Title: Dynamite

Author: blueberrings

Genre: Teen Fiction

Quick Summary: High school student doubles as secret agent, has to help take down potential criminals before they mess too much shit up.

Thoughts:

Note: The video choice is not in relation to the story overall I just like this song and also it's the MC's ringtone so. 

The more I read of this, the more some concerns got addressed, which is good, but by the end of what's available [21 chapters] I still have some problems.

This entire story hinges on my belief that a high school teenager can be a competent government official, especially one as important as... well, dealing with latent criminals. The problem is, with a character like Lavender, I don't. I understand later how she came to this position, but for the first fifteen or sixteen chapters, I'm wondering just how much crack Lavender's boss did to think she'd be good at this job. Not to mention how her family treats it? Why does she have to lie about it to her dad? Why was she kidnapped to take part in this? What forced her to stay, again? A lot of these factors, in my opinion, create an artificial sense of conflict.

This story also hinges on the fact that I believe that Lavender didn't do a key element of her job. See, she's [basically] supposed to read people's crime coefficients and report them if anyone is over a "4". It's kinda like Psycho-Pass, except in the present and the number system makes more sense. Anyway, the thing is she doesn't report Blaze, who is a 10. And that's... her entire job. She has no reason to yet. And later it's revealed she neglected to report someone else - no, she lied about said person's score - and now that person is responsible for the rest of the plot. Lavender was told to leave this person alone, sure, but that and her being former friends shouldn't have stopped her from lying about their number? Really... this entire book is Lavender's fault...

Blaze. How is it he's a ten? I know Lavender's number is not what we expect, but still. How does this work? He doesn't act like a criminal, just like a dick. I'll get to that in a second. Anyway, if 7 is supposedly the worst you can be... what's worse than that? It hasn't been answered yet. I kind of want to find out.

In terms of writing, the pacing is... often kind of awkward? Like, we'll go through an entire day and then suddenly skip a week? I feel like the time skipped can be covered a bit better? Even from Lavender, who has some periods of memory loss and being incredibly drunk. I will say the author is pretty good at writing tension, and excels at romantic tension. I fucking... hate Blaze, for reasons I will go over in a second, but somehow I still kinda ship it? I don't want to ship it - Lavender deserves better - but... I do. 

But like I said, I hate Blaze. He has his moments where I hate him just a touch less, but I just... don't like him. He's got a very abrasive and dickish personality and I know we wouldn't get along. Not to mention he says some things that are pretty misogynistic and it bothers me. Also, what self-respecting parent names their child, of all things, Blaze. I like Lavender... a touch more, but she's bratty kind of an idiot. I do like that she likes Lily Allen, though, and that her ring tone is Lily's Fuck You. And Lyle... I started off liking him, but I'm hating him more as the book goes on. He's kind of a dick about Lavender and Blaze and for really immature and shitty reasons I can see from a mile away.

The story also had a couple smaller logistics issues I pointed out in comments. But aside from the problems, I'm kind of invested in this. Mostly, I want to know why being a 10 is such a big deal and what it means...