Vicki - Victim or Deserves it?

[Nym182]

I feel like Vikki is a villain without realising it. She genuinely believed she was doing the right thing.

Right? She thought she was looking out for someone evil with powers... and maybe she right... Some of the things that Adam and Carly do are pretty evil...

Yeah considering what Adam did to Terry.

One could make an argument that Adam is much more evil than Vicki and the Iksha... The Iksha (I assume) believe they are trying to destroy evil, Adam was just getting his sick jollies for his own sake.

[Nym182]

At first I thought she deserved it because well so far i only knew she was a 30-year-old woman in the disguise of 17-year-old and she was part of the Iksha with clear intention of hunting down the Descendants. But then I read sneak peak of "Split Adam" at the end of the book "Opaque" and I found out her innocence so I thought well maybe she was a victim. So yes maybe Vikki was a victim but at the time of her interrogation, all Adam, Carly and Dauma knew was that she was from Iksha, she was way older than them, she was a threat and the Iksha kept Carly's father and for this I don't blame their torturous acts. (Both sides had suffered).

By the way, I don't get it. If Vikki was Adam's sister (revealed in the sneak peak) and they were supposed to be twins, then why was Vikki 30 and Adam 17 ??

Yeah, I read that sneak peek too and it definitely gave some further evidence at how terrible they have treated her... And I cringed so hard when Adam told Carly "You really are a bully" then kissing her... like Adam enjoys her being sadistic?

And I totally didn't even think about that... that's quite the oversight on the author's part unless we get another half-assed excuse for it...

I am sure there will be some excuse for it.

yeah, whether or not we believe it will be a horse of a different color!

[Nym182]

I think what Dauma, Carly, and Adam did to Vikki was definitely over the top. To kidnap her and question her was one thing, but I agree that she was only doing what her father instructed her to do. She was not a physical threat to them personally, she was just to find out who had special powers and report it to her father.

Everything they did was over the top! This book was a constant pattern of people behaving toxically, and it just apparently being okay because they're the main characters? Just chilling

Right? Not a great message to give to young adults...

[Nym182]

What they did wasn't fair. Vicki thought she was doing the right thing, and they, on the other hand were just being desperate, and desperation can cause one to go overboard.

I totally hated this book, admittedly, but in desperation to find a loved one we'd go to pretty extreme lengths of we were capable of possibly getting them back ourselves.

Which is a valid point... but maybe not a good message to relay to young adults... They may not be able to figure out when going to those extreme lengths is valid.

[gilliansisley]

I think what Dauma, Carly, and Adam did to Vikki was definitely over the top. To kidnap her and question her was one thing, but I agree that she was only doing what her father instructed her to do. She was not a physical threat to them personally, she was just to find out who had special powers and report it to her father.

Everything they did was over the top! This book was a constant pattern of people behaving toxically, and it just apparently being okay because they're the main characters? Just chilling

Right? Not a great message to give to young adults...

An awful message! It worries me so much, that some kids could read this sh*t!

[gilliansisley]

What they did wasn't fair. Vicki thought she was doing the right thing, and they, on the other hand were just being desperate, and desperation can cause one to go overboard.

I totally hated this book, admittedly, but in desperation to find a loved one we'd go to pretty extreme lengths of we were capable of possibly getting them back ourselves.

Which is a valid point... but maybe not a good message to relay to young adults... They may not be able to figure out when going to those extreme lengths is valid.

Yeah, that might be one of the few realistic elements of this novel. I can believe in that psychology, in the midst of desperation.

[Nym182]

Everything they did was over the top! This book was a constant pattern of people behaving toxically, and it just apparently being okay because they're the main characters? Just chilling

Right? Not a great message to give to young adults...

An awful message! It worries me so much, that some kids could read this sh*t!

Right? Fallen into the wrong hands, this book could give the wrong person the go ahead to do some terrible things...

[gilliansisley]

Right? Not a great message to give to young adults...

An awful message! It worries me so much, that some kids could read this sh*t!

Right? Fallen into the wrong hands, this book could give the wrong person the go ahead to do some terrible things...

100%. It scares me to think about a young person cuddles up in bed excitedly opening this book and being attacked with the most disturbing sh*t I've ever read.

[Howlan]

Especially with Carly wearing a sexy outfit... it made that whole scene come off as some sexual torture porn...

Yeah like SM ?

exactly! seems like it would be right up Adam's alley...

Yeah he even had a place fixed up for it!

[Howlan]

I think what Dauma, Carly, and Adam did to Vikki was definitely over the top. To kidnap her and question her was one thing, but I agree that she was only doing what her father instructed her to do. She was not a physical threat to them personally, she was just to find out who had special powers and report it to her father.

Everything they did was over the top! This book was a constant pattern of people behaving toxically, and it just apparently being okay because they're the main characters? Just chilling

Really chilling and shivering!!

[Howlan]

Of course, it was not fair at all. She is mostly innocent if whatever he got to know about her is true. But in terms of Carly and Dauma, they really needed information about their father, so they did what they could. Sure it's quite unbelievable for Carly for torturing her, but the previous experience of her with an Iksha spy might have been replaying in her mind which led to her father's capture. Also, Daruma might have a better way to deal with it as she is a biokinetic, but she was also distraught by her husband's capture and she knew what his fate is going to be if he was not rescued soon.

You make good points here. If my husband or father had been taken, there are quite drastic lengths I would go to ensure I get them back. Carly and Dauma couldn't go to the police, and had to take matters into their own hands.

Yes, true that is a very good reason for them to do what they did. But still they went a little overboard.

[Howlan]

What they did wasn't fair. Vicki thought she was doing the right thing, and they, on the other hand were just being desperate, and desperation can cause one to go overboard.

I totally hated this book, admittedly, but in desperation to find a loved one we'd go to pretty extreme lengths of we were capable of possibly getting them back ourselves.

Yes definitely true.

[Howlan]

Of course, it was not fair at all. She is mostly innocent if whatever he got to know about her is true. But in terms of Carly and Dauma, they really needed information about their father, so they did what they could. Sure it's quite unbelievable for Carly for torturing her, but the previous experience of her with an Iksha spy might have been replaying in her mind which led to her father's capture. Also, Daruma might have a better way to deal with it as she is a biokinetic, but she was also distraught by her husband's capture and she knew what his fate is going to be if he was not rescued soon.

I agree with you on this one... Obviously they were acting on raw emotions, but it did bother me when Dauma started in on her she said that she's just going to assume Vicki is lying no matter what she says. What's the point? At that point, it's just torture.

Yes, you make a fantastic point. Dauma went in hot and heavy, and went forward with a torturing mindset. That's messed up. There's no moral line.

Yes, she really crossed the line there.

[Howlan]

I think what Dauma, Carly, and Adam did to Vikki was definitely over the top. To kidnap her and question her was one thing, but I agree that she was only doing what her father instructed her to do. She was not a physical threat to them personally, she was just to find out who had special powers and report it to her father.

Everything they did was over the top! This book was a constant pattern of people behaving toxically, and it just apparently being okay because they're the main characters? Just chilling

Exactly! I can't help but wonder what they will be up to in the next book!

I just want a rollercoaster ride from this book!

[Howlan]

And that is a valid point... Maybe Carly has been a bit brainwashed herself?

Nah I don't think Carl was brainwashed. Unless there is a good reason for it.

Hmmmm maybe not "brainwashed" maybe more "conditioned" by her parents? Not with any evil intent, but isn't that kinda common for warring families to do? Gotta teach the new generations who are evil and then it really comes to perspective. Like, if we saw things from Vicki's POV, the Descendants would be painted the same way the Iksha is to Carly. One of the negatives of seeing things from one side's POV is only getting one side of the story.

Yes, that is a valid and good point. It is true that Cary being raised as a descendant from birth was grilled with a certain training