Is it wrong to say I’m glad I’m done with this series? Obviously, based on the Goodreads reviews, there were a lot of people who liked this series. I felt while it was interesting, the types of characters (vampires, werewolves, humans, zombies, “superheroes”) there were too many questionable aspects/phrases/mistakes/annoyances that grated on my nerves, preventing me from really enjoying the books.
Given I’ve commented a lot about Nola and her lack of maturity or stilted growth, if you will, and her relationship with “the boys,” Jeremy and Kieran, what has changed if anything at this point?
Well, Nola is still all over Jeremy, gripping him so tightly so they are separated, still getting warm tingly feelings whenever she sees or touches him, and so appreciative when Jeremy tells her “I’ll keep you safe.” Her acting surprised when he wants to be with her forever, even though he’s said it multiple times throughout the series… [insert eye roll here] So, unfortunately, nothing has changed with Nola. She stayed pretty much stagnant after book 1. And, of course, Jeremy hasn’t changed since book 1 either. “I love you. I have to find a way to keep all of this awfulness from hurting you.” Their relationship is so over the top. Yes, they’re young and in love, but come on! It’s like both of them are so insecure, especially Jeremy, with constantly needing to remind and reassure Nola he loves her and vice versa. It’s too much!
I still find it funny that Nola just all of a sudden decided she wanted to help people as though she had no clue there were those struggling to survive on a daily basis. And besides topics relating to gardening, Nola doesn’t come across as being that smart; for example, when they encounter Capt. Stokes in the woods, he’s talking about the domes females being forced to mate with strangers. Nola’s response?
“How old is she?” There was nothing prior to that comment that had me believe there was a specific female Stokes was talking or worried about; yet, Nola’s able to read between the lines.
By this point I was hoping for a better understanding as to why the domes suddenly went crazy, releasing/kicking out domers, blowing the city to hell, and killing all outsiders they encounter.
Questions/Comments:
Nola and Jeremy are in the old Nightland looking for Gentry. Jeremy has just encountered the recording of voices in a room where dead people are propped up as though still alive. He’s currently stuck inside. Nola’s worried and says, “Make the other people help you look for a way out.” She says that AFTER Jeremy tells her the voices were from a recording.
Their reasoning as to why the room was booby-trapped was questionable. They thought whoever (the guards) were trying to round up vampires. So once the vampire(s) were trapped in the room, a gas was released. What would the gas have done to the vampires?
In book 3, Nola asks Jeremy if they still have to sleep. He tells her that he only needs sleep every three days for about six hours. Yet the day after sleeping together, after coming back from the old Nightland, he tells Nola that they need rest. He never asks her if she’s even tired. It’s like he’s acting as though they’re normal humans still. On a side note, they just got back and go to sleep. No cleaning up or anything.
Why does Nola tell T and Beauford that the city is completely gone? There are still buildings! The old Nightland is still there.
There have been multiple times mentioned throughout the series when the reader is told there are about one thousand people making up Nightland, by Emanuel, Jeremy, Nola, etc. Yet in book 4, Nola says, “I thought Nightland was bigger than that” as though this number is something new.
“The only direction the Teachers could have come from is south.” How in the world would Jeremy know that given he’d never heard of the Teachers prior to meeting them in one of the city houses?
Nola and Jeremy are getting ready to head North. She gets her clothing and it says most had already been mended from the “few weeks she’d spent living outside the glass.” When was this? She went from the dome directly to Nightland, maybe spending one evening outside. Otherwise, whenever she’s gone out, she’s only been “living outside” a couple of nights, if that.
Nola wonders what they’ll do when they run out of the factory-made clothes. Well… what has everyone else been doing? The outsiders? The vampires and everyone that’s in Nightland?
If it’s cold outside—low temperature—and Nola hadn’t felt cold from the cold lake water—low temperature—in the mountain, why would she and Jeremy hope the northerners had fires going? Why would cold water not affect her but cold wind does? That makes no sense.
The northerners ask how to get into Nightland. One can assume they know where it’s located; otherwise, why would the main man ask how to get in and not where it’s located? So why does Nola tell them?
Why is that Nola has been out in the sun multiple times throughout the series, even after the reader is told the rays can be extremely harmful, yet it’s not until book 4 when they’re heading to the domes that “Even as the sun sank over the horizon, its rays burned Nola’s neck”?