Questions About The Walls Around Us

by Nova Ren Suma (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (7)

Can someone please explain the ending for me? I'm left confused.

Sophie

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Why is the ending like that it makes no sense?

Graciela

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[Okay so I read this book, and I understood it but there were so many holes in the ending I felt like. But once I read back I have a general idea. Here we go, so The girls in the prison all died of a crazy poisoning. If you read it, it was basically some weird flower they decided to get high off of and eventually they overdosed. Since the story is told from two points of views, Amber and Violet, as readers we get thrown off and we forget exactly when the certain events happen. Its told eerily and creepily and it feels kind of haunting too. What happens is that we realize that Amber has been there in the prison for a long time for killing her abusive stepdad, she messed with some wires in his car and he died. Her mother neglected her, sent her to prison, never visited her... and eventually towards the end we read that her mother has a 'change of heart' and decides to agree to have her set free. Hearing this shocks her, puts her in a trance, causes her to remember all about her neglect and the horribleness of her stepdad, and she loses it. The inmates hear she's going to be released and they show their envy. From what I understand they start to beat her up, she gets away and she is the one who poisons the peas. Amber realizes too late what she's doing, and everyone drops dead. This poisoning was someday in August of some year. On the other side, we read about twisted Violet who was harassed by two ballerinas and who's best friend from childhood was Ori whom she was always jealous of. Violet too loses it, and after a show behind a theater after being tricked by the ballerinas, she kills both of them with a box cutter. Ori hears noises and I'm thinking screams, because she comes out, and being the good friend that she is, conforts Violet who starts to ask her why she did it. Shocked by what just happened and violet's crazy accusations, ori stays in silence and takes the boxcutter, just in time to be incriminated. Violet is never sorry, in fact from what we see, violet could care less. She's glad to now be the best ballerina, she is glad to have the spotlight and be accepted in to a Juilliard, and she is glad to be loved by the public. We hear from violet 3 years after the killing, 3 years after the poisoning. The reason why the ending is so weird is because the inmates they're ghosts, unable to feel or remember or live until the anniversary of their death that august. This is when all the inmates can haunt, and it seems that Ori has been able to haunt violet, which when you first read the book you can believe is guilt that she feels but its not. Ori haunts her, and lures her to the tunnel behind the theater where it all happened, and inevitably Violet herself decides to go to the prison. She wants to visit in a way, make herself feel better and somehow say goodbye before she goes back to her newly glorious life. Anyway this same day, Ori does her final show where another girl Sarabeth compliments her (it is said violet thinks Sarabeth believes to be her best friend now) and starts handing her the flowers that were given to her. Eventually violet realizes she is dripping with blood? But if you think about it, if the flowers covered in blood were thrown during the applause, the floor would have been wet, or something would have happened and she would inevitably have noticed. But no, Sarabeth gives her the flowers, it is all part of the plan. She gives her the flowers, acts surprised and we are left at that, distracted by violet whom says she could recognize Ori's handwriting anywhere. She eventually arranges with her boyfriend tommy to go to the prison so she could 'clean her guilt' once she does though, she realizes she will also be going with sarabeth and miles<-- Ori's boyfriend. Miles obviously has it out for her but he doesn't say anything, not til later anyway. Once they get to the prison and we notice that there isnt much of a talk between her or tommy and sarabeth is being overly dramatic, they go into the prison, miles locks her in ori's old cell and here is where she see's amber. Violet see's amber and thinks its ori, and she gasps and tries to run away with fear only to think she is locked in. She opens the door and leaves and she starts hearing humming (one of the inmates) to which amber, who is ghostly awake stays in the cell. she starts to freak out violet who runs outside. Its all a bit of a mix up but when we read that she falls out of nowhere its one of the inmates that kicks her knee in, she almost falls in the hole, <--- the hole that has been there because when she was alive, Ori spent so much time making it. <--- Ori had planned this, or maybe miles did when he came to see her but what happens here is that Ori eventually catches up with Miles whom asks if she liked the flowers and also informs her that Tommy doesn't want anything to do with her. also earlier when she saw Ori (the ghost) she asks her if she's sorry, but of course she's not <-- this was Violets second chance which she threw away. ... Fast forward, Amber's ghost hits the back of her head with a shovel killing her in an instant and slowly making her fall into the dreaded hole. A flash happens and amber herself makes everything right. Theres 41 inmates inside the fence, and one girl halfway out, violet. This part is a bit confusing but basically Ori comes out. She's alive now and going to Juilliard. She gets in the car with Miles, tommy and sarabeth whom smiles at her and she drives away. On the record, Orianna Sperling's name is washed away as if she's never been there, and either violet's name is replaced or some random name is. But all the inmates worked together to get Ori out of there, taking back the life that was stolen from her. (hide spoiler)]

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Jinzhu I think that she put in some more hard work hence it seems she has gotten better but i think had Ori still been there, Violet would still be working h…moreI think that she put in some more hard work hence it seems she has gotten better but i think had Ori still been there, Violet would still be working hard to try and be as good as Ori.(less)

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is it really about ghosts? and what is the age rang for a reader? and swear words i should be warned about?

Peter There's also a scene with an implication of oral sex, plus references to lesbian relationships in jail. I would think most 14 year olds should be fine…moreThere's also a scene with an implication of oral sex, plus references to lesbian relationships in jail. I would think most 14 year olds should be fine with it, maybe a bit younger.(less)

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