Reviewer: jersey_tenn Signed
Date: Nov 16, 2010
Title: Chapter 62: Chapter 55: Humbled
I think you already know my absolute fascination with your writing, your story, and your characters. This was just another example of your brillance. It is beyond all that I can aspire to be. The previous chapter, I felt this anger towards Serena that I longed to reach through the computer screen, the web, and her own laptop and strangle the poor broad.
This chapter, however, caused me sympathy. Because, well, there is no nice or gentle way to put it, she is fucked up. The one person that she most trusts and loves is the sole person that has failed her time and time again. And, it does not matter to her that everyone else in her life has done right by her. It does not matter because the one person that she longed to be loved, protected, and cared by didn't.
There were so many quotes from this chapter that jumped out at me, that I could probably dissect every line. But, I shall not.
"Stop, Serena! Just fucking stop." I found my own brain screaming the same thing out as I was reading this chapter and several others. But, what was more striking about this was that I heard myself substituting my name for Serena's. You, with your talent of storytelling, opened my eyes. Lately, my life's been in turmoil and today, reading this, I realized that I am the root of my problem. If I would just simply stop, I could see the light.
This was different. He wasn't coming after me. This saddest of the realities that a fool in love can see.
"Serena...think about it? You really should." This actually made me laugh. Serena thinks too much. I doubt Allegra meant it in a bad way. I believe she wholeheartedly wants Serena and JC to work out. But, her advice delayed Serena's "coming to". Serena doesn't need to think about anything; she needs to feel. She needs to trust her heart.
"You want it your way or not at all." Well, ain't that a bitch? Isn't this what we all are like? We're so consumed by ourselves that we are blinded to others. Tyler's entire spill left me gaping, open-mouthed and all. He truly blew me away - I loved it. I think he was the most important of the advisers to Serena. Why? Well, she's always written him off as a childish, immature, and probably not up to par with her brillance - a kid. And, he proved her wrong. He proved to her that she was wrong.
I clearly didn't know shit. Clearly.
I apologize for my rant, but I just felt inclined to try and show you the product of your talent. And if you decide to skip over everything I type and only read the last line, then I'll make it good:
Thank you.
Author's Response: Ugh. I almost want to cry. Thank you for such a well thought out review. I love when people get it and see things I never even thought of. This whole story idea came about from JC's adoption and I thought, what if he met someone with the same story and started to see himself in her and it kind of grew its own wings from there and has become something totally different.
Yeah the last chapter... I WANTED people to be mad at Serena. Like spitting nails, mad. Especially, JC because there was so much good she was throwing away by being blind to what was sitting right in front of her. I wanted people to root for her and to mentally cheer her on and beg her to go to him and make things right. I always wanted her to have to go to JC and make things right and in the process, find out a lot about herself.
I'll have to say that Tyler surprised me while I was writing it. Sometimes the chapters just write themselves! I originally had Allison giving her the 'I am woman hear me roar' speech but I think it hit her hard, coming from him.
Thanks so much for a great review! The next chapter will be great!
