Hush, Hush: Chapter 23 (Part 2)

[zelda_queen]

ZeldaQueen: ...Let's just get this over with.

Also. Before we begin, please be aware that this chapter depicts actions which depict acts of abuse, dominance, and near-rape. If this will potentially act as a trigger, please proceed with caution or skip the chapter entirely.

Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...

---

Chapter 23 (Part 2)

ZeldaQueen: *tiredly* Are you ready for this? I don’t think you are. I highly recommend having a pillow on hand to whack your heads against. Here we go.

After that…erm, stunning revelation in the last section, Nora’s finger slips off of Patch’s scar and she wakes up back in the motel room. She’s very disoriented and I can only assume the vision happened in a split second real time, because Patch is only now reacting. And by reacting, I mean he throws her onto the bed, grabs her by the wrists, and keeps her pinned there.

 ZeldaQueen: This is not going to get any more pleasant, folks. Just a head’s up.

Patch tells her that “You weren't supposed to do that”, which is rich when you consider that he was the one strolling around with no shirt on, shoving those stupid scars in her face. Or am I supposed to believe that a fallen angel, with all of his strength and abilities, can’t tell when a teenage girl is about to sneak up and grab him? But no, it’s all Nora’s fault. Just blame the girl held down on the bed here. What a great guy!

He gets in her business while still pinning her and demands that she tell him what she saw. I’d like to state right off the bat that Nora continues to narrate this entire scene in the same mellow, bland tone she uses for everything else. There’s no sense that she’s freaked out at this point. In fact, she more or less comes across as sort of irritated. Irritated that the guy she’s trapped in a room with is holding her on a bed and threatening her. Right.

Nora does put up a fight and knees him in the ribs. This does not harm him in any way, and instead causes him to do this

“He slid onto my hips, straddling them, eliminating the use of my legs. With my arms still stretched above my head, I couldn't do more than squirm under his weight.”

ZeldaQueen: THIS IS OUR HERO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THIS IS THE GUY NORA WILL BE IN A RELATIONSHIP BY THE END, WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT.

And this is probably a good time to bring up another thing. Unlike Certain Female Protagonists, Nora does have some self preservation instinct (I say “some” because her Portland trip and passivity that led her to this situation to begin with suggests there isn’t much), and tries to fight off Patch. Arguably though, that makes this scene even creepier. Because we have the guy threatening and frightening the girl, but we also get the pleasant image of the girl sobbing and struggling as he does so. But she can’t win, because this guy has basically been god-moded and she can’t hurt him at all. Really, this all reads like Fitzpatrick saw some slasher movie and decided to copy one of those scenes where the killer corners his latest victim in her bedroom.

I bring this all up because…well, it’s honestly all I can think about with this next bit. Nora demands that Patch let her go, or else she’ll scream. Patch replies that she’s already screaming (even though it reads like she’s talking through clenched teeth or something) and that “it isn't going to cause a stir in this place. It's more of a whorehouse than a motel”.

Well. That certainly put a lovely spin on the last chapter, didn’t it? I bet you all thought that this was like Twilight, where it was creepy, but at least the Suethor was just too naïve and stupid to realize the implications of what she was putting down, didn’t you? Nope. This was all planned. Patch knows damned well what he can do. Which means that Fitzpatrick knows this as well. And yet she just let her female lead stand there passively and meekly and let him force her into that situation, without saying a word. Fitzpatrick? That’s really sick.

Patch gives Nora a Slasher Smile (do you really think I’m exaggerating by this point?) and says that it’s her last chance to tell him what she saw. Given that he’s straddling her while holding her on a motel room bed, that is FUCKING CREEPY, WHAT IS THIS BULLSHIT?

Now Nora is fighting to keep back tears and screams that Patch is sick and he can just own up and tell her who he really is. She then blurts out that she knows he wants to kill her and starts goading him to do it. I honestly don’t know what to say to this. This is all so creepy and horrible and given that Nora is trying not to cry while thinking about that “fateful day he'd walked into my life”, I think Fitzpatrick is trying to invoke a sense of betrayal but it DOESN’T WORK. He’s a bastard who has been abusive and downright evil and out of nowhere, she’s acting like they had some big thing together, even though HALF THE TIME SHE DIDN’T LIKE HIM! GOD!!!

No, I’m firmly convinced by this point that she has Stockholm Syndrome. This is not love. This is the exact opposite. This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever read.

And it keeps on rolling like this. Nora starts trying to twist out of Patch’s grip, before concluding that it’s impossible. She’ just trapped with him holding her down on the bed, with no way to escape his power. WHY DOES THE SUETHOR NOT SEE WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS? She tells Patch that he’s probably enjoying this, and he replies “That would be a smart bet”.

… He enjoys pinning her to a bed, watching her cry and struggle, all while scaring and threatening her.

I honestly have nothing. That speaks quite well for itself.

Nora continues to challenge Patch to kill her and get it over with, and it sounds exactly like she just had her will broken or had a mental breakdown. Her only request is that he tell her why she’s the one he wants to kill. Well Nora, it’s because the Suethor decided that you and he are the One True Pair and the only way to get you together whilst upholding his “Bad Boy” image is attempted murder. No, Patch just tells her it’s “Bad genes”. Don’t worry, we’ll find out in a bit what that means. By God, it’s stupid.

Patch shuts Nora up by telling her that if he wanted to kill her, he would have done it five minutes ago. Are we supposed to think well of this, because of that? I’m sorry, but if a guy tricks me into spending the night in a room with him, throws me on the bed, holds me down, straddles my hips, and then says “Oh right, I totally could have killed you before, but I didn’t”, I’m not going to think he’s romantic. I’m going to think he’s a sick creep who gets off on psychologically torturing me. Or plans to rape me. Or might just kill me anyway. After all, William Edward Hickman claimed he never planned to kill Marian Parker.

And now we move on to Patch being all creepy by stroking the birthmark on Nora’s wrist. She starts asking him about Dabria, and Patch avoids the question, instead asking if she’d calm down if he got off of her. *swells with fury* WHAT DO YOU THINK, YOU ASSHOLE? WHAT THE FUCK? MAKING OUT LIKE SHE’S THE ONE BEING OVERLY HYSTERICAL AND YOU’RE JUST THE PARAGON OF PATIENCE AND REASON. I HATE YOU!

*fumes* Nora makes it clear to the readers that she’s making a break for the door as soon as he lets go. I’m loathe to give her any points though, because she’s incredibly stupid and tells him that it makes no point if she runs, because he’ll just catch her and drag her back. For fuck’s sake, don’t tell him you’re considering it, you idiot! Oh, and Patch continues with the creepy, replying that he could catch her just fine “but that would cause a scene”. I can just hear him say that in a low voice while stroking the side of her face, before telling her not to make him duct tape her mouth shut and that he’ll be gentle -

Okay, I just freaked myself out. One second

*elevator music plays*

So, after slapping myself into a semi-sane state, I return and immediately become infuriated once more. Because Nora unloads this

“‘Is Dabria your girlfriend?’ I could feel each ragged rise and fall of my chest. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear his answer. Not that it mattered. Now that I knew Patch wanted to kill me, it was ridiculous that I even cared”

ZeldaQueen: Nora. You are locked in a motel room with a guy who has admitted to wanting to kill you and is holding you on the bed. You’re deciding to worry about whether or not he has a girlfriend?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, YOU IDIOT? I…my lord! There is something deeply, deeply wrong with someone who is about to be killed and their last thought is “Oh, he’s already seeing someone. How disappointing”.

Oh, but no worries because Patch says that Dabria is his ex girlfriend (LIKE I SAID, YOU DUMBASS) and that dating her was a mistake (because of course dating anyone but the Mary Sue protagonist is stupid). *sourly* Well, looks like we have the important stuff sorted.

Patch slowly lets go of Nora and gets off of her. She gives herself to the count of three and then throws herself at Patch

“I shoved against his chest, but other than swaying back slightly, he didn't move. I scrambled out from under him and took my fists to him. I hammered his chest until the bottoms of my fists began to throb.

‘Done?’ he asked.

‘No!’ I drove my elbow down into his thigh. ‘What's the matter with you? Don't you feel anything?’

I rose to my feet, found my balance on the mattress, and kicked him as hard as I could in the stomach.

‘You've got one more minute,’ he said. ‘Get your anger out of your system. Then I take over.’

I didn't know what he meant by ‘take over,’ and I didn't want to find out. I made a leaping run off the bed, with the door in sight. Patch snagged me midair and backed me against the wall. His legs were flush with mine, front to front down the length of our thighs”

ZeldaQueen: Are we supposed to think this is sexy? Seriously? Because that’s the only reason I can think as to why Fitzpatrick is writing this all like Patch is all but raping her.

And no, I didn’t miss his condescending behavior there. “Oh you, you silly wimminz. You get worked up over the silliest things, don’t you? Just let it out of your system and let me take the wheel. Not like you could hurt me, right?”

So yeah, once again Patch has Nora pinned and helpless and she’s nearly crying and I’m suppressing the urge to retch. She asks if he enrolled in her school to kill her and he says yes. She goes on about how he must be so pleased with himself. And then…oh fuck no. FUCK. NO

“I knew I was being irrationally irate. I should have been terrified and frantic. I should have been doing everything in my power to escape. The most irrational part of all was that I still didn't want to believe he would kill me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't smother that illogical speck of trust”

ZeldaQueen: SHE KNOWS SHE SHOULD BE ESCAPING.

SHE KNOWS SHE OUGHT TO BE TERRIFIED OF HIM.

SHE HAS NO DESIRE FOR EITHER.

SHE CONTINUES TO TRUST HIM WHILE HE HAS HER TRAPPED AND OVERPOWERED.

THIS IS FUCKING STOCKHOLM SYNDROME!!! DON’T TELL ME IT IS NOT!

*BREATHS IN AND OUT MANY TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE*

RIGHT. So. After that extremely disgusting bit from Nora, Patch decides that he’d better just do his best to up the creepy. He tells her “I get that you're angry” (NO SHIT, SHERLOCK) and he kisses her.

He kisses her.

While HOLDING HER AGAINST THE WALL. AND SCARING HER. HE TIPS HER HEAD UP AND KISSES HER TO MAKE HER STOP STRUGGLING AGAINST HIM.

Honestly? I’m reminded of the manga Anatolia Story, particularly the chapter where a king uses an incense to paralyze Yuri, so he can have his way with her.

Nora bites his lip, and it honestly sounds like her will is being broken and that is one of the few acts of defiance she can muster. Patch makes a joke about that, because this is clearly a funny situation. Nora calls him out on that, and he replies that he doesn’t think she’s a joke. No, clearly not. The fact that he has all but tied her in the bed sheets and handcuffed her to the headboard is a true demonstration of how serious he is for her. *head desk*

At this point, Nora basically flat-out admits that Patch is That Much More Controlled than her and that she can’t fight him. *groans* She hears a voice in her head telling her to relax, because of course making Nora think she’s insane is a much better way to calm her down than just saying it. Nora finally confronts Patch about the voices and images she’s been hallucinating and figures out that it’s all from him. *golf clap* well done, Einstein. Patch explains that he just puts an image over what’s real, and that it’s up to her to figure out which it is. Is it just me, or does that sound like more victim-blaming? “Well, you could have seen through my mind rape if you tried. It’s not my fault you’re an idiot”. He also admits that while it’s a power angels have, only fallen angels would invade a human’s mind like that.

In other words, he’s basically a demon with no compunctions about mind raping people and has admitted to planning premeditated murder on Nora. Truly, this is a guy worth fantasizing over.

And then, we find out that everything happened because of Patch. He mind raped their Biology teacher into seating him next to Nora. He originally planned to shove her out of the Archangel, but couldn’t bring himself to do it because he just loved her that much. So instead he mind raped her into thinking she was going to die. Because clearly that’s the better course of action. And back when he was making tacos and Nora was freaked out by the huge knife he was wielding? Yeah, he was planning to stab her with it. Yet again, he only didn’t go through with it because Nora somehow was just so wonderful he couldn’t bring himself to kill her.

In other words, two out of the three “dates” Patch has taken Nora on only happened because he ultimately had planned to kill her. He did not ride the Archangel with her because he wanted her to live a little. He did not fix her dinner because he was being nice. He was not hanging around her so much out of affection. Every time he hung around her, he was planning to murder her.

You know, I’ll just throw out here that Edward stalked Bella for purely selfish reasons. He was possessive of her, treated her as property, was controlling, and overly obsessed. But never did he stalk her with the intent purpose of killing her.

So congratulations, Ms Fitzpatrick. You have written a male love interest that officially outstrips Edward “I suppose I can murder all the Quileutes” Cullen by way of sheer evil.

Nora gets all dizzy that point and her throat constricts, and she generally acts like Evie having her asthma attack in V for Vendetta. She apparently is…suffering from a lack of those iron pills. Which had pretty much been forgotten for most of the book. Huh. And Patch fixes it by just having her sit still and put her head between her knees. Oh, and he continues to hang around her, even though she’s clearly unwell and having trouble breathing and his presence is, for obvious reasons, causing her distress.

So because Patch kept her from dying of iron deficiency, he thinks that’s totally a reason for her to trust him. No, really, he asks her “Still don't trust my motives?” And I am torn between nuclear fury that he has the unmediated GAL to ask her that after the events of this chapter and fire-and-brimstone fury because she wants to trust him.

By this point, I’m just burned out. Nora says that her condition for trusting him again is for him to let her touch his scars again. He waffles and finally agrees, she pokes them, we finish, blah, blah, blah.

Mother of GOD, that chapter was just horrible! What the fuck? How is that romantic? HOW? I’m at a loss!

See you guys next chapter. It might be a bit. I do need a rest

---

 
Onward to: Chapter 24

Back to: Chapter 23 (Part 1)

Return to to: Table of Contents

Comments

[das-mervin.livejournal.com]

*quietly* Trigger warning at the top, please.

And as I said in chapter sixteen of my EC recap. There are few moments when it happens. But if Fitzpatrick were to suddenly appear in my room right next to me, I would hit her. With this hardback book I have sitting next to me, or maybe I'd just stab her with this fork. It would involve some form of me physically attacking that person.

I joke about it sometimes. But I almost never, ever mean it.

I mean it this time. I want to physically harm this author.

[blonde-sarcasm.livejournal.com]

All I have to say about this is I agree with Mervin.

This... does need a trigger warning. I read some but not much, :/

That is all. There is nothing else to say. Nothing I can sum up or write or discuss about this chapter. Nothing.

[greenerygripes.livejournal.com]

I...oh my God, I...
I think I'm gonna puke.

[blonde-sarcasm.livejournal.com]

Did that.

[a-lovesuicide.livejournal.com]

This has made me physically sick. Jesus Christ, what is wrong with this author to think that this is romantic and sexy? It's not. It's really not. And it scares me even more to know that girls think that this is okay behavior of him because he's the "hero."

[angel-renoir.livejournal.com]

WHY IS PATCH EVEN IN LOVE WITH NORA TO BEGIN WITH????????????? HOW DID IT HAPPEN????????????????? WHY DOES IT MAKE LESS SENSE THAN MY CRACK PAIRING FANFICS????? WHY????? WHY?????

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. I got to the point about Nora being pinned against the wall and held there and I couldn't read anymore. Insta-flashback to one of the two times a guy tried to rape me.

Presenting this to impressionable girls as ROMANTIC...is evil. It is vile, contemptible and could be quite justifiably described as "spawned by Satan."

I'm not exaggerating. I'm not joking. Selling this sort of thing as romantic--and indicating that you know how much danger a girl would be in in this situation, which means that you're aware that you're deliberately lying and misleading the vulnerable--is heinous beyond belief.

I can't even put into words how enraged I am. No description is adequate. Just...what Mervin said. In spades.

[nawsome.livejournal.com]

God, I'd love to see their kids asking them about their true love-
"Mommy, tell us the first time you kissed Daddy!"

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

I'm praying that they DON'T have kids, not only because I shudder at the idea of those two spawning, but also because any child of theirs would be a Nephilim. And we will see in this book and the next that Nephilim get an absolutely ROTTEN deal, especially when it comes to fallen angels. And honestly, I wouldn't put it past Patch to try to use his on child for something like what he did to Chauncey.

[turtlecrackers.livejournal.com]

I'm just sitting here with a really vile taste in the back of my mouth, and a very strange, uncomfortable feeling going up and down my spine. Nothing seems to be able to make it go away. I find it hard to come up with words that accurately describe what I want to say.

I'm simply horrified. How can anyone think that selling this to teens and pre-teens is a good idea? How does a grown person read this (or hell, write this) and say "sounds good, we'll print it?"

This also makes the fact that Patch has been toned down from the original version even more terrifying.

[white-wolf03.livejournal.com]

Whoa, wait a second. It was TONED DOWN?

[albion-witch.livejournal.com]

Sweet...merciful...fuck...

Is it wrong for me to imagine Farmer Vincent from "Motel Hell" coming in and making these two into jerky?

'Cause it's a bad sign when a cannibalistic hillbilly is far more likeable than your "star-crossed lovers".

[thesplashingkoi.livejournal.com]

...
And this is supposed to be romantic...HOW?!

[tasteslikejune.livejournal.com]

Welp, fuck all this noise. Not your review, which is excellent in its succinctness and clarity, but... ugh. What on earth was the author thinking? Was there no one around her to say "this is extremely creepy and fucked up, stop writing this"? If this is the toned-down version, I'd hate to see what the original was.

(Also, someone else who's read Anatolia Story! But wasn't it Yuri, not Yuki? Yes, I am focusing on the good manga instead of the terrible book.)

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what the original was like. On the "original" first chapter (found on Fitzpatrick's website), he's pretty much just as dickish and creepy, he just knows different things about her because the plot was different.

Yes, I've read the first few volumes of Anatolia Story! And yes, it was Yuri. ^^; I must go change that.

[carmyn]

Blu--wha--I--this...uh...how--GAH!!!

I READ THIS IN STEPHEN KING WHO IS A HORROR WRITER. THIS IS FOR A HORROR STORY, A FUCKING THRILLER. WHAT THE FLYING FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS AUTHOR? THIS PUBLISHER??

*fumes*

...Sorry, I haven't had a good few days. I am very angry. I would also like to join the mob of Mervin and Gehayi, if that is all possible. Lets see how sexy Fitzpatrick finds being psychologically tortured after it happens to her.

[mogseltof.livejournal.com]

NO.

[lisaerin.livejournal.com]

Why is it that a guy sexually harrassing and being a douchebag to a girl is considered romantic? Why? The love interest is either a douchebag, or perfect with no personality. And I started reading Crescendo, and I was just boggling when Patch said he needed to redeem himself for not paying for food because some girl thought he was cute. I was just like, "How about redeeming yourself for sexually harassing Nora?" And I hate how Nora's so clingy with Patch. My theory is that Patch is either fucking with her mind, or Nora's developed Stockholm Syndrome or something like it. It's much easier on my sanity to pretend this couple is romantic.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

"And I started reading Crescendo, and I was just boggling when Patch said he needed to redeem himself for not paying for food because some girl thought he was cute. I was just like, 'How about redeeming yourself for sexually harassing Nora?'"

I thought he was being sarcastic there, like whenever Edward is condescending and smug about dazzling girls and not even trying.

It reminds me of that manga that Shaolina recapped, Haioru Airen I think the title was. A Japanese girl does a good turn for a creepy hot guy lying injured in an ally and it turns out he's the head of the Chinese mafia, so he has her kidnapped to China to be his woman. By the third chapter or so, she's in love with him because he saved her from some rapists, even though said rapists only got her to begin with because he left her alone in China with no money or plane ticket home and just a low-cut dress (and then he acted like she was irresponsible for not asking him for financial aide even thing *he didn't offer any*). They eventually end up married. The difference is that the guy in that manga was human, so he couldn't make her hallucinate and could get hurt if she kicked him in the balls.

[seiler88.livejournal.com]

*Goes fucking Sith Lord*
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!

*Force-Chokes Patch*
Do you think this is funny?

*Force Lightning*ZAP!
Do you think this is sexy?

*ZAP*
I may be a crazy person who wants to take over the Galaxy
*ZAPPITY*
BUT
*ZAP*
I
*ZAP*
HAVE
*ZAP*
FUCKING
*ZAP*
STANDARDS!
*Really freaking long Lightning blast*
*Cuts Patch into little pieces with a red lightsaber and Force-snaps Nora's neck on the way out*

[aikaterini.livejournal.com]

I really don’t know what to say to this. What *can* I say to this?

Well, here’s something: ROMANTIC, MY FOOT! WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? WHAT THE HECK AM I READING? HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK THAT I’D CONSIDER THIS SICK AND ABUSIVE MONSTROSITY TO BE ROMANTIC, YOU –

*explodes into GIF-rage*


 

[morri-delrae.livejournal.com]

Just an idea, guys. Everyone who was traumatized/offended/rendered speechless from the overwhelming rage after reading this chapter - please, go to amazon/goodreads, and put it in a review. It could be just as therapeutic, not to mention massively beneficial.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Fantastic idea! Often_partisan also got a TV Tropes page for the book up, so reviews can also be posted there (although the word count is rather limited)

[detritius.livejournal.com]

What the fuck was Fitzpatrick thinking? How could someone write this and think it's okay? Is she insane, or is she just a horrible human being? I agree with Mervin. I don't stoop to personal attacks often, but I would like the punch this author in the mouth.

And honestly, what's even worse is, I think I'd be even angrier if part of my mind wasn't outright rejecting this. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that someone wrote this and sold it as a romance. This isn't like Twilight where the unfortunate implications are pretty obvious to anyone with life experience, but they're still implications. This... this is all right there in the text. He's a demon, and he's physically and sexually intimidating and threatening her, and he's laying out his whole evil plan like he's a rejected James Bond villain. I honestly expect Sam and Dean of Supernatural or some other unforeseen actual protagonist to burst through the door any minute. Patch reads exactly like an over-the-top monster of the week to me, and I can't fully comprehend that anyone could see his as a romantic hero. I'm sure that's the part of my brain that's trying to keep me sane, because I honestly can't even fathom this.

I can understand, however, that selling this shit to teenage girls as an epic romance is a crime against humanity. I know that sounds melodramatic, but I can't think of any other way to say it. This sickens me.

[winki-pop.livejournal.com]

I can't believe ths is a YA Lit novel. I can't believe this is marketed to young girls and put into school libraries and that it is being seen as a romance. I can't believe that this book was published all for the sole purpose of cashing in on some dumbshit teen supernatural fad started by fucking Twilight, bad messages and unfortunate implications be damned. It sounded like something out of a horror movie or Law and Order: SVU! :O I can't believe we would send such messages to young, impressionable girls in an age where they are bombarded with disturbing images like this and gloss it over! I also can't believe that someone actually accepted this dumb fuck story for publication with such horrific themes and scenes and saw nothing wrong with it! What hope do rational writers have?

Seriously, Fitzpatrick, you really need to stop writing this shit and get help! :O

[chibi-regalli.livejournal.com]

You know what makes this whole thing all the more horrifying? The fact that it's so very, VERY clear Nora doesn't want this, that the Suethor's own character is practically begging her for help...

And Fitzpatrick doesn't get it. She simply doesn't get it. I...

This has fans. This THING has fans. And they aren't reading it as a horror story about a young woman being mindraped into submission by a literal demon?

I have read some chilling stuff, but this takes the cake.

[ldegnan.livejournal.com]

Oh lord.. I.. How.. What? GAH!
Excuse me.. I need to break something...

I just.. Holy shit.. This is.. I just... Words fail me right now. I wish I could say that I'm horrendously surprised that anyone would find this sort of tripe to be romantically stimulating, but several bad encounters on FF.net have shown me otherwise. There does seem to be a legitimate group of women and girls out there that not only get off to this sort of sick power-playing, but who are also convinced that the person perpetrating the vile acts is not only in the right but is really a 'sweet guy' at heart. All this after said 'sweetie' either threatens to - or worse DOES - rape, beat, imprison, or verbally and mentally abuse the object of their affect.

It makes me wonder what sort of morals they grew up with if they seriously think such an abusive relationship is healthy.

The only shining light in this darkness is the fact that you mentioned Anatolia Story/Red River, which is by far my favorite Josei title of all time.

Seriously, you have my respect for sitting through this filth. You're a far, far stronger person that I ever will be.

[ldegnan.livejournal.com]

*affection

[iam-karl.livejournal.com]

I like to imagine that there was another fallen angel being forced to follow Patch around and never really wanted to come down to Earth anyway, and that he actually cared for Nora and could distract Patch from mind raping Nora by mind raping HIM. Especially for this chapter because... because... Dear God please smite this 'saga' and cast it into the pits of hell, where it will forever burn and rot away into a discarded pile of ash!

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that is a MUCH more comforting thought than the idea that Patch is Nora's One And Only. >_< This is possibly the worst of the book, and what the heck? People think this is the greatest ever! I worry for the world sometimes. :(

[arpeggio513.livejournal.com]

I could express my disgust, my horror, and my hatred for the Suethor and fans who pass this off as romantic and acceptable, but I won't. I'll just do what I always do and channel it all into Alderan, my OC. I weep for when I am actaully able to write a well-made fanfiction, for my fandoms will suffer when I unleash my monster upon them.

*sigh*

I'll link some pictures and some music. I know this has been posted and your long past this book but hey, you deserve a reward for going this far. I'll even throw in my icon of Link riding on a Hydralisk for the lolz factor. Hope it helps.

http://boba2009.deviantart.com/art/zelink-147261588

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/zelink/images/13290759/title/hugging-photo

No two songs are more appropriate than these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI5fD7Jbnuw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDX4ZwUeOok

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much! ^_^ Music and pictures always helps.

XD And your icon is awesome.

Oh dear goodness....

[propinquus.livejournal.com]

This was like watered down rape. O-o I can't believe some people are fans of this/think this is romantic in any way possible. Unless you're into the whole rape thing...which I think it's safe to say most people aren't.

And here's an excerpt from a terrible review
"Wow, I'm still speechless to how terrific this book was. One of the best I've ever read? YES.

This novel is filled to the brim with creativity, and a summary that will hold your attention even past the last page. I was really absorbed in Nora's story and her character felt so alive and real to me. Even by the first few sentences in the book, I was already hooked. And unlike some books that start out great, and eventually lose my interest, this one did the opposite. I was craving more of the story the closer I got to the end. And I actually read the last chapter extremely slow, just so I could savor it that much more."

What. What. WHAT. WHAT'S TO SAVOR? THE HARASSMENT? THE OVERWHELMING CREEPINESS OF IT ALL? AHHHHG *rips hair out*
I can tell you "what feels real". The bad taste that this book left in my mouth is what feels real. How on earth can this person say that this was the est book they've ever read? HOW? This had to be one of the worst I've ever had the misfortune to pick up! Apart from the ridiculously awful characters and the constant sexual nature of it all, the plot was scattered and it didn't really make sense. The book wasn't creative at all, either. And I think this next part is what killed it for me.

"Patch. The mysterious, sexy, bad-boy. He was one of the best male fictional characters - and I'd choose him over Edward any day! I loved how the author portrayed him, and kept him secretive. It made me long to know about his past, which he purposely tried to avoid talking about with Nora. Which brings me to my next point - their relationship. Wow the chemistry between them was so believable! Nora's a very smart girl with self-control, which I liked. She didn't throw herself at Patch, even though she wanted to, and tried logical thinking to stay away from him."

the best male character? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE. WHY. Sexy? What's sexy about his manipulative, aggressive, sick behavior? I'd take Edward any day, even though I hated him with a passion, too. At least his goal wasn't to kill Bella! Why does she (I'm going to assume that this is a girl) want to know about his past? There are probably countless tales of murder and sexual harassment littering his past! Does she get off to that?! Chemistry? WHAT CHEMISTRY?! Most of it involved Patch throwing himself at Nora like a crazed tiger. Nora? Smart? Did she read this book or not? Nora consistently makes poor choices throughout the book. Ugh. I really have to question the standards of the people who review sometimes...

Someone sees the light

[cosmowatt.livejournal.com]

This book creeped me out, so many people talk about how sexy and awesome Patch is. This scene was even worse than the Rape Kiss in Eclipse. Have you heard some of the fans talk about the book? It's really disturbing.

[(Anonymous)]

There are no words for this. I thoufgt I hated Edward Cullen, but... Oh my God. OHMYGOD! What is this? Why is this sold to young girls?