Hush, Hush: The Story

[zelda_queen]

ZeldaQueen: So, we've gone through the story, and now it's time for one last test. We get to look at the book summary and see if we get an accurate representation of what it's about. Everyone ready?

Comments

[aikaterini]

/And never so unbelievable. Seriously, there is not a single thing in that book that warrants Nora changing her mind about Patch being a dangerous asshole./

*mock-fangirl voice* But - but he’s *hot!* And he fell in love with Nora along the way and stopped himself from killing her! Isn’t that so romantic?

/no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her./

The language of that phrase is very telling. Vee doesn’t try to help her find boys to date, she doesn’t suggest possible boys for Nora to date, no, she “pushes them” at Nora. She forces Nora to come into contact with boys whether she wants to or not. Because that’s what best friends do, don’t you know? They push their friends around and force them to date boys against their wishes. Don’t you wish you had friend like Vee? *sarcasm*

/Also, you ever notice how it's always that the girl has never had any interest in guys before The Love Of Her Life shows up? What, does it make an epic love unbelievable to imply that there were relationships before that? Or, considering how Patch treats Dabria, is it a disgusting double standard that it's fine for guys to date around, but girls should be demure and save themselves for the Right Guy./

Yeah, it’s the sexist double standard that really bothers me. I wouldn’t be as annoyed by this trope if it weren’t so one-sided. I mean, let’s look at a few bad YA books:

1. Jace from “The Mortal Instruments”: Randomly made out with a waitress while at a restaurant with Clary and Co. and tells the reader that there were “other girls” when Clare gave us his POV for some reason. Is praised as a stud and a ladies’ man and a sexy bad-boy, while Isabelle, who also has apparently dated a lot, is portrayed as vain and shallow. Clary has apparently never dated anyone before Jace.

2. Patch from “Hush, Hush”: Dated Dabria, cheated on her with another girl, and continued to treat her like garbage after he dumped her. Nora has apparently never dated anyone before Patch.

3. Damen from “Evermore”: Dated Drina (is it just me or is it an incredible coincidence that both Drina and Dabria have names that start with ‘D’ and end with ‘a’ and are painted as psycho exes for daring to be angry that their partners dumped them for someone else?) before dumping her for Ever (or Ever’s reincarnation before she was killed).

4. Chen Yong from “Silver Phoenix”: Had a romantic relationship with a childhood sweetheart before getting together with Ai Ling. Ai Ling has never dated anyone before Chen Yong.

So, yeah, guys, feel free to date around! Boys will be boys, after all! If girls get upset about it, then they're just jealous harpies who are getting in the way of your fun! But don't let your girlfriends have any boyfriends before you, then they're just promiscuous playgirls who are only good for a one-night-stand! *sarcasm*

The only exception I can think of right now is, of course, Edward Cullen. But Meyer wasted a great opportunity there (just like she did with everything else). Instead of making Edward endearing and shy or confident and comfortable with his virginity, she made him an obsessive control freak when it came to sex and marriage.

As for Zoey and Erik of “House of Night,” yes, Zoey did date Heath before getting together with Erik, so she is an exception in that sense. But Erik also dated Aphrodite, so it’s not like Zoey was his first love either.

/Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment/

Ahem, you mean against her *sanity, self-respect, and common sense.* Anybody with two brain cells would steer clear of Patch.

/when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life./

*flatly* The “right” choice involved her throwing herself from a great height so that Patch would get a human body. If not for Fitzpatrick’s contrivances, *that* choice would have cost her life.

/One dude was after her because Patch ruined his life and not because of fallen angels!/

And one woman was after her because her sole purpose was to be Patch’s jealous and crazy ex-girlfriend. Yeah, what epic conflict and struggle. -_-

[zelda_queen]

Well, there is a bit where Zoey basically says that she isn't sure she wants to date Erik because he had been with Aphrodite, but it still comes across as bitchy, given how unwilling he was. Given how Kayla was treated for wanting to hook up with Heath and how the two girls who later try to hook up with Erik (who has blessedly dumped Zoey by that point), I think the rule of sexuality and dating in the House of Night world pars down to "Does Zoey think that guy is hot? If so, he is forgiven any trespasses and any girls who try to date him are whores".

[chibi_regalli]

Well, the childhood sweetheart one in number four sounds okay, on paper at least. Still, I'm betting there's some execution fail for it to get mentioned? Plus, it's an annoying trend.