by Stevie Rae's family, and we get some "hilarious" banter about how Stevie Rae was from such a remote hick town of a bumpkin area that no one from the House of Night will bother to stop over and visit. This causes them to remember the Fighting Hens mascot from the town and gets them to wonder if hens really do fight and ultimately leads to them making jokes about cock fighting because ha ha, they said "cocks", isn't that funny?
Someone kill me. Please.
Zoey finishes her soup and goes off for bed. The Twins remind her to drink Neferet's liquid, but Zoey, in a burst of genre savy-ness, is mindful of Aphrodite's warning and pours it down the bathroom sink. Just as she gets to her room, her phone rings. Surprise, surprise, it's Grandma Redbird! Grandma has had a completely unexplained Deus Ex Machina feeling that Zoey's soul is tortured (no, they don't word it exactly like that, but they pretty much go on like it is) and whatever could the matter be? Zoey tells her grandmother about the death of Stevie Rae, and Grandma Redbird is appropriately sad and gives comfort. She goes on about Stevie Rae being reunited with Nyx, and I have to wonder what is up with the mentality of the people in this world that they just drop their previous beliefs on the spot to worship the same deity. Doesn't anyone hear about Nyx but say "That's nice, but I still am a devoted [insert religion here]" or "I get what you believe, but I still believe blah, blah, blah". It's unbelievable and it's pretty unfortunate implication-y in regards to the People of Faith, considering that they're the only ones who know about Nyx and decide to hold on to their previous faith instead of jumping on another ship.
Anyway, Zoey tells her grandmother about how she's expected to treat Stevie Rae's death as a speed bump and how she can't bring herself to do that and will instead see to it that her friend's death is properly honored. That's all well and good, and as I've said several times, it's a great flaw in the vampire world, except for a few things.
First of all, the entire thing just comes across as rather casual, considering what they're discussing. I know there are ways people talk about the death of a loved one, but referring to someone refusing to acknowledge the deaths of children as anything more than temporary setbacks is more than "shortsighted" (which is how Grandma Redbird describes it).
Second of all, Zoey has known about this since the first book. She learned about this when Elizabeth died. She saw it all when Elliot died. And she only suddenly decides it's Sick and Wrong when it's her own friend who has died? I'm serious, her thought process is basically "Oh, well, that sucks. OH MY GOD, HOW DARE THEY IGNORE STEVIE RAE'S DEATH???" Protagonist-centered morality, anyone?
*sighs* Grandma Redbird warns Zoey not to do anything that might get her in trouble. Zoey replies, and I'm dead serious, "Grandma, I am the most powerful fledgling in the history of vampyres. I think I should be willing to get in a little trouble for something I feel strongly about".
There you have it. Zoey just outright said "I'm the best, most important fledgling in the history of vampires and I can do what I want". Yes, I realize it's supposed to be her saying she should use her power for a good cause, but keep in mind that she also considered this as a reason why she should be allowed to shack up with her teacher.
Grandma Redbird sends Zoey love and says she'll pray for their grandmother's spirits to watch over her (because she's a Majik Cherokee, remember?) and they hang up. Zoey starts getting ready to wangst some more when Heath texts that he got his own Deus Ex Machina feeling, and is everything alright? Christ, what is up with everyone magically knowing that something happened to Zoey so they can run and hold her hand? Zoey texts back that her friend died and, in a rare poignant moment, Heath texts back how his own friends have been dying.
Yes. Thank you. Remember that, Zoey? Remember that stuff is going on with the lowly humans? I guess if your hot human boyfriend isn't bringing it up, you don't remember it. After all, they smoke pot and deserve to die for it.
Zoey sins thine ass off about forgetting that Heath's friends have been getting violently murdered and texts that she's sorry. He offers to come visit her, and she instantly starts going on about how much she'd love to find comfort in his manly arms. While her boyfriend just came home and has been very worried about her. Just thought I'd remind you that Erik does, in fact, exist. Zoey seems to have forgotten about him.
Finally, Zoey pulls herself out of her flight of fantasy and texts that no, she's good. Plus he has school. He replies that it's a snow day, and there's a brief moment where Zoey remembers snow days at her old school and how much she misses them. That would be great, if it wasn't pulled out of thin air for this one moment. Cast ladies, you can't do that. If you have Zoey do nothing but go on about how her human life sucked and how she doesn't miss anything about it, having her randomly say "Oh yeah, there was that one thing that I never mentioned before and will never mention again that I miss" has no emotional connections to us.
Heath texts back that he'll comfort her on Friday, and Zoey goes on about how much she'd love to be with him on Friday. I really cannot wait for Erik to break up with her in the next book. Zoey sins her ass off some more, this time in regards to her imprinting on him. She acknowledges that she ought to go to Neferet, confess that she drank some more of Heath's blood, and see what can be done to fix it. She then remembers what Aphrodite said about Neferet being a liar and uses that as an excuse to do nothing. That's right, she doesn't figure to try talking to another teacher or something, she just decides to ignore the problem. Oh, and she texts Heath and tells him that sure, she'll see him on Friday.
*head desk*
"What the hell. It felt as if my life was unraveling like the hem of an old skirt. I didn't want to tell Heath no, and worrying about our Imprint was just one thing too many to worry about right now"
ZeldaQueen: Yes, you just sin that ass off, Zoey!
Zoey snuggles down to go to sleep, when Shaunee and Erin enter the room and ask if they can sleep with her as well because they don't want to be alone. Whatever, can we please just end the chapter already?
No, because now Damien is coming in with a sleeping bag and pillow. Erin and Shaunee make a stupid joke about him "getting ready to defile us virgins". Erm, is the usual terminology "deflower"? Anyway, Damien launches into a sappy speech about how they must all stick together. He finishes by assuring them that no *ahem* defiling will be taking place and congratulating them on using such a big word like "virgin". Oh, for Christ's sake, if virgin's a big word what's the smaller word equivalent? "Unsexed"? There's also a jab at the fact that Erin and Shaunee are probably not virgins, which they are not bothered by and which I honestly do not care at all about. Zoey does though, because she makes a mental note to ask them questions later. Okay then...
Damien tells them that it's a snow day tomorrow, so they won't have to worry about sneaking him out as everyone will be sleeping in. He asks if Zoey and Stevie Rae had ever listened to the radio in the morning, and Zoey replies that they always listened to country music, which served as a motivator because she wanted to escape it. Ha ha, it's funny because Stevie Rae is a hick and only hicks like country music!
Everyone goes back to being sappy and promising each other that if they die, they won't forget one another. Thank the lord, they all finally go to sleep and the chapter ends. GAH, this is boring!!!
Onward to: Chapter 25
Back to: Chapter 23
Back to: Table of Contents