tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34468422.post6637481444381293433..comments2019-12-09T05:07:27.341-05:00Comments on scatteredpaper: Firelightscatteredpaperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01054015621268384437noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34468422.post-17923749298186434542010-11-22T20:36:13.529-05:002010-11-22T20:36:13.529-05:00You know, normally I feel like I'm hyper aware...You know, normally I feel like I'm hyper aware of things like that, but for some reason, this perspective never occurred to me -- quite the opposite! The link between her draki and her sexuality was obvious, to the point that I simply equated her frequent outbursts to not allow her draki die as to a refusal to totally suppress her sexuality and bend to the conventions required by her family. Her mother might want to see Jacinda not echo her own mistakes (aka yield to her sexuality in making choices, as she went against her own wishes so that she could be with Jacinda's father), but Jacinda was standing up for her own expression and choices, particularly when it came to sexual/sensual expression. When she did any "bad, Jacinda, bad" internal comments, I didn't think that she believed her sexuality was the problem, but rather, an unchecked expression of it wasn't in her best interest. It was her own (small) desire to keep feelings in check given the complicated situation as opposed to completely yielding to anything based purely on attraction (though it's not like we were even in doubt that they'd come together at some point).<br />Still, interesting to know that such a completely opposite opinion could be formed when we both read the same book. Perhaps by knowing a romance novelist was writing this in such a sensual way (though they never do more than kiss), it never occurred to me that the main character would think of her sexuality in a negative light.scatteredpaperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01054015621268384437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34468422.post-52649783582887084512010-11-21T15:57:10.422-05:002010-11-21T15:57:10.422-05:00I actually had a really hard time with this book. ...I actually had a really hard time with this book. I'm sure I was reading too much into it, but I found Jacinda's reactions to her lust towards Will kind of disturbing. It felt like her draki became a symbol of her sexuality--in that every time she was around Will, it flared to life (as well as for another, more spoilery reason.) Jacinda's reaction of trying to squash it--I seem to remember a scene in which she even chastises herself for enjoying Will's touch by saying "Bad, Jacinda, bad" felt off and disturbing to me. Similary, the fact that Will became half an object of lust/love for her and half an addiction--a drug to keep her draki alive--had the Women's Studies part of my mind up in arms.<br /><br />Also, I think I was disappointed because this book wasn't really about dragons. There were far too few actual dragons on the page for my taste.Sara Kankowski DeSabatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305302500835213896noreply@blogger.com