March 24, 2018 | Never Hollowed By The Stare

The Community: Sightlines – Santino Hassell

Chase Payne is a walking contradiction. He’s the most powerful psychic in the Community, but the least respected. He’s the son of the Community’s founder, but with his tattoo sleeves and abrasive attitude, he’s nothing like his charismatic family. No one knows what to make of him, which is how he wound up locked in a cell on the Farm yet again. But this time, the only man he’s ever loved is there too.

Elijah Estrella was used to being the sassy sidekick who fooled around with Chase for fun. But that was before he realized the Community wasn’t the haven he’d believed in and Chase was the only person who’d ever truly tried to protect him. Now they’re surrounded by people who want to turn them against their friends, and the only way out is to pretend the brainwashing works.

With Chase playing the role of a tyrant’s second-in-command, and Elijah acting like Chase’s mindless sex toy, they risk everything by plotting a daring escape. In the end, it’s only their psychic abilities, fueled by their growing love for each other, that will allow them to take the Community down once and for all.

I always pictured Chase as Billy Idol, Generation X era.

Young Adam G. Sevani as Elijah:

Oh no! I wasn’t feeling the Chase-Elijah merger. I like Chase and Elijah’s being his sassy twink self but their combination wasn’t working. Now, I see why some reviewers say the same thing. The “Elijah’s in love with Holden” issue was so stupid and unconvincing that I couldn’t believe it went on for three quarters of the book despite all the declarations from both Elijah and Chase. I could understand the reluctance to express feelings but I draw the line on the willfully stubborn.

This being book three I expected grand things, like major showdowns which I have been expecting since book one but the climactic scenes were a letdown. The rescue scenes lacked action and it seemed like the major villains had the easy way out. Again, total waste of superpowers.

If there was anything that the book succeed in doing it’s that it painted a good picture of the nightmare that is The Farm. Torture, human experimentation, drugging and rape, these are just a few of the horrors inflicted upon helpless psychics. Which is why I would have wanted to see harsher, nastier punishments for Jasper and Richard.

I feel conflicted. I wanted to like this but unfortunately I was bored with the most of the story which again involved a lot of talks about things I could listen to with only half of my brain engaged and the other half playing mahjong and still not miss anything important. It lacked the chemistry of Holden and Six’s book but had, at the very least, the dry wit of Nate and Trent’s conversations. It suffered from the non-issues that could have been resolved sooner had Chase and Elijah just talked properly. It did give a nice vision at the end where everyone came together like a family. So, while I didn’t hate the book, I didn’t quite like it either.

Rating
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a like

Soundtrack: Ill in the Head
Artist: Dead Kennedys
Album: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30364806-sightlines)