The book summarizes the next day for us, saying that the girls are just hanging out in the Misogyny room doing busy work.  Not even ‘work.’  Hobbies.  All day.  Every day.  That’s all they do, hang out in one room and read magazines.

“I bet Silvia would have work for us,” I offered.

Kriss gave a single chuckle. “I’m not that desperate.”

One of the main problems this book is that it doesn’t have any interest in its core premise.  The draw of this book is girls competing to become the princess, but there is so little narrative interest in the basis of the whole fucking book that when there’s no active romance going on, people are literally just sitting around doing nothing.  In fact, this book seems to actively distain the idea of women doing anything productive, even if it’s something as traditional as ‘sewing shirts for the poor.’

Fuck, they can’t even do stereotypical famous rich person stuff, never mind royal stuff.  Have any of these girls once answered fanmail?  Received a visitor?  Performed a single, solitary piece of PR?

Aren’t they supposed to be surrounded by cameras or some shit?

America wanders off to the library for no particular reason (really, she just randomly decides to go, doesn’t even want a book, just wants to go) and finds Celeste in there crying because America is now in the lead, popularity-wise.

Celeste finally gets a little bit of redemption as she talks about how she’s a model, and the shelf-life for that profession is abysmally short but she can’t do anything else her caste is allowed to do so if she can’t be the queen she’ll just end up being a trophy wife somewhere with no claim to fame.  And she really, really craves the spotlight.

The book…surprisingly doesn’t judge her for that.  It’s taken as just part of her personality and as valid as any other personality trait/need.  Coolios.

I understood that now. Yes, she was conniving when it came to the competition, but that was her being desperate.

…how did you not know that before?

So you really thought she was just being mean for shits and giggles?

…I don’t even know what to do with that.  Moving on.

So they keep talking and Celeste starts sounding a bit too self-aware.  Venting about her need for popularity and the desperation of knowing that her lifestyle has an expiration date is one thing, but suddenly she’s all contrite and going on about jealousy and…it’s a bit too abrupt of a transition.

It also doesn’t require anything from America, which irks me.  America is the main character, and we have yet to see a character arc from her.  Even here, she doesn’t have to do any work to gain Celeste’s friendship.  She doesn’t have to change her attitude or her opinions.  She doesn’t have to win Celeste over.  She doesn’t hear the first part of this speech, realize she’s been wrong all along, and then make any effort to reach out.  No, instead Celeste is just “here, have some friendship.”

Well, America does offer up a few platitudes, but that’s hardly what I’d call effort, especially since Celeste was so receptive and practically setting up for them.

Spontaneously, America remembers that she’s supposed to be planning a way for Maxon to get a letter to August on the sly.  They think August will be more honest with them about the rebel situation than anyone else in the palace.

For some reason, “get a letter August” turns into “dress up as Sixes and sneak out of the palace.”  No, I don’t know why.

“what we’re doing is very dangerous. If something happens, I want you to run. Don’t even try to get back to the palace. Find a family who will hide you through the night.”

Seriously, when did this plan change from ‘send him a letter on the sly and get a reply the same way’?  Why does this have to be face-to-face?

“[Sneaking out of the palace is] not very difficult, actually.

And you wonder why you have rebel problems.

“I did manage to get a note out to August. He said we should meet him at this address.

Wait.

…what?

…why are you doing this?  You have a line of communication.  Unless that line is suspected of being corrupted, keep using it and don’t risk your safety.

Aspen is helping them sneak out, btw, and he’s upset at seeing America and Maxon act chummy.

And even though I wasn’t in love with Aspen, he still mattered to me, and I didn’t want to cause him pain.

…

… …

Did I miss something?

Didn’t we end the book last time with her still undecided between the boys?

When did this happen?

Whatever, I’m okay with the love triangle being out of the way.

Aspen’s plan is to sneak them out in a delivery truck, under the false pretense of picking up groceries for the kitchen.  They all pile in and are out the door, off to their idiotic little mission.