JULY 2010 BOM "Betrayed" by P.C. and Kristin Cast, Week 4, Discussion 4, Ch. 19-24

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Surdam on July 24, 2010 at 10:25pm

1.) I admit it, I've already read it! LOL ;)

2.) I thought it was really cool, and I liked how Zoey started thinking already about who might belong in the DD again! It was nice to hear the perspective. I was totally not shocked by who had won. I figured Erik would have won, just cuz he's so popular and supposed to be so awesome, and it makes sense--he's Zoey's guy, and he has to be a pretty big hero, right? ;0)

3.) I actually had a feeling that this might be coming. Given that Zoey has an affinity for all, it would make sense that she'd be a part of a group who had an affinity for the elements as well, and it makes sense that the 4 friends she became closest with would each have an affinity for 1 of them. I think it fit very well.

4.) Ya know, even seeing some of the stuff that had gone on earlier, it did. I was pretty surprised that she didn't give Zoey, her star student, the credit. I couldn't believe she was so selfish! It was petty and cruel, and it's a way to prove that you aren't all you're cracked up to be, especially to someone you're supposed to be mentoring and training. I was very surprised and didn't think it was in good taste at all. Not something I'd ever consider doing! I really liked how Loren helped to calm Zoey's nerves and help her get her part started. It seemed like he knew more than he let on.

5.) Ya know, I was and I wasn't--I'll tell ya why in a minute (it's actually related to my question to everybody). I was extremely upset. I actually cried through reading it all. She was Zoey's BEST friend. I was really upset, plus with them just getting an affinity, or just realizing it. OMG, I was as devastated as Zoey. It's like MerrySparrow said in the last thing--I read this as if I AM Zoey, so I guess it just really got to me. I can't wait to read the rest of the books to see how everything goes down one way or another. It just so upset me that Stevie Rae didn't make it through the Change.

6.) I guess in a way I was a little surprised by the interaction, but I also wasn't, because I think Aphrodite isn't as much of a horrible "hag" as the rest of Zoey's group seem to think she is. I think that she's really trying to do the right thing, and we do know that she saved Zoey's grandmamma. I think that it's really going to be interesting to see what'll happen with their relationship as it moves forward, but I wouldn't put it past them to end up as friends in the end. I think that they're gonna end up having a lot more in common than they once thought. I'm happy that Aphrodite wanted to help Zoey, and has now more than once.

7.) Did you notice anything that made you think Stevie Raw might be in trouble ahead of time, before she actually really started getting sick?
ME: There were a few things that made me think, Uh-oh. First, she was so tired, sleeping a lot, but the biggie for me was that she was coughing just before the drama ceremony. I pretty much said, crap, this is BAD for her. She's gonna die, and it's only a matter of time before it all plays out. I didn't expect it to be as dramatic in and of itself, I don't guess, but I knew it was coming.

Hugs and BB,
jen :)

Permalink Reply by Reny Halywell on July 28, 2010 at 8:37am

1- I've already read it.
2- Just as you said, Jen, I was hoping that Erik would win it.
3- Indeed, I'd been thinking about the matter since they cast the first circle, in the end if Marked. So it came as no surprise when all of them had affinities.
4- Her behaviour was very surprising to me. I was like, OMG, there's way more concerning Neferet than I thought. The way she acted really puzzled me. I remember closing the book and staring at the cover while thinking it thorugh ( I always do that whenever a story twists like that!)
5- Stevie Rae's death was Shock No. 2. I kept thinking: ' No WAY!!!! She's can't die like that!!!'.
6- Their interaction surprised me in the beginning. Even though Aphrodite had helped saving Zoey's grandma, I still didn't think her intentions were good.
7- Answering your question first, I did notice she'd been oversleeping and coughing, the second being a clear sign that her body was rejecting the Change according to the book.
My question is, what do you think of Neferet's purpose? Is she simply Zoey's mentor and a powerful vampyre or is there something else to her? Why?

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Surdam on July 30, 2010 at 1:01am

I'm not yet sure of Neferet's purpose, but I know it's certainly not good. She's clearly either creating or at the very least sustaining and condoning the actions of the "ghostly" undead vamps (whatever we're supposed to call them! LOL). I definitely think you can't call her "simply" Zoey's mentor and a powerful vamp, nor a high priestess alone. There's definitely something more to her, but what or why, I haven't figured out. I definitely think it'll play into what's going on next, and I'm sure she's behind the change from dead un-Changed vamps to ghost vamps or undead vamps, whatever you choose to call them. I just can't figure out who or what she's working for, ultimately. I can't wait to read more of this!
Hugs and BB,
jen :)

Permalink Reply by MerrySparrow on July 30, 2010 at 9:54pm

1. Like I've been saying since the second discussion, I've already finished it. Too hard to put down.

2. I was kinda surprised to find out so many from Zoey's House of Night made it to the top 10 or so of the competition. I wasn't surprised though that Erik made 1st. From what we've seen and heard about his ability, there would have been no way he couldn't get 1st.

3. I was. I didn't think that because Zoey had this affinity that her closest friends would have an affinity so similar to it. I am glad that they do though. They would be able to cast a stronger circle and with the light connecting them, like they were meant for this.

4. Yes, it did. Through out the story so far, you think Neferet was this gentle caring mentor that wouldn't do anything to harm anyone. But since she took all the credit for what Zoey thought of, her true self is finally emerging, at least to Zoey. With Loren stepping in, I really do think that helped Zoey concentrate on what she had to do. I'm not sure if it helped her calm down, but it did help her focus more on the task at hand.

5. Oh yeah. I was taken off guard by what happened. I didn't even pay any attention to all the signs until she started coughing up blood. Through out this entire section, I cried. I was so sad 'cause Stevie Rae was my favorite character.

6. I really liked this interaction because like Jennifer says, Aphrodite is starting to be protrayed in a different light then she was previously. I think this is really were we start to trust her, at least trust that she's telling the truth and not being AS hateful.

7. What do you think of all of Zoey friends coming into her and Stevie Rae's room to stay with her durning the day while they slept?
I think it was really sweet. They all didn't want to be alone nor did they want to leave Zoey alone, even Damien. Excuse me if I leave one or two out.

To Jennifer: I really hadn't noticed anything suspicious. I mean, I noticed the coughing and stuff but didn't think anything of it. It wasn't till after her death did I finally realize that something was wrong.

To Reny: When we were first introduced to Neferet, I had my suspicions, but after a little more reading, that went away. But now that she is finally starting to reveal her true self, I think that there is diffenetly something else to her. I totally believe she is doing all that that she is doing only for herself and no one else. If she was truely the mentor and High Priestess that she is and nothing more thenshe wouldn't be taking credit for something a fledgling had done or come up with. So yeah, there is definatly something more to Neferet.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Surdam on August 6, 2010 at 3:45pm

Yeah, I thought it was really sweet that everybody wanted to be with Zoey, but I think it was also partly their loss as well and that longing to be close to what you've lost. It was somewhat selfish, because Zoey was the closest thing to Stevie Rae, but it was also selfless, because had they been caught, it would have been trouble. So, I think it was nice on several levels.

Hugs and BB,
jen :)