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This section. I just… ugh. This section.
This section fought me every step of the way. All the feelings I have wrapped up in the Goodship Firebrand suddenly didn’t want to come out on to the page. Every thing I wanted to talk about slipped away, and I had to retreat back into what could be called my “source,” Help At Any Cost by Maia Szalavitz. Originally a thread on Metafilter, her articles more or less inspired Toby’s character and his situation. It’s a good, upsetting read, and I recommend it to anyone interested in “rehabilitation” camps or programs like the Goodship Firebrand.
The Goodship Firebreand is largely a combination of a lot of the programs in the book. Manual labor and brainwashing, although I would argue that the brainwashing scheme that the Firebrand may or may not be using is weak and ineffective. Which is good for the kids. It’s more about the punishment here.
And Auburn! Hello, Auburn! New persons we get to me (says Yoda). Erin likened her to another heroine of mine, Ty: Strong, intelligent, protective. And I love how infatuated she is with Frank, her kidnapped Sandtribe buddy.
As for the atmosphere, I think this is where the section failed. This is where the story fought me. This was where I felt like I was back in college writing papers at midnight because they just did not want to come out. I hope I can pick it up in the next section.
As always, and questions you have are totally welcome.
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Hi Auburn! At long last, we meet! I am not disappointed.