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"I close my eyes and think of Metias, of all my favorite memories and even the old ones I'd rather forget, and I picture him bathed in light... We lie there together, watching the lightning and listening to the thunder, and waiting for the beginning of a rainy dawn." (Lu, 304-305, last two paragraphs)
The ending of this book was not as expected. What was expected was that there was going to be a major hook that made the reader want to buy the next book. This confused me because Marie Lu had been leaving huge hooks throughout the whole book but not the end. Why is this? Maybe Marie Lu just wanted to end the book peacefully or maybe she thought that she had enough action throughout the book and at the end of the book to keeps the readers attention. This book was over all a really good action packed book but I believe the fact that the action and the questions were finally answered before the end of the book was a mistake. I think Marie Lu would find that more people would read her sequel if she left a final hook.

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"My mother thinks I'm dead. Obviously I'm not dead, but it's safer for her to think so. At least twice a month, I see my wanted poster flashed on the jumbotrons scattered throughout downtown Los Angeles." (Lu, 1, paragraph 1-2,  sentences 1)
During this annotation I will be addressing the lead of the book. The author Marie Lu starts the book off directly with a hook. The hook is "My mother thinks I'm dead." (Lu, 1). This automatically makes the reader want to know more. It makes the reader want to ask and figure out questions such as "Why does she think you're dead?", and "Why don't you tell her you're alive?". I think Marie Lu did this right away to right away to get the readers attention and I think it is a very good and affective way to start the book. Right after the first sentence the author wrote another hook. This hook is Day talking about how he's on a wanted poster. I believe Marie Lu kept hammering the reader with leads in the beginning of the book to make sure that she gets the reader asking a lot of questions and that they don't ever stop wanting to know more. I think Marie Lu is very affective at writing leads and her strategy of multiple hooks works very well and in some of my writing I will use this strategy.

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"Tess laughs and gives me a look that I can't quite read. "He likes to be acquainted with cute girls." I scowl at her. "Bite your tongue, cousin. Haven't you had enough brushes with death for one day?"" ( Lu, 112, paragraphs 4-5)
Throughout the whole story Tess and Day use slang such a cousin and shag. Why would Marie Lu have Day and Tess use this language? Well the reason most likely is so that she can show a difference between Day, June, and where the two grew up. Day grew up poor and in suburb like parts of the Republic. This is while June grew up in the rich sectors of the republic and had completed a high level of education. The way Day and Tess use their slang you can tell that they are uneducated and grew up using it which is the same as people in todays society. For example kids in Boston will most likely grow up with a Boston accent and use some words that we don't typically use in NH. I think the bottom line is that Marie Lu chose to use slang with Day and Tess to give them more of a background.

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"crackle and pop, and the JumboTrons pause in their ads-or, in some cases, warnings about another patriot rebel attack-to show a video of our flag. Everyone stops in the streets and goes still as the pledge starts. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the the great Republic of America, to our Elector Primo, to our glorious states, to unity against the colonies, to our impending victory"" ( Lu, 68, paragraph 1-2)
I chose this part to annotate on because there are so many characteristics of dystopia. The characteristics that this section includes are propaganda used to control citizens, a figure head is worshipped by citizens of the society, and citizens conform to uniform expectations. In the section the book states that jumbotrons pause their ads or warnings about patriot rebel attacks. This is propaganda and the Republic is using it to try to convince it citizens that the patriots are bad and that they should be scared. The pledge that was also in this section showed that people pledged their allegiance everyday toward their Elector which is showing that he is worshipped. The third example of dystopia in the section was just how everybody does the pledge. That is citizens conforming to uniform expectations. I think Marie Lu added this part just to show how messed up the society is and to show how the book takes place in a dystopian like era.

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"As if from a great distance, I can see that Thomas is still speaking, gesturing with his hands, pulling me to him for a hug. I hug him back not realizing what I'm doing... He's talking the whole time, but I can't hear him. I stare strait ahead" ( Lu, 38, paragraph 4, sentence 1-10)
In this contrasts & contradictions I am looking at June and why she is acting the way she is. June is acting set back, and unresponsive. This is because she is in shock from hearing that her brother dead. There are no other reason of why she would be acting this way. I think she may also be acting this way because it makes the death of her brother seem less real if she doesn't listen to people saying sorry or talking about it. There are no examples of dystopia in this annotation and in the section. I think that Marie Lu had June acting this way because of possibly her own experiences. Maybe Marie Lu had something traumatic such as a death of a close friend or family member happen to her that that was the way she felt or saw other people acting this why. I think that she added these parts to make the book more realistic and to show that even the best like June feel pain.

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"I still remember the day that my brother missed his induction ceremony into the Republic Military... Metias ignored me and placed another cold towel on my head. "I'll be inducted either way," he said." ( Lu, 35, paragraphs 1-4)
This memory moment is when June is thinking of a time when Metias missed his induction ceremony to stay home with her because she was sick. Why might this memory be important? This memory is important because it truly shows how much she cares for her brother and how much he cares for her. This memory shows the connection that the siblings have. This could be important because if anything happens to Metias then it would emphasize how truly sad June would be. This annotation also shows dystopia within it. Part of the quote I didn't write down shows a dystopian characteristic. "Metias stood and saluted in the direction of the capital. Our illustrious Elector Primo had just accepted another four-year presidential term. That would make this his eleventh term."( Lu, 35). The dystopian characteristic in this was a figure head is worshipped by the citizens of the society. It seems like at this point that the Elector is worshipped by people saluting him and reelecting him. I think Marie Lu included this part the show the connection between the siblings and possible show a connection between how June feels about her family and how the reader feels about theirs. I think she including the dystopian part to show what the society is like.

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"That's when I see a gesture which jolts my mind completely back into place: before he lies down to sleep, he grabs at something around his neck. It's such an unconscious movement that I doubt he even realizes he did it. I stare at his neck but see nothing around it. He grabbed at a ghost trinket or thread. and thats when I remember, with a nauseating feeling, the pendant in my pocket. Day's pendant." ( Lu, 138, paragraph 5-6)
Throughout the whole story so far the author keeps mentioning Day's pendant and that is the again and again. In this section the realization of why Marie Lu did this came into focus. Why does this keep happening again and again? The reason why is because this was how June ends up figuring out who day is. Day's pendent kept getting brought up throughout the story so far because it was going to have a clear affect on the story and that affect was that June figured out Day's true identity. This annotation has no clear connection the dystopia society throughout the book. I believe the author used the pendent again and again to show that it was important and used it at this point in the story to move along the plot with June finding out Day's true identity.

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"Our caretaker hurries into the room, a tattered robe draped over his pajamas. "You should leave now," he whispers. Sweat beads on his forehead. "I just heard about a man who's been looking for you." I stare levelly at him. Tess gives me a panicked look. "How do you know?" I ask" ( Lu, 56, paragraph 7-8)
These words of the wiser come from the old man who let Day and Tess stay with him while Day recovers. How could this affect the character? This could affect both Day and Tess because the words of the old man may have prevented them from being caught. These wise words taught the lesson of kindness and how it always prevails and is the right thing. This also showed an example of how one persons kindness could make a difference and save two people. This signpost also showed a small glimpse of dystopia. One dystopian characteristic is citizens have a fear of the outside world. In this case the old man (citizen) has a fear of the Republic and getting in trouble for helping Day. I think the author included this scene to show that not everybody liked the Republic and that Day was not standing alone; that there were people that would help him.

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"Why he did this, I can't be sure. To draw me out? To get me to say something on accident? To see if I would refuse, and then take this information to Commander Jameson?" ( Lu, 236, paragraph 4, sentence 4-7)
These "Tough Questions" make me and I think June wonder what Thomas is doing. It also makes me and I think June wonder if Thomas knows that June thinks he kill Metias. These "Tough Questions" also gave a connection between the reader and June because both most likely were wondering the same thing. This sign post also included evidence of dystopia. The evidence can be traced back to Thomas and the tough question asked "To see if I would refuse, and then take this information to Commander Jameson?" (Lu, 236). The dystopian characteristic that this sentence showed was citizens conform to uniform expectations. The reason for this is because the sentence gives the impression that Thomas would always do what Commander Jameson told him to, "Uniform Expectations". I think Marie Lu used the tough questions to lure the reader to keep reading. Each of these questions left hooks making the reader wonder what the truth is and therefore these tough questions were a valuable writing tool that Marie Lu used.

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"They pump that virus into the slum sectors through a system of underground pipes. Sometimes into the water supply, sometimes just directly into a few specific homes to see how it spreads . That starts off a new round of the plague...They don't go to labor camps, June. None of them do. They die."( Lu, 246, paragraph 2,3,4)
This "Aha Moment" is the moment when June is reading the messages her brother left her and finally realized that the Republic creates, spreads the plague while also killing all the children who fail the trials. What could this realization change? It could change the way June thinks of the Republic. This could be the final breaking point that makes June realize her Republic is not a good place and makes her want to save Day. This also connects to dystopia because June is realizing that Republic is forcing some of its people to live in a dehumanized state which is a characteristic of dystopia and another example of why this book is of dystopian nature. The author Marie Lu most likely added this realization to move along the story and to give June a good reason to rebel against the Republic while almost "talking" with her brother again and finding out he wasn't a bad person.