Kaia

Okay, no. I can't do it. I'm too fucking pissed off to finish this sorry excuse for a book. Besides, I feel like I'm playing -ism Bingo over here. I've got classism, ageism, and sexism. Give me some racism and ableism and I've got a full on Bingo. I've noticed a lot of people complain that they don't like Mac much, and really, is it any wonder? After all, it's clear at this point that Moning detests her. All the not-so-subtle digs at her age, her shallowness, and the fact that she likes pink...it's disgusting. I can't help feeling like I'm supposed to agree with Barrons' attitude towards Mac. Which I don't, because Barrons is a Giant Flying Douchebag from the Planet Douchebag. Then there's shit like this:Distinguish yourself, my mom had told Alina and me, in an age when girls often make themselves too available to boys, by making him work a little for your attention. He'll think he's won a prize when he gets it, and he'll work much harder to keep it. Boys turn into men and men put a premium on what's hardest to get.Or they, you know, just take it, because in this so-called progressive age we're so busy teaching our girls not to be sluts, instead of telling them, "You know, if you like that boy, go ahead and let him know." Because that would be wrong. And slutty. They won't buy the cow if they can get the milk for free, right? Gag. Me. Of course, that was sexism two ways. A heapin' helpin' of "Don't be a slut" with a steaming side of "Boys are losers who don't do anything unless you dangle something in front of their face but don't actually let them have it, a bit like taunting a horse with a carrot on a stick." Maybe there'd be less problems in the world if we stopped making these inane assumptions about boys and girls and started actually, you know, educating them.But really, where this book started screeching to an inevitable and messy halt is the classism. Blink and you miss it -- the first time. Just a small dig about poor people having big TVs. You know that stereotype, right? They remain poor because they spend all their money on electronics and bling, y'all. Not because some countries have social systems so fucked up, we might as well be living back in the Victorian era. Feeling a bit neo-feudal, anyone?I suppose I should've seen it coming. I think the last time I read something from an author that made me this angry, I was reading an interview with Terry Goodkind. Here it is, in full, because this is such a steaming load of horse pucky:My folks have some funny sayings. They were born in a different time, to a different generation. Theirs was the "hard work is its own reward" generation. Admittedly it had its problems, but mine is the "entitlement generation" and it has its fair share, too.The EG is made up of kids who believe they deserve the best of everything by mere virtue of having been born, and if parents don't arm them with every possible advantage, they are condemning their own children to a life of ostracism and failure. Raised by computer games, satellite TV, the Internet, and the latest greatest electronic device--while their parents are off slaving away to afford them all--most of the EG believe if there's something wrong with them, its not their fault; their parents screwed them up, probably by being away too much. It's a vicious little Catch 22 for the parents anyway you look at it.First of all, from my generation (that would be the "entitlement generation") to yours (that would be the over-privileged stuck up progressively ignorant generation): FUCK YOU. You clearly have no clue what you're talking about at all. I don't want to hear any lines about this being Mac's opinion, not Moning's. That's bull. This isn't Mac's opinion. She doesn't have the social awareness (wrong-headed though it might be) to come to this conclusion on her own. This is not her opinion, it doesn't match who she is at all. This is the puddled remains of naive elitist stupidity, chewed up and regurgitated by people born with silver spoons in their mouth. It could've been culled verbatim from The Ultimate Guide to Trashing the Poor, the Young, the Disabled, and Anyone Not from a Rich White Suburb. Parents aren't "slaving away to afford" all the bullshit you just listed. They're slaving away to afford life. They're slaving away because of delusional "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps" philosophy, the kind only ever spewed by people who have no idea what it's like to be going to a food bank for meals. They're slaving away to give their kids a home, food, medical care, education. They're slaving away because humans, especially those in America, are greedy and short-sighted, and fucking terrified that anything good might end up in the hands of Those People. And so parents aren't home. So many people in my generation were raised by the TV because there was no other option. I didn't have the "latest greatest electronics" growing up. We couldn't afford them, most of the time (and who the fuck are you to judge when we do want something we want rather than need?). In this society, we punish the children of single parents because HEY, BUD, I GOT MINE. That's all your generation cares about. Your generation is over-privileged and whiny. You want nothing to change, because you're happy with what you've got and don't care if anyone has a good life. You convince yourself that people don't deserve the best of everything so you can look yourself in the mirror without having to think about all the people who don't even have a roof over their heads. You tell yourselves that if something is wrong with a kid, it's their fault, so you don't have to take responsibility for your lousy parenting.We all deserve a chance. Most of us instead live hard lives. You think I'm entitled, Ms. Moning? I couldn't even afford to finish community college. Are you smart enough to figure out just where you can stick your bachelor's degree in society and law from Purdue University? Yeah, I thought so.Oh, and:-- Your plot and world-building aren't that interesting. They wallow midrange in a sea of other books about Fae.-- None of your characters are interesting or likable. See my opening paragraphs for clarification.-- Your writing rarely sparkles, and is mostly just there. Sometimes you twist your sentences unnecessarily. Also, you do that thing. I can't even count the amount of times you killed all suspense for me by having Mac reveal ahead of time what she learned, how she changed, what was really going to happen, etc. etc. ad nauseum. That's very bad style.-- I'd like to reiterate that Barrons is a Giant Flying Douchebag from Planet Douchebag. A Giant Sexist, Ageist Flying Douchebag.-- Alien Fae From Outer Space? Really? That's so B-Movie, it hurts.P.S. In case you haven't figured it out, you won't be getting anymore of my money. I might be entitled, but I also get the privilege of not having to waste anymore time on your crap.(Yes, I know. Vitriolic. But I've reached this point in my life where I've seriously Had Enough(TM). I don't have to read books that play -Ism Bingo. And I sure as hell don't have to put up with it.)