Mixed feelings.
Throughout the series I admired El's badass character. Her realistic pain and anger over her mother's actions which was rightly deserved regardless of the outcome of this book. Logan was a sweetheart. And the angst and conclusion of the Jason-father-figure issue was beautiful.
What I cant get over however is the mum otherwise known as Melissa. I don't blame El for wanting to forgive her, SOLELY because El shouldn't have to deal with crappy emotions like pain and betrayal while going through so much else.
But in other contexts did I believe that her mum should be fully forgiven? Hell no.
I know some reviewers are saying how the author made them finally love the mum, throughout the story, I kind of wondered where in hell they were picking up the melissa-is-loveable vibe. Slightly respectable - maybe.
This is the woman who literally made her only daughter's, heck, only child's life a living hell for almost her whole life. She did the worst thing a mother could do, something so irredeemable as sleep with the heroine's then boyfriend. There is no excuse. If she really was doing El a favour she should've warned El of Austin's infedilty, and, if El wished to believe her or not, that was up to El, you live and you learn, right?
But no, this woman sought sexual gratification, and damn the consequences, she did not actually care that she shattered El's heart, she only cared for her 'loneliness' (reinforced by characters saying it) when her daughter finally decided to leave this witch for good, because apparently a daughter is supposed to love her parent no matter how much they fuck up.
There was no genuine communication between El and her mum. Everything her mum said was entirely superficial even when she was trying to make up with her daughter. And even though the author hinted that the mum's superficial words have double meanings, this wasn't a freaking interpretational poetry class! For closure people need to be straightforward, especially parents and children. In this, the novel failed considerably.
This woman so mentally scarred her daughter that she was afraid of getting pregnant of hating her child for 'ruining her life' like her mother always berated El for. She said disturbing things that were very questionable of a mother, like to never trust another woman with your man, after she slept with El's boyfriend.
She even hidden the truth of El's real father, which is every child's right to know regardless of the reason and consequences, IT'S HER RIGHT.
She competed with her for looks and beauty all her teenage years and preyed after young man. Sounds like a peodophile to me who is mentally challenged with the Peter Pan syndrome and thinks she's a teenager.
But this is all forgivable, right? Oh, of course, because her spending two days with El, showing her cool, cougar espionage mode to everyone brought stars to everyone's eyes, and boners to every guys trunks. Hell, even El was described like a starstruck pubescent.
19 years of pain is wrapped up in a neat bow in a record beating two days. Golly! And don't get me wrong I'm completely sympathetic to the rape cause, having spoken to victims, it's a total mindfuck. I felt sorry for Logan, i know how it feels to lose control and desperately want it back, I know how messy it makes life. But that is never an excuse to abuse others. And Logan is a good example of a strong victim, all victims of this are.
I hate how the author explains dear old Mum's harrowing, abusive actions away because of an incident that happened twenty years ago. Compare this to how Logan and Kelsie dealt with their rape experiences, and how fresh and recent this was and you'll see a big difference with people who are trying to cope and someone who is just dragging up the past to explain her bad actions away. It explains nothing. This is no excuse to hurt her only daughter, the only person biologically on her side who would have unconditionally loved her. In fact that's exactly why Melissa abused El, because she knew El would still love her. How selfish is that?. As well as patronising El everytime El speaks up on her hurt feelings, as if El's hurt is irrelevant to her mum, because it very much seemed so. It isn't a past trauma that makes a person bad, Exhibit Logan, its the CHARACTER. And Melissa wasn't such a wonderful person before her rape, she was a bitch then too.
I felt sorry for El having to keep this witch company for her most her life without knowing what real parental love was. I was happy that she found Jason and Logan. Melissa's excuse of being a 'bad Mum,' doesn't suffice, she was a Terrible person and El should have cut her off, but kudos to her for being the bigger person.
All in all the series was interesting, and as El said,
'Life wasn't really black and white. It was often completely gray. Sometimes there were no easy answers.'
Wise words I have known aswell. I just wish the book didn t portray the complete opposite. The story would have made more sense if the reconciliation with El and her mum wasn't so cheesy, so 'black and white'. It is human to forgive as well as not to forgive. Not everything can be wrapped up in a neat bow. There was indeed, 'no answers' or excuses, if you will, for Melissa's actions. She was portrayed as selfish and little else.
I really enjoyed the series but I cannot say I like all the characters. Caleb was a bit of a douche, too. And if there happens to be a story on him, I hope he manages to redeem himself. Which is more than i can say for other characters. On the flip side, i found Harlan to be pretty cool 'grey' character, along with Dex, Kelsie, and Bre. I was annoyed how El treated Bre in her time of hardship, Bre had supported El quite a bit. A wacky paring of mine would be Bre and Caleb only to see the Collison sparks fly!
Anyway this is the incredibly long ramble sparked by an emotional and observational response. Enjoy.