Mark Reads ‘Blackout’: Chapter 17

In the seventeenth chapter of Blackout, I have run out of ways to say that I am so done with everything. My god. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Blackout.

Chapter Seventeen

  • Literally, the story took a break for a chapter before it immediately became a nightmare of twists and terror. A SINGLE CHAPTER. How does Grant do this? How does she consistently maintain the suspense? Sorcery. I’m convinced.
  • (Or talent. And good writing. That, too.)
  • So, going into chapter seventeen, I just needed to know that this wasn’t the end of everything. I guess this fictional world makes me paranoid? Despite that Dr. Kimberley hoped that Georgia would forgive her, I didn’t feel good about them drugging her against her consent. Yeah, that never makes me feel good. And what little information that I got from when Georgia was conscious certainly didn’t paint these scientists as being any moral than the CDC.
  • Okay, so there’s a point on the second page of the chapter where “Shaun” holds Georgia’s hand to comfort her, and that alone is gutwrenching because the parallel is too much for me to handle. But then Georgia realizes seconds later that this isn’t real, and it’s a totally fascinating juxtaposition with Shaun. Georgia doesn’t cling to the illusion whatsoever, despite that it’s comforting; she chooses to accept her anger at his absence instead.
  • And then
  • And then.
  • “Yes, Mr. Vice President. The procedure was a success. Barring complications, I’m expecting her to make a full recovery.”
  • noooooooooo oh my god!!!!!!
  • “I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all of this, George. Now do what you do best. Break this fucking thing wide open, and let the pieces fall.” No shame, y’all. I teared up instantly and furiously at this. Oh my god, RICK WAS THERE. Rick showed up. I don’t even know what his complicity is in all of this, but just the fact that he was willing to show up and comfort Georgia meant the world to me. He was there. He was real. And for a couple seconds, he cared.
  • WHY IS GEORGIA IN SUCH PAIN WHY DO THEY NEED TO CHECK BEHIND HER COLLARBONE WHAT THE HELL
  • And then the answers start coming, and I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE AMOUNT OF HATRED I WOULD FEEL TOWARDS THE CDC.
  • As soon as Dr. Kimberley said that they were waiting for the toxins to flush out of Georgia’s system, I was initially worried that the EIS folk had put them in her body. But Dr. Kimberley reminds the reader that the CDC were creating clones for their own end, meaning that they treated Georgia’s body as their property, which alone is fucking horrifying and revolting, you know?
  • “The nice people responsible for making you wanted to be sure nothing akin to what is happening right now would succeed, and they implanted biological explosives at strategic points within your body. They were to burst, given the correct set of stimuli, releasing sea wasp venom into your bloodstream.”
  • I want the CDC to be sunk into the Earth. Where are the Skinners when I need them?
  • I need a separate bullet point for this: I hope the entire CDC is blown into space. I am done with them forever. This is the terrifying end result of science in the hands of the powerful and the evil, the people who view the world as one giant experiment. And I fucking hate these people.
  • Eight venom packs, two trackers, and a microchip identifying Georgia as CDC property. She is not a person. She is owned. Fuck ’em. I hope every person behind this is thrown in a pit of the undead.
  • PS: Georgia actually died. Again. For a short while, yes, but her heart stopped and she died. Again.
  • MY GOD. Dr. Kimberley has been undercover for five years. How long as the EIS suspected something???
  • THE SHELLEY PROJECT. THE CDC CAN’T EVEN COME UP WITH A CLEVER NAME FOR THEIR DEMONIC PROJECT. FUCK THEM.
  • “Georgia, we’re here because we need your help.” I’m pretty sure you have this backwards because Georgia is currently locked within the CDC. 
  • It is just fucking weird that these people have to essentially relate the events of Deadline to Georgia. It is! She missed so much shit, and it’s not making her odds look great at all. Every moment she’s awake, she learns the world is worse off than it was the minute before it. Jesus! Give her some pizza or something before you fill her head with despair. It’s the least you can do as Americans.
  • I’m still not entirely sure what the EIS’s plan is aside from getting Georgia to Shaun with the information that she has. First of all, it doesn’t make sense to me because I still haven’t figured out how this all fits together. I haven’t! There’s no shame in admitting that. I’m sure I have a lot of the pieces, but I also don’t feel like I have enough.
  • Oh my god, STOP DRUGGING GEORGIA. OH MY GOD.
  • I may have gotten really emotional when Georgia drank that Coke. May.
  • “I need an Internet connection, shoes, and another soda.” Dr. Kimberley smiled. “I think all those things can be arranged.” WAIT, ARE YOU SERIOUS??? OH MY GOD, CAN SHE PLEASE GO ONLINE AND EMAIL SHAUN OR SOMETHING wait I’m sure that’s a bad idea BUT STILL. THERE’S HOPE.
  • “Let’s have ourselves a revolution.” I don’t care if this line is hokey, it totally rules in my book. It’s a ridiculous thing to say, but how else can express such an important and silly thing? That’s what these people (allegedly) want to do!
  • And then I find out Maggie is going home after they all meet the Monkey. 🙁
  • AND THEN RICK HAS A JOURNAL ENTRY AND I DON’T LIKE IT AND WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! HE LET THIS ALL HAPPEN????
  • DONE
  • DONE
  • DONE.

PS: done.

Mark Links Stuff

- 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!

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
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