Closing Thoughts on Cursed Moon

[Chelsea]

The readalong of Cursed Moon ends August 9th! I've got 5 chapters to go--how's everyone else coming along? If you've already finished, was the ending what you expected or were you surprised?

[Kimberly]

The ending showed some good character growth, with Kate finally realizing magic is a tool and not automatically evil.

Actually, I was pretty angry at Kate this book. Forcing Pen to try to recover from a traumatic accident without pain potions? Reminds me of my mother's pearl-clutching when the nurse prescribed me three Advil tablets three times daily for menstrual cramps. (Fun story: birth control pills turned out to be the solution, which no one told me for another ten years.) If Kate had just backed off and let Pen at least take the nurse-administered potion, I'm willing to bet the theft from Baba would never have happened.

Also, it's just great writing when I am ANGRY with the protagonist and yet want to keep reading. Main characters can be flawed in ways that make my blood boil but I still want to know if they eventually stop being so dumb! :)

[Jaye]

Kim wrote: "The ending showed some good character growth, with Kate finally realizing magic is a tool and not automatically evil.

Actually, I was pretty angry at Kate this book. Forcing Pen to try to recover ..."

Ha! If they did what you wanted them to do all the time it wouldn't be much of a story, would it? Kate has a lot to learn, but she's growing.

[Kimberly]

Jaye wrote: Ha! If they did what you wanted them to do all the time it wouldn't be much of a story, would it? Kate has a lot to learn, but she's growing.

Oh, Kate makes many mistakes that make me cringe for her. But this one just struck me as cruel. I suppose she needed a really huge shock like this to get over her all-magic-is-evil black-and-white thinking. But she's got some work to do before I forgive her entirely for it. :)

[Jaye]

Kim wrote: "Jaye wrote: Ha! If they did what you wanted them to do all the time it wouldn't be much of a story, would it? Kate has a lot to learn, but she's growing.

Oh, Kate makes many mistakes that make me..."

I hear you. The problem in this book was that she felt so guilty over her lies that she was redirecting her emotions in a way that hurt those around her. It's not right, but it's realistic, I think.

[Chelsea]

Kim wrote: "Jaye wrote: Ha! If they did what you wanted them to do all the time it wouldn't be much of a story, would it? Kate has a lot to learn, but she's growing.

Oh, Kate makes many mistakes that make me..."

I have to agree with you there, Kim. I definitely wanted to throttle Kate a few times during this book for being such a hypocrite (and I agree, it's great writing when an author can get you to have that violent of a reaction towards a character!). But Jaye's right in saying that people redirect their emotions and I think here Kate was overcompensating in her protectiveness of Pen because of the guilt she felt for her own dalliances with magic. I still wanted to throttle her at times, but I don't know that I would have handled it any better had I been in her situation.