Ben Haskett’s Reviews > Cyteen > Status Update

An explosion. An inside job, perhaps.

So much is happening in this final chapter. The author's writing style is clearer than ever -- subchapters feature Justin unsure of what's going on, unsure of the motives of his closest allies, and then Ari II's subchapters have the same insecurities. Interestingly, because they never say what their own motivations are, the only clear part is their own suspicions. Is Ari effectively holding Grant hostage?

Ch 13 so far: I'm in danger of losing the plot in these last hundred pages! All of a sudden, Justin is relying on Ari for security and friendship. The writing is so subtle and its characters' assertions so intermittently reliable that I'm unsure if Justin is leaning into her because she's his one weapon against Giraud, or if Ari went poking around in his head and toggled off some anxiety switches. Maybe both?!

CH 12: This is where (almost) everything comes out. I've been doing chapter blow-by-blows for this whole book, but spoiler warning: Ari II, at 16, frustrated and dissatisfied with boys her age, makes a pass at 35yo Justin Warrick and is offended by his intensely negative PTSD-esque reaction. After some discussion, she obtains the recording of her predecessor raping him when he was 17. God, why is there a recording?

CH 11: Oof, this one was a doozy. Many interviews with the press, many hearings with the Council of Nine, many political discussions. Ari is trying to explain her predecessor's biggest scandal while defending against the accusations that she's being coached by adults and parroting whatever she's fed. She learns that Jordan killed Ari Sr and tries to clear the air with his son Justin—with mostly positive results.

CH 10 cont.: 12-yo Ari, who lives with her two azi, and no adults, invites her male azi companion to her room for some adult activity—despite her internal voice that it was an awful thing to do since it's unclear whether her azi can consent. (This was uncomfortable to read about, not only because of the consent issues, but also because: they're all 12!) Wasn't described in detail, but there was also too much detail.

CH 10 so far: Justin and Grant have been in the back seat these last few chapters. They're still there, plugging away successfully at their tape project, but most of the attention is still on 12-year-old Ari II, who is sharp as a tack and sees manipulation and dishonestly in people like they're painted on their faces. She's vacillates between plotting her revenge and being horrified by her own power to carry it out.

Rest of CH 9 and intermission: Ari, at 12, becomes fed up with the constant surveillance. She first demands that the security system in her room be ripped out, then escalates -- she moves out of her "uncle's" home altogether and into her progenitor's massive apartment with her young azi companions Florian and Caitlin. She's catching on more to her manufactured reality and hating every revelation.

CH 9: Jordan apprehensively offers constructive criticism on Ari's upbringing to her handlers. Jury's still out whether that'll have an effect, but in the meantime he's placed on the Rubin project--which had to start over (suicide). Jordan still suffers anxiety around Ari, which worsens as she grows. Ari, now 12, has started noticing boys and really wants to explore but is very practical about her options.

CH 8: Things have focused, mostly, on Ari's coming of age. She visits Ari I's house and occasionally occasionally learns about herself from AI-assisted recordings of her progenitor. Although the Truman show facade has dropped, info about Ari's past life is still withheld. She is, in a childlike sorta way, manipulative, and political on the playground.