So now we all know who killed Luis, and we know why Paul is partially blind, and we know what a sociopath Erik is. I don't know about anyone else, but I am a little confused by Erik's reaction to his brother telling on him to the police. He seems not only to understand why Paul told, but he seems also to accept that he got his "just desserts", as it were. The old "what comes around". This seems out of character for Erik. It seems he would have denied it, would have promised Paul that he would get him back, would have become violent. But the family seems almost to just ignore what happened. Erik goes up to his room, his parents don't talk about it to Paul, even the grandparents stop by, hear what is happening to their family, and then decide to continue on with their vacation like it was not a big deal to hear that their grandson had had a man killed, after blinding their other grandson, defacing the neighborhood and generally terrorizing everyone they meet. I know in my family, we would have gathered forces together. My parents would be involved.
Other than that, my initial reaction of surprise carried through the entire book. I am surprised at what a sinister tone the book had. There was definitely a feeling of the macabre about the book, almost a feeling of hell (with the sink hole, the lightning, the "walled" community surrounded by constantly burning wasteland, the infestations). It is exactly the opposite of what I expected.
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I too was a little put off by the end of the book. It all seemed a little too rushed and neat. Granted, it's all through Paul's eyes and he isn't in on everything, but Erik's self imposed exile and his parents' reaction or lack thereof both me. In some ways it reminds me that families don't change all that quickly. Once there's a pattern (protecting Eric), it'll remain a pattern. Happily though, Paul seems ready and able to break away.
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