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& finally, her cultural relativism (one sided, of course!) No Country, people, race, etc id without cruelties. Shrugging it off with desperate apologist overtones is no less ignorant than Rachel. Cultural deification is racist in its' own way, denying them personhood.

I understand a little guilt, considering why she was there to begin with- party to the cultural destruction only the church can create and call it "love". But that never comes up enough or with the anger it deserves.

While I agree with a portion of Leah's feels, there's too much cultural absolutism & self-punishment (because of the sins of the powerful that happen to be white. Flip that logic around & it's racism!)

Leah spouts enough communist idealism (never experienced/believed by those actually starving mentally & physically while under communist rule) & white-guilt to fill the majority of Tumblr. Yeesh.

I forgot so much of this book, it's like reading it fresh again.

Adah's thought processes are so much like mine it's almost unnerving. I forgot about that.

Goddamn Idris, you're a surprisingly huge jackass and I kinda resent the fuck out of you for how you treated Roshi. I really liked you at first, then you went & caught acute Asshole-itis.

HOLY SHIT, PARWANA, YOU A CRAZY ASS BITCH! That chapter probably gave me some "WTF"-whiplash, from jerking up/back/etc in shock every time Parwana did/thought some crazy shit. That was most od the chapter, so... whiplash.

Engrossing when I pick it up & start reading, but doesn't inspire me to do so, I kinda have to make myself, then I'm reminded "Oh right, this doesn't suck!"

I find the middle east & Middle Eastern countries/culture to be incredibly interesting, (obviously). So this book is SUPER engrossing thus far.

The bad guys are religious zealots? LOL how perfect. Just like in real life.

They better not hurt that dog!

Aw, Agnes! *sniff* She's so sweet, I love her immediately. She better not die.

the characters are very generic, yet not really uninteresting. Just... trope-y I guess.

SPOILER ALERT, MAJOR SPOILER. So much for how much you loooooove Bueller, huh Billie? I guess true love can't conquer all.

I'm depressed, thus in the mood for something simplistic with a high body count & little else in the way of substance. Don't disappoint me, Perry!

It's taking me forever to read this & I don't know why. Nothing wrong with the book, I've just been really tired and I read less when tired.

Of all the things that she's done that justify everyone in her dorm hating her, it's THIS!? Jesus, they're acting like she outed Susan to the media herself. Susan took the gig knowing the press would be around & she has the balls to be mad at Meg for the media vultures doing what they do best; barrell ahead regardless of privacy or consequences. Blame the press, not their other victim!

I never thought of Jack as a phallic name, LMAO.

I think she's more used to having everyone humor her and edit themselves around her than she realizes. Seems like even her family & Beth tolerate a lot more shit than they should from her, even before the incident. It definitely reaffirms my determination to never use my PTSD to justify otherwise unjustifiable bitchiness.

I thought you wanted to go to college because you felt lonely, acting like a megasuperüber bitch to everyone that tries to talk to you isn't going to help you in the "being less lonely" department. And you have the balls to get mad about Mary Elizabeth treating you the same way you treat everyone else? Yeah, fuck you.

The fact that Meg had made ANY "worst dressed" lists (much less MULTIPLE lists) is a sadly typical of the Mean-Girls-esque catty nastiness of the style press (nevermind what passes for regular press!) But think about it, she's recovering (physically & mentally) from a traumatic experience & nobody thought insulting her preference for comfort while recuperating MIGHT be tasteless- at best.

While I can relate 100% with her ptsd & self-imposed isolation & watching friends live as you die inside. But it's as hard as always to feel much sympathy for her, before she invariably slips in to überbitch mode & snaps at everyone who has the audacity to ask how she's feeling (which is inevitable when you're not doing well mentally or physically). Then wallows in self pity about being alone & having no life.

I think the author has a fairly good understanding of how trauma & PTSD work. That's what makes it a really intense read, (esp speaking as someone who has gone through violent abuse, imprisonment, life-ot-death struggle & worse w/someone I still can't fully pinpoint or even understand my feelings about). It's hard to believe this is a YA book, pretty intense. Esp compared to books 1 & 2 in this series.

I thought the 90 pages where she's a prisoner, then must struggle through the woods would be the most emotionally difficult part, but it wasn't. While I breezed through, some parts were cringe worthy- like getting the cuff off). The 15-20 pages after she's first found; starved, racked by nightmares, broken & half crazed with fear & trauma, in & out of consciousness, sobbing & delusional. That's what did me in.

Having been through a similar experience (albeit, for much longer, with someone I was "romantically" involved with and with a lot more heroin, rape, torture, sex slavery, fgm & watching violent deaths... among worse incidents, but similar in certain aspects & feelings) the emotions/thoughts she has (both before & after the kidnapping) I could understand & relate to all too well.

I hope you actually learn more about who's behind this & why target MEG specifically (ie- Neal, being young & cute would get the group better publicity & be easier to move, hide & control). The last book wasn't satisfying w/explanations (like why Sampson tried to kill Katherine other than "He be cray" & "she's the president") hope that trend doesn't continue.

I totally picture Brody as Bruce Willis, because who the fuck else.

I like the focus on the struggles of different parts of Palestinian society & noting the sectors of Israeli society that disagree with both the anti-Palestine rhetoric of the gov't & the violence of the illegal settlers. As well as noting the presence of the anti-Zionist orthodox Jewish groups. Well done (albeit plot-wise is a bit meandering) this far.

It's REALLY hard for me to feel ANY sympathy for Meg with all the screaming at everyone from her BF to the poor secret service guys (who are willing to die to protect her ungrateful ass). I get that she's going through a hard time, but being a nasty bitch isn't going to help anyone.