In the seventh chapter of Blackout, WHY CAN’T I JUST SIT AND READ THIS BOOK ALL AT ONCE? Oh, right. Well, this is all my own fault. If you’re still intrigued, then it’s time for me to read Blackout.
Chapter Seven
Goddamn it!
- There are so many tiny little things in this chapter that give me life that I’m willing to forgive Mira Grant for clearly writing this book in a way specifically to torment me.
- Like, right off the bat, the first paragraph is about the importance of physical touch! Not universally, though, because plenty of people are not fans of physical affection or physical contact for a number of reasons. I need physical affection from the people I care about, but I am terrified of people I don’t know touching me. This stems from a lot of really depressing things I’m not going to talk about here because of reasons??? It’s just not the time or place for it. But I did want to bring this up because I really appreciate when this is a theme or a motif in a story. Here, Georgia is so used to Dr. Thomas treating her as if she is contagious that she loves that Dr. Shaw and her assistants do the opposite. They treat her like she is a person, even if what they’re doing is impersonal. It’s beautiful, y’all.
- “The locks will be reset at tonight at midnight. You can answer many of your questions then, if you’re quick about it.” WHAT THE HELL, HOW IS THIS SO CASUALLY DROPPED ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THE CHAPTER. Oh my god, here was the first indication that I was truly unprepared for what this chapter was going to do to me.
- So, Georgia believes her brain had to be cloned, and I’m inclined to agree with her. What I don’t understand is how you clone memories. I still don’t understand the logistics of this quite yet.
- “Mahir might have been able to decode the peaks and the valleys, turning them into comprehensible date. Mahir wasn’t with me.” why don’t you twist the knife in my heart just a little deeper, mira grant
- PREDICTION: THE SLIME MOLD WILL MAKE A SPECIAL APPEARANCE LATER IN A WAY THAT IS TOTALLY NECESSARY TO THE PLOT. Note: This gives me no bonus points for my normal Blackout predictions. Still, I think it’s more fun if I just wildly guess what’s going to happen, so I can sob later when I’m wrong or I’m right in some tragically horrific way.
- I really like George, and I really like his barely-contained enthusiasm for Georgia. It’s kind of adorable. I mean, he awkwardly compliments Georgia’s final blog entry, which… dude, of course you’ve never read anything like it. But he recovers by telling her that he’s glad she’s back. “They’re waiting for you,” he tells her, blushing. Oh god, THAT’S RIGHT. Georgia is a symbol to some people. Well, that is going to be weird.
- But at the same time, she’s a weapon. She has so many roles assigned to her before she’s even done anything. I find it fascinating that Georgia is determined to engage with them all, to consider what it means to be a symbol or a weapon, and what that means for her identity. Actually, more on identity in a second.
- Because we need to talk about how all these doctors and assistants must be EIS implants. They have to be! Which is kind of comforting because there are so many of them. It’s not just Gregory and Dr. Shaw. George and Kathleen have to be a part of this well. As exciting as this is, I’m still approaching this with as much caution as humanly possible. I mean, I agree with Georgia that it would be too much to even think about these people being double agents FOR the CDC. It’s too many levels, y’all! But I wonder what these people are going to do for Georgia. What’s going to happen when she tries to escape? Actually, wait, what is absolutely necessary for her to see that very night?
- Well, I plain dislike Dr. Thomas. What an asshole. Dude, she is not your little science experiment anymore. Georgia is a person, full stop, and she can handle a simple hair cut. “Aesthetic failings” my ass, y’all. Leave it up to some dude to think he knows what’s best for Georgia’s hair.
- Okay, BACK TO IDENTITY. We need to talk about this passage:
- “I needed to survive long enough to be the one who warned him. They could make another Georgia Mason if I didn’t survive… but I wanted it to be me. Not some other girl who shared my memories. Me.”
- Putting aside the terrible irony that there probably IS another Georgia Mason in the CDC, LOOK AT HOW AMAZING THIS IS. This is Georgia asserting herself as an individual. She is not just a copy. She is Georgia Mason. No, she is the Georgia Mason. That is incredible to me.
- “I recognize that you have little experience with waiting.” I hope you get caught in a knife storm, Dr. Thomas. I hope you do, and Finn and Jake are nowhere near you to save you.
- AND THEN THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH GREGORY LEADING GEORGIA TO THE TRUTH. Well, relative truth, I mean. Not like THE ANSWER TO LIFE, but to whatever awaits her with the EIS people. Goddamn it, WHAT IS IT???
Ugh, I JUST WANT TO READ MORE.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on tour!!! I have 26 events spread out across the eastern HALF of the U.S. and Canada. They are all free and all-ages. Come see me speak about the Mark Does Stuff Universe and read terrible fanfiction live!
- Mark Reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now published and available for purchase! It’s available in ebook AND physical book format, and you can also get a discount for buying the ENTIRE SET of digital books: $25 for 7 BOOKS!!!
- Commissions are still open while I am on tour! There may be a day or two delay to get them done, but I am accepting them graciously to help fund my tour!
-Â Nominate me for a Hugo award in Fan Writer or Dramatic Presentation – Short Form!
