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New characters!!

 I can't believe that we're almost halfway through Parable of the Sower. It feels very fast-paced and sluggish at the same time -- does that make sense? Lots of things are happening, but they happen in predictable and regular patterns in a way that makes them almost mundane. Now, however, we have a huge mix-up that has significantly boosted my interest in the final sections of the book.

Like Lauren predicted, the neighborhood was destroyed. In the chapters leading up to this, there has been a purge of the biggest supporting characters: now that purge is complete, and we have a new set of companions for Lauren. This change reminds me of Brave New World, when our core character group didn't come into focus until we were deep into the book. I was not a fan of Lauren's family members, so I'm hoping that her new survival group sticks together and stays loyal to each other. It's exciting to meet new characters, and it would be a shame if we lost them as well.

Side note: this is getting kind of scary; I need to start doing my readings earlier in the day!

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