Because You Love to Hate Me(83)
Neither did Kathryn Huxley, who probably deserved to die for blowing up a party that was only supposed to be me and Denic, and maybe those two girls, too—but that was it. Definitely not naked Steven Kemple, who would not die, and whose naked image is now permanently seared into the flesh of my tormented brain.
My parents came home on Sunday. Denic and I had managed to clean everything up, and except for the smell of pee and the big burned circle in the backyard, things were pretty much just as they’d always been.
And Mom and Dad believed our story about the giant meteor that smelled like a urinal, but everyone knew they would. After all, Ealing Iowa’s Little Angel of Death could break any rule he wanted—he could even try to turn himself in to the cops—and nobody would ever blame him for anything.
But Steven Kemple just would not die. And sometimes even Little Angels of Death need to resort to more worldly methods and take matters of the flesh and bone into their own hands. It’s a dirty business, balancing the ledgers of the universe, but somebody’s got to do it.
I know where Steven Kemple lives.
And this is major foreshadowing.
RAELEEN LEMAY’S VILLAIN CHALLENGE TO ANDREW SMITH:
A Psychopath in a Futuristic Setting
JULIAN POWELL: TEEN PSYCHO EXTRAORDINAIRE
BY RAELEEN LEMAY
I love psychopaths.
Okay, that came out wrong. What I mean to say is, I love watching and reading about fictional psychopaths because they’re so complex. What are their reasons for doing the things they do? Sometimes they have a moral code and actually feel what they’re doing is right (such as Dexter Morgan killing murderers—what a good guy!), and other times they’re just straight-up psycho.
Also, what makes psychopaths so terrifying is that they’re real. Maybe there aren’t actually dark wizards mass-murdering innocent Muggles in this world, but psychopaths are very much a reality, and they could be anybody. I bet Julian Powell’s friends, teachers, schoolmates, and neighbors had no idea about the messed-up tornado swirling around in his head.
So maybe I should rephrase that first line. I love Julian Powell.
My favorite things about “Julian Breaks Every Rule”:
?How straightforward Julian is. He never lies to you about what he’s done or what he’s thinking, which made him feel like a way more reliable narrator than you typically get with psychopaths. But it also begged the question of whether he was telling the truth, which caused me to have a bit of a crisis. WHAT IF HE WAS LYING THE WHOLE TIME? I got very into it, not gonna lie.
?The constant foreshadowing really helped build suspense in the story because no matter how much information it seems like Julian is giving away, you really don’t know the ending until you get there. Upon reading the story a second, third, and fourth time, I learned a lot about what was actually going on.
?Julian is very much a typical psychopath, but he has some pretty clear differences as well. Normal psychopaths (obviously) don’t have powers that allow them to kill people with their minds, but Julian does—or does he? Are those deaths just coincidences? Whatever the case, the intent behind his actions mirrors that of a regular psychopathic murderer. He believes somebody deserves to die, and it happens. As for Julian’s ability to get away with anything: it’s a pretty well-known fact that psychopaths are master manipulators and can essentially talk their way out of anything (seriously, have you seen Dexter?). So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Julian can get away with murder (literally or figuratively) and break any rule as well.
?To me, Julian felt like a normal teenager. Who hasn’t in a fit of rage wished someone dead? But for average teens, it doesn’t actually happen (at least, I hope not). And just like any other guy his age, he faces awkwardness around girls, jerks from school, and the stresses of hosting a party.
?Julian’s inner voice remained very lighthearted throughout the story, which was a great contrast to his sinister thoughts and behavior. He also didn’t stick to any moral code like Dexter does, which dehumanized Julian a bit and made him more frightening. Despite all this, I was completely on his side the entire time. This is a slightly terrifying thought when you’re reading about a psychopathic killer (!!!), but I often find myself rooting for the villains.
?Speaking of Julian being a stone-cold killa, the ending of this story knocked my socks off. Here I was, thinking Julian would remain a quasi-telepathic murderer until the end of his days, but nay! This is the day when he plans to take control at last and kill the hated Steven Kemple with his own two hands. I didn’t see that coming, and it had me itching to flip to the next page to find out what happened, but THERE WAS NO MORE. Touché, Mr. Smith. Touché.
Although this story left me with plenty of questions, it also provided me with a lot of ideas and theories. Does Julian actually go through with killing Steven? We’ll never know! How far can he push his power of manipulation? To the moon, perhaps! The openness of the ending hurt my soul (just a little bit), but it was the perfect note on which to end the story. Strange, suspenseful, and definitely psychopathic, Julian Powell is a teen psycho extraordinaire.
INDIGO AND SHADE
BY APRIL GENEVIEVE TUCHOLKE
I didn’t believe the Beast was back. Not at first. No one did.