I really should have finished this book off earlier but spending the weekend roadtriping with my mother felt more important.  So let’s get with it today and knock out the last four chapters.

Yes, the last four chapters.  If that takes you by surprise, don’t feel bad.  This book could be the textbook example of a “stuff happens” kind of plot.  Even though there has been the potential of a plot in this book, even though a goodly number of things have happened, it feels like we’re still stalled at the beginning.  Why?  Because there is no goal in this book, no objective, nothing to be worked towards.  Nothing in this book has built off what came before it.  Juliette in prison? Just set dressing until she met up with Warner.  The escape from Warner?  Wouldn’t have felt any different if she’d escaped straight from prison, would it?  Finding Omega Point?  They didn’t find it; they weren’t even looking for it.  The bombshell that the apocalypse was manufactured?  No one was curious about that, so it’s not a reveal so much as late-in-the-game exposition.  This book isn’t seeking to ask any questions and isn’t inviting us to wonder or discover.  These are all just events that happen in a certain order, with no journey to tie them together.  So we’re approaching the end of the book, and it feels no different from the start of the book, because we’re not moving toward anything, we’re just moving.  At a snail’s pace.

Castle explains all about how he found the other mutants.

“I was the first to realize my affliction could not be mine alone. I sought out others, following rumors, listening for stories, reading the newspapers for abnormalities in human behavior. At first it was just for companionship.” He pauses. “I was tired of the insanity. Of believing I was inhuman; a monster. But then I realized that what seemed a weakness was actually a strength. That together we could be something extraordinary. Something good.”

This is basically the X-Men, but there’s a reason X-Men are “out” in their world.  WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU TAKE SOMEONE WITH SUPERHUMAN ABILITIES AND TRY TO HIDE THAT?

There’s a lot of issues with the X-men mythos, but there’s a lot they did awesomely, too.  This book seems to have taken the exact same premise and then sucked out everything that made even a little bit of sense from it.  Then they took the good bits that were left (prejudice, ostracization, weird-ass experiments to ‘fix’ them) and removed all the context from it, so that it just reverted back to “bweh?” again.  When everyone was worried about genetically superior supermen taking over as the dominant species and/or engaging in unstoppable crimes, it made sense to try and “fix” mutant-ism.  But it made sense as a mob-mentality fear, not when there’s just a handful of these people being kept secret and, oh, also, they’ve decided to call it a mental illness for no reason.

“I have an impossibly advanced level of psychokinesis.”

Considering any level of psychokinesis is currently impossible, that doesn’t tell us anything.

They finally let her in to see Adam, and Castle is all shocked that she can touch him.  He starts spouting off about theories and such without saying anything even remotely significant. 

“If you should decide to stay at Omega Point, we’ll have that conversation very soon, I promise. Besides, I’m sure now is probably not the best time.”

Fuck you, Castle, we’ve been waiting almost 50 chapters.  They’ve had time to make out dozens of times but there’s no time for explanations?

It’s an honor to have you with us, Ms. Ferrars. I hope you will seriously consider joining us on a permanent basis.”

And if she doesn’t…?  She knows your secret base; you can’t let her go.

Twins named Sonya and Sara come in, and they bring James to visit.  That lasts all of a page and then he runs off again, having reminded us that he’s alive and such.  He really has no point, does he?

Adam mentions that he’s heard rumors about this place AND WHY IS THIS THE FIRST WE’VE HEARD ABOUT THIS?

Seriously, all that stuff about this book being a series events instead of a plot?  Could easily have been alleviated if this book had been about Adam and Juliette hearing a rumor about these guys and trying to escape to them, instead of just bumbling around until Kenji pointed them in the right direction.  Then, arriving there would have been the culmination of all their previous actions, not just another thing that happens.

Then they talk about how Juliette is the specialest of all the special people because everyone wants her, even though we don’t have a good reason for that now that we know there’s lots of other mutants around.

Kenji arrives to tell them Warner’s not really dead, but don’t worry because the underground base is toooootaly safe from an attack.

Except they’re not.  They’re getting all their power from an outside source.  All the government has to do is realize their electricity is being stolen and plug the security leak, and next thing you know all of Omega Point has to either run topside or suffocate.  They’re about as unsafe as unsafe can get.

Also, Kenji can turn invisible as his superpower.

Adam and Juliette make out and talk about having sex for a bit, before Kenji interrupts them.

“I will not use this word often, Kent, but please don’t try any fancy secret-sneaking-away shit. We have to regulate things around here for a reason. It’s the only way to survive. So do everyone a favor and keep your pants on. You’ll see her in the morning.”

So is there a reason they can’t have sanctioned sex?  Book, do you realize you can do the nasty before lights out time?  The two aren’t sharing a room, but Adam can rock the bed with her for a bit before heading back to his own regulation dorm room.

This is just here to keep the ridiculous “sexual tension” going, isn’t it?

The next day Winston shows up to remind her that they made her a super special outfit and it’s ready for her.  It’s a skintight purple spandex suit. 

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?  Book, do you not realize that literally any clothing in the world will stop her murdertouch hands?  She doesn’t need to wear head-to-toe spandex, some FUCKING GLOVES AND LONG SLEEVES will do the trick.  I’m still confused why she hasn’t been wearing gloves this entire time, in fact.   But heavens no, we can’t have that, let’s put her in fucking spandex.  Surely nothing could go wrong with this plan.

“No,” he whispers, hot hot hot against my lips. “You look like a superhero.”

I fucking hate you and I am so, so done with this book.