Penny's Reviews > Defiance

She cries?! Wow.

I gave up with Betrayals. You just confirmed I am glad I did. Thanks!

Phew! I now don't feel so bad continuing with the series. Jealousy had me tossing the book against the wall. I was hoping for an improvement, but it seems like more of the same.

So glad I didn't continue with this series!

Seriously, this series just got progressively worse. I want to read this out of morbid, morbid curiosity. It kills me how girls are supposed to be all Kick Ass in this mythos but they're constantly protected by guys... the crying over being extra pretty thing is icing on that crap cake

To be fair, Dru does some pretty amazing stuff near the end of the book thus saving everyone, but as she's doing it she's all worried about what Graves thinks of her now that she's been drinking awesome sauce (literally). Hint: He was disgusted. At one point Graves looks at her like she's an insect he's never seen before. DUMB!

lol literal awesome sauce. Ily.

So is it looking like Dru and Christophe are the one true pairing? Because I'm not sure I can read on. I find it so grody that he wanted to do her mother first.

Actually in this book we learn Christophe never loved her mother like that. I know it seems that was the deal in Jealousy but I think that's just Dru's perception of the things she saw--I'll have to reread that book to be sure about that. According to the things Christophe says in this book I don't think he and Dru's mother ever got together. He refers to her mother as the only real friend he had. He loved her very much, but as a friend.

Later on we get to see that relationship from Anna's perspective, and you understand her jealousy, but even then there isn't any indication Christophe and Dru's mother were a couple. Anna was just jealous that Christophe was kind and gentle with Dru's mother, whereas he treated Anna with thinly veiled disdain because she thought very highly of herself, even as a young girl.

One of the reasons I didn't like this book is because Dru doesn't have any clue how she feels for Christophe or Graves. She's so wishy-washy. The blood bond makes things that much more complicated because she doesn't know if she's drawn to Christophe because she likes him or because of the bond they share. There is one instance in-particular in which I was almost convinced of their being officially together, because of Dru's feelings at the time, which were quite strong and very clear, but that was short-lived. Short-lived because someone deceives her. (view spoiler)[ And no, it wasn't Christophe who deceives her. It was someone she likes and trusts. Wanna know who? (view spoiler)[ Leon, one of her personal bodyguards. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Throughout this book she thinks of Graves but thoughts of him make her feel all guilty for various reasons, so she forces him out of her mind every single time. But see, she was never all that clear on how she felt about him, even before he disappeared. They weren't an official couple, though it certainly felt that way. Plus she lied to him (way back in Betrayals) about how she felt about Christophe. She liked Christophe, even way back then, but told Graves she didn't. She admits as much in this book. Which in turn makes her feel even more guilty.

She does save Graves, which goes without saying, but there isn't a romantic exchange between the two. That said, it's not like they had a whole lot of time to talk about feelings. This book ends in a weird place: With Dru taking a shower and realizing she suddenly has breasts, then running to the mirror to see her face. Then she cries.

To be fair, I could also say that she might be crying out of relief that she'd finally bloomed now that her situation is even worse, thus giving her a fighting chance. But see, you'd think she'd have figured out she'd already bloomed earlier that day. One massive clue: everyone tells her that she's officially blooming, like right as they're telling her; then later on, vampires are curling up and dying when she approaches them. I mean, I figured it out, so why didn't she? Why did she have to see her face and breasts to accept it? You'd think all the awesome things she was suddenly capable of doing would have convinced her. She's dumb.

For the record, I'm Team Dru, which means I want to see Dru walk off into the sunset by herself. Would such an ending be so bad? If anything, I think it would be the best ending, given Dru's options. Both guys don't seem to be the right fit for Dru, so why must she settle for one or the other? And what's wrong with a girl deciding to be independent, rather then being in a relationship?

That said, Christophe does say some pretty romantic stuff to Dru in this book. Does that make me like him a little bit more? Yes. But still, not the right guy, especially because the age difference.

Graves? Makes me violently angry. I've pretty much felt this way ever since Betrayals. Those feelings intensified in Jealousy. Boyfriend is all wangsty and emo and controlling. Do. Not. Like.

I just finished the book and I didn't think she was crying because of the physical differences. Of course she knew she was blooming, but it was coming in fits and starts and I don't think that she was prepared for, or aware that there would be, such physical differences. I think she was crying because her life was in the crapper and, especially, because she realized she now looks more like her mom.

Regarding the whole Christophe/Graves thing, who knows what's going to happen now that she's in the situation she's in and who she's with (sorry so vague, don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet), but, one, I can believe she could like two guys at the same time and, two, I definitely think she likes one of them a lot more and can’t really deny it to herself anymore either. Plus, she's been guyless for almost 17 years living the way she did with her dad, so I'm hoping she does end up with one of them and, though I personally like both of them, I have my definite favorite. (Having said that, at times I do want to deck Christophe for being such a snob).