[Report This]Date: January 20 2024 8:28 AM Title: Resolution (Part 1)
I kind of made that connection that you mentioned about Suki and Maya both having uncaring mothers in the last chapter too, but man, you really hit that point on Maya's end here. It seems like the big difference between those two is that Maya had Shana and Emily in her life, even though she didn't realize that having Shana there was a good thing.
God, Maya's mom is just terrible. And as much as we don't want to admit it, there are people like her in the real world, those who use pregnancy to "reel in" a husband (It's not super common, but it does happen). And Maya didn't even realize because her mom's simply not around enough for her to see the truth. It's really sad, especially when you consider how sweetly Maya has been portrayed so far.
It seems the more we find out about Shana, the more we realize that she's actually a pretty good person deep down. I've been pointing that out for a while, but it keeps becoming more true each time we see her. Even I was surprised to learn that she was the one stocking the fridge and leaving Maya money for food. And it makes sense that her harsh attitude toward Maya was her way of "training" her for when their mom ultimately turns on her. Once again, stuff she did that seemed cruel turned out to actually be her being kind. It's just that she doesn't know how to express what she's actually feeling, which she points out is because of these parenting issues (like when she agreed with Emily that she was trying to keep Maya from turning out an arrogant asshole like her).
Now, if only she would start watching her step around the Little Folk ...
I also like how Shana and Emily found some common ground in the lying, abusive adults that "raised" them. Between that and the revelation that Shana doesn't actually hate her little sister, I could see the starting to actually forge a friendship, especially since we know that Shana secretly respects Emily. I'm really curious how that might affect Suki if it materializes.
Jane just kept cracking me up in this chapter. I love how she had to scold herself not to make sarcastic comments about Shana's boobs. That would be me in that situation! And the way she pranked Maya and Emily into kissing was pretty funny, too.
But I also like how Jane took charge at times here. She let the bigs do their thing, but she stepped in when she needed to. She even had the guts to tell Shana to back off a bit, and Shana seemed to actually respect that. I really enjoy the blend of humor and seriousness that Jane brings to the table.
This was a pretty emotional chapter, but I don't think you over-dramatized it. You gave us some important background information on Shana and Maya's family and showed how it affected things now pretty effectively, I think. You also included enough humor to give this heavy chapter some levity, which I also think was a good call.
I'm looking forward to seeing Shana coming off of this hangover, both because I think it'll be funny and because I think she'll broach the subject of Jane with Emily, and I'm really curious to see how that goes.
Author's Response:
Thank you for your review!
I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, as it was one that I was looking forward to as well. The revelation of the real Shana to Maya and Emily at long last was something that I'm really glad I was able to get to!
And I'm also glad that you appreciate both sides of Jane, as she switches between being a jester and a motivator, depending on what's most helpful to the people she cares about.
The release date for the next chapter, which will be the second part of this chapter, in which Shana will clarify her opinion on a lot of things, including Jane and other things, is unfortunately TBD for now.
Unfortunately, I've come down with a bad flu (I'm having a little trouble writing this) and I don't know when I'll be well enough to start writing again.
The only good thing is that I finished the story mentally while bedridden, so all that remains is writing it down.
I am sorry for the delays, and I hope you will continue to enjoy the story until the very end!