Dejected at being forced through the Home door, Tookie returns home, but with a new resolve. She uses her fame from being chosen to speak out against the abusive Guru Gunnero, the BellaDonna, and the treatment of Ci~L. The public outcry against Modelland (and the threat of war from the nation of SansColor) result in the BellaDonna being deposed, and Modelland being reformed under the much more popular Ci~L. The end results are mixed, but overt abuse from the staff is a thing of the past.
Tookie reveals the horrific treatment Lizzie has received to the curious media, resulting in an investigation and in Lizzie finding doctors who truly care about helping her. After a time, Tookie and Lizzie are able to mend their friendship.
Tookie leaves her abusive family, earning a steady income from media appearances and a translation job she procured with the help of her newfound friends from other countries.
Tookie and Zarpessa never become friends, but Tookie uses her newfound money and fame to anonymously give Zarpessa's family a donation that allows them to move off the streets into a decent home.
Myrracle is chosen during the next Day of Discovery and goes on to become a Triple7.
The End.
.
.
.
Nah, I'm kidding. The chapter starts with a total cop-out.
Tookie opens her eyes after smelling blood oranges. She is now wearing the Modelland uniform in a "two-tone green", which is presumably the color of newbies.
They only went into the Home door because Gunnero didn't want to hold the fashion show before he'd been given a chance to teach the girls how to walk. (He wants full credit for that, since he's the one who teaches the subject.)
*gasp* It's ZhenZhen! Shiraz, Dylan, and Piper walk towards Tookie, and she's convinced that it's all a dream. Presumably, because she isn't very bright.
More girls appeared behind them. Kamalini ... Desperada ... and Chaste and Zarpessa. Yuck. No, it's definitely a nightmare.
I get why Tookie would dislike Zarpessa, but Chaste really hasn't done anything yet. At least wait until she's properly been established as an antagonist before irrationally hating her.
They were apart for all of two minutes. And I have difficulty believing that they love each other — even just as friends — after knowing each other for less than a day. I can't tell if the book is hoping we won't notice this because we're about 200 pages in * , or if the book itself has no sense of the passage of time.
ZhenZhen tells the group that the BellaDonna will be upset because Gunnero has excluded the fashion show for the past two years to make himself look good. Why the BellaDonna allows him to remain in his position is anyone's guess.
Fifty-four girls survived Thigh-High Boot Camp (which contained neither thigh-high boots or a boot camp). When asked where they went, ZhenZhen says:
So are they dead, or just returned home? Because if they aren't dead, this book is being a horrible tease.
Dylan refuses to go anywhere until she knows where they are. They are at the "D," which is where they'll be living.
Tookie realizes that "D" stands for "Dorms."
Some Mannecants then arrive with Senturas. ZhenZhen gives some exposition that further cements my hatred of her character and confuses me.
"Listen, up girls."
You're excluding the down girls? How directionist of you.
I'll save my many questions about the Senturas for the end of this installment.
The girls are told to go to the second level of the dorms and look for their names.
There's a bunch of steps which floats in midair with no visible support (no risers or banisters). If that was me, I'd say screw that and just sleep in the common area. But that might just be my mild acrophobia talking.
On the second floor, there are a bunch of bedroom doors, and names start appearing on the doors. Tookie gets roomed with Shiraz and Kamalini. Their room has floor-to-ceiling windows but nothing but four burlap bags on the floor. Shiraz heads towards a window and trips, discovering that there were invisible beds there all along.
The beds materialize after each person runs into it. I guess the Modelland staff like to screw with the new recruits.
There's the sound of a pencil writing on paper, and a picture of Shiraz's face appears on the bed.
"Jinx!" Kamalini teased, bumping Tookie's hip. Tookie smiled so hard, her cheeks hurt. No one had ever jinxed her before.
How old are they supposed to be? Ten? (And why would Kamalini, who comes from a country that speaks a language other than English know about "jinxing" someone?)
Also, quit abusing commas, Tyra! What did they ever do to you?
Since Tookie is supposed to garner sympathy by bad things happening and her angsting about them, the face that gets drawn on her comforter isn't very flattering, making her look goofier than she actually does.
Kamalini admits that she's nervous about being there, since she didn't really try to get there. She just lucked into the SMIZE popping out while she was showering. Kamalini tells the other girls that her parents were worried because of her addiction.
"No, not drugs," Kamalini said.
"The whiskey?" Shiraz guessed again. "I no judge you, I just want to help!"
And now I am completely incapable of taking the issue of addiction seriously. Thanks for that, Shiraz.
Kamalini says that she's addicted to her Headbangor, which she smuggled in. We hear about her backstory.
Her father is the dean of her country's most prestigious (unnamed) university. He's also an inventor, who helped create the device his daughter is addiction to. Her mother is a Bollywood Chakrawood actress and director.
So her parents are enabling her addiction rather than getting her help. Someone's not going to be winning Parent of the Year awards anytime soon.
Tookie then asks to use the device that Kamalini just explicitly said was addictive and causes painful withdrawal. Tookie is both insensitive and a moron.
Tookie then asks if the song is about forbidden love. (Subtlety, what's that?)
Kamalini says that it's her mother singing. Naturally, her mother is also a hit singer/song-writer in additional to being a famous actress and director.
Now, time for more "Tookie is so awesome!" dialogue.
"Every language, she knows!" Shiraz called matter-of-factly from across the room as she traced the lines of her face on her comforter. "Magical, Tookie is."
Thank you, Yoda.
Then we get the reveal of the final roommate: Zarpessa. Zarpessa plops down on Tookie's bed and insults her.
Congratulations, Tyra. You've ruined one of only two characters that I actually care about. Good job.
The comforter changes from Tookie's face to Zarpessa's, and Zarpessa talks about what wonderful quality they are, and how she has linens just like that at home.
She whipped around and stared at Tookie, challenging her to say something. Tookie stared at the marble floor.
Tookie gets up off the bed and searches for another bed. Since Tookie needs more reasons to angst, the bed she finds isn't as good as the others.
This makes no logical sense for there to be one lesser bed, but given that it's in the darkest corner, I'd say she's got the best spot for actually getting some sleep.
ZhenZhen stops by to tell the girls that the sacks in the room contain the clothes they wore there, and that they are only allowed to keep two things from home. She then randomly announces that Modelland tells time by color instead of numbers. How confusing and incredibly stupid.
How on Earth would you distinguish between 1:00 and 1:30 if it's all "blue o'clock." Or is there a separate color for every minute? (I pity any colorblind Bellas.)
Some nightstands appear with some nightgowns for the girls and toiletries. The nightgowns, like everything else in Modelland, are impractical, and include capes.
Zarpessa is annoyed that they can only bring two things, but Tookie has already decided. Conveniently, her two items were already in the clothes she wore at T-DOD: her diary (the T-Mail Jail), and the button belonging to Theophilus which she fished out of the trash.
Shiraz stuffs a piece of paper into her drawer. (Foreshadowing!)
Zarpessa notices and asks what it is.
Tookie then does the worst thing she can do to escape suspicion. She stammers, runs around the room so that everyone stares at her, and then bolts into the hallway. She then picks a cloth flower with thorns and streams and tendrils from the wall in the hallway. She then makes it into an improvised corsage which she fastens to the flower.
Seriously, Tookie. This is not healthy behavior. Get help.
An announcement tells everyone to go to bed, and that it's time for the Lumière. No, not that Lumiere.
The light goes out on its own, and Shiraz and Kamalini say goodnight. But then, a light comes on above Zarpessa's bed.
"Hide under the overpass!" Zarpessa screamed, clearly half asleep. Tookie stifled a laugh.
Screw you, Tookie. It's one thing to hate Zarpessa because she's a jerk. It's another to laugh at her misfortune. Especially when your supposed best friend was in the exact same situation.
Zarpessa wakes up and identifies the light as her Lumière. The Lumière is "the special light that shines on Bellas at night." The type of light is supposed to represent their "most flattering light." Zarpessa is excited that hers is a spotlight.
Then a "warm reddish light" appears over Kamalini. Kamalini is annoyed because "we can't sleep with lights on." I can't tell if she's referring to herself in the plural, or if she's referring to everyone in the room.
Zarpessa tells her that the Lumière is supposed to have restorative properties and make "your skin fresh and dewy." They hear yelling from other rooms about the lights. Tookie and Shiraz don't get the Lumière, even though Zarpessa says it's supposed to happen to every model there.
Well, duh. Shiraz, Piper and Dylan are there because Ci~L snuck them in, and Tookie is there because she had a SMIZE.
Zarpessa then hints that maybe the girls without the Lumière might be intended as sacrifices.
DUN DUN DUN!
Scene Change!
Tookie wakes up. She realizes that she's still at Modelland, but that she must have been sleepwalking, so she doesn't know where she is exactly. Ugh. What an annoying plot device.
She hears "whacks" and then whimpering. She opens a door and sees a jail cell.
So there's where the editor has been hiding.
In the cell is a picture of the Obscure Obelisks.
The figure continues beating "itself." (Dammit, Tookie. Quit referring to other people as "it.")
Then Tookie catches a glimpse of who the person is: Silas.
Or Ci~L. I forget which.
And the chapter ends now that we actually got to something interesting. At least we know what Ci~L was referring to when she mentioned getting tortured.
Questions about Bella Magic
Note: All these questions are rhetorical. I am purposefully avoiding spoilers, so I do not know if these questions are answered later, or what those answers may be.
- innate (adjective)
: 1) "Existing in one from birth; inborn; native"; 2) inherent in the essential character of something; 3) originating in or arising from the intellect or constitution of the mind, rather than learned from experience
If magical powers are innate in all girls (which we've been told before), why would the girls require the Senturas to use them? Innate implies that the girls have always had the ability, which would make magic belts unnecessary. But it's said in this chapter that Bella magic requires Senturas to work.
Are the Bellas like batteries, and the Sentura converts their innate energy into magic?
Would a Sentura function for any girl or woman that wore it? Would it function if a boy wore it?
How did Ci~L do the whole "standing around nude while deciding on my wardrobe in front of a bunch of underage girls" thing? Is she so amazing she doesn't need a Sentura? Is it a plot hole?
While we're at it, why are Intoxibellas defined by only seven different magical powers when we've seen way more magic than just those seven abilities? Are there other sources of magic in this universe to explain these additional magics, or are they all related to Bella magic? If it's all Bella magic, why aren't the other spells/abilities advertised as well? Wouldn't it only serve to increase the glamor and fame that Modelland receives? (I'm much more impressed by the giant talking marble statue than I am by the ability to predict next year's fashion trends.)
This installment brought to you by insomnia. Insomnia: it does a liveblog good.
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