{"id":4472,"date":"2018-02-28T05:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=4472"},"modified":"2018-02-25T12:59:55","modified_gmt":"2018-02-25T20:59:55","slug":"mark-reads-games-wizards-play-chapter-11-part-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2018\/02\/mark-reads-games-wizards-play-chapter-11-part-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘Games Wizards Play’: Chapter 11, Part III"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the third part of the eleventh chapter of Games Wizards Play<\/i>, Nita makes a surprising new friend, and then she makes a surprising move. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Young Wizards<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

In my heart, Pluto will always<\/i> be a planet. I WILL FIGHT Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ALL. That pesky thing called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153science\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can go bother someone else. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not that<\/i> important that Pluto be a planet, right? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the brilliance in Duane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s personification of the planetary body, and I somehow liked this even more<\/i> than meeting Jupiter.<\/p>\n

I suppose it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the quiet nature of Pluto that appealed to me. Look, if any of y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all have ever been socially awkward, you know that parties can hold a complicated meaning to us. Of course, it matters what your individual relationship is with anxiety; I find that I can be extroverted with a purpose for a long time, but I become painfully drained and withdrawn once I need to stop being social. On top of that, I never quite know what might trigger an anxiety attack, either! If I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know people at a party or a social event, I turn into Pluto: I hang out around the edges, I withdraw into myself, and I look like I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t belong. So yes, I absolutely relate to the humanoid manifestation of the planet Pluto, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wonderful that I get to type that sentence.<\/p>\n

Aside from that, Nita\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s conversation with Pluto felt so muted in comparison with the raging party. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always nice to find moments like that amidst chaos, and it allowed Nita a moment of introspection. (And humor, given that I FORGOT THAT NITA DROPPED DAIRINE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BED ON PLUTO, OH MY GOD.) I believe that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because<\/i> of this that she finds herself in the right state of mind to advance her relationship with Kit. Well, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to ignore the other<\/i> stimulant, despite that HE CONTINUES TO UPSET ME. Seriously, is he ever<\/i> going to stop being rude and gross? Penn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s treatment of Nita has now hit on possibly every<\/i> iteration of being awful, except just when I think he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s found the last one, he introduces me to a NEW way to be a jerk. This time, he insists that Nita is just hiding the way she really feels about him! Ironically, she kinda is? Except it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s far more negative than he thinks it is. Which almost<\/i> baffles me because he can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t possibly think she secretly likes him, right? EXCEPT I AM NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT MEN THINK. Perhaps he truly is one of those men who believe that a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is just a chance to persuade a woman further.<\/p>\n

UGH.<\/p>\n

Bless Kit for coming to Nita\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aid, even if she didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need it. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m more than certain that she can handle him on her own, but I like that he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t push her to let her be some sort of white knight for her. Instead, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just supportive. So, that interaction, combined with the calming and unique conversations that she had with Jupiter and Pluto, leave Nita in a good place. When Kit led her to the dance floor, I got the sense that she finally was able to feel comfortable with him in a way that she hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t before. That slow dance scene is INCREDIBLY fantastic, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, and it reminded me of what it was like to finally start dating a boy years ago. I know it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not directly analogous, but I appreciate that the dynamic here was still applicable: new love or affection can be such an infectious, thrilling thing. And it is<\/i> scary, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s scary to be vulnerable alongside someone else, but when that person feels right<\/i>, that fear can transform into something else.<\/p>\n

And here, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a chance for these two to be intimate in a very<\/i> public way. I respect that Kit asks if he can take it a step further, and then doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t push Nita when she says that the next step has to be on their own terms. (I mean, seriously, no kissing with Penn in view. I LOATHE TO THINK HOW HE WOULD REACT.) But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s imminent, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it??? IT TOTALLY IS.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/obUAB7_6oxM<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT<\/a>, is now available for pre-order!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"