America sits in her room, whining because she has to do “how to be queen” homework.  The evidence is just stacking up.  I know it’s a nice, identifiable trait for teenagers to hate homework, but FUCKING QUEEN, BOOK, WHY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THIS POSITION MUST HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAN YOUR AVERAGE PRETTY-GIRL JOB?  If America doesn’t understand military statistic reports and has no interest in learning, then she has no business even considering marrying into royalty.

But the book plays it off as humor, because how could that possibly backfire?

Oh, and she “jokingly” tries to get her maids to do her homework for her.

 “I’ll simply have to do it myself.  The whole lot of you are worthless.  I’m getting new maids tomorrow.”

The book acts like this is a joke, even having the maids laugh, but remember this isn’t a normal setting.  This is a world where the servant caste is treated horribly and these girls probably get called that and worse.  Also, being rejected is grounds for getting a rot ton assignment and even more hardship. 

In short:  This is about as appropriate as making slavery jokes or wife-beating jokes.  Making light of a serious situation shows an astounding lack of sensibility.  Yet another reason she shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a royal position.

Maxon arrives so pull her away from the horribly hardship of studying.  They walk around and mitigating circumstance thinks about Aspen while Maxon gives her overwrought compliments on her music playing ability. 

You know, the music playing that she’s only done once in two books, despite supposedly being so obsessed with it. 

They get around to the fact that Maxon is so smart and he claims he can answer any question she as so she asks him what Halloween is.  Apparently that’s no longer a thing in this world.  Maxon doesn’t know, but he promises to find out.  He takes her at a run to a hidden room behind a painting, because that’s not the least bit clichéd, right? 

Does the author think that hidden rooms a design future?  Remember, this is future mitigating circumstance we’re dealing with.  America doesn’t have any palaces outside Hawaii.  So this one had to have been built after the establishment of the monarchy, so fairly recently.  Secret rooms used to be escape passages, or leftovers from remodeling that got half assed, are space for hiding things.  All those reasons are not valid here, because vaults and panic rooms are a thing and work better than old-time hidden hallways.

In short, there is no reason for a secret room to be in a modern building except for the novelty of having a secret room, and even then, it would be purpose-built and not exactly secret.

Anyway, Maxon’s not-so-secret room is full of old books.  Oh, sorry, ancient books.  And banned books.  At least someone in this place is saving those.  He also has a computer, which America has never seen before and she doesn’t even know what it is.  Why?  What is the purpose of getting rid of computers?  They make the job of subjecting a people so much easier.  It’s not like they have to be just like our computers; they can be like Apple computers and have only limited content.  *dodges Apple fans* Or even just make them a government-only thing, in which case, America would at least know what they are.

Maxon’s computer is a card-catalog of all the books in his not-secret room.  One of the books that mention Halloween is Gregory Illea’s (the founder of the country) diary.  It has a picture of the family on Halloween.  While the past king is described by his posture, the two women in the picture get nothing besides comments on whether or not they’re pretty.

Because that’s clearly all this book cares about.

 “Do you think that’s why we don’t celebrate anymore?  Because it’s wasteful?”  

Bullshit.  Everything about your country is wasteful, especially your caste system.  And peasants celebrated Halloween just as well as the rich.  If a holiday is wasteful you cut back on the decorations, not the entire concept.  And you guys still have other holidays so why is this one special?

The book has no fucks to give for my question and instead goes on about how cool it is to have Illea’s journals in the room.  America wants to read them, because I guess diaries are acceptable forms of study but statistics are not.  Maxon lets her borrow the journal with the Halloween picture in it, despite the fact that she’d be in terrible trouble if caught with it.

What is with her love interests not giving a fuck about putting her in danger?