Why I love MacKayla Lane

[oracle]

It has taken me months to sit down and write this out and I expect it will be lengthy. I was thinking about many of the initial reactions to Mac expressed here and in reviews of DF. I've read in many places that folks couldn't relate to Mac because she was too shallow and that was the kindest of statements. She's been deemed TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) and downright irritated a number of people (besides Jericho and Fiona...).

Well, I am here, hours away from getting my hot little hands on Bloodfever, ready to take a stand and speak up about all things Mac before we get a deeper cut of her character in the new book.

So this is for you, MacKayla Lane: Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1) I admire Mac's strong will - When she gets all this new information about a world that she heretofore never knew existed, she doesn't blindly accept it. In her characteristic stubborness (her gift and her curse), she forces JB to actually explain the situation, to his ire.

2) I admire KMM's realistic depiction of Mac - I don't know about you, but if someone told me about otherworldly occurences of the magnitude that Mac was introduced to, I would resist that tooth and nail. It's one thing to read about the paranormal, it's another thing to have it creeping up your back door and it isn't looking to exchange pleasantries over tea. Sometimes, I think that characters accept the unveiling of this new paradigm way too easily. In Mac's case, she has to eventually outstrip the denial to ensure her survival, but I appreciate that she responded in a wholly realistic, reasonable manner, given her circumstances.

3) I admire Mac's strong sense of self - Now Mac may be way more into Vogue and frilly things than we're accustomed to in a KMM heroine--which, by the way, is another stroke of Karen's brilliance to jar our complacency with a completely new breed of heroine--but she is very clear about who she is and how acceptable that person is. Her life in the US represents a strong desire for order, control and predictability especially when she yearns for it nostalgically. She does not spend time undermining her small town roots and ambitions. She is protected and comfortable and she does not make herself wrong for being who she is. She is who she is. It worked for most of her life and she uses her strong sense of self to make her way in this new world. And in all the confusion in not knowing who to trust or what to do or how to be, Mac always trusts her instincts as she should because they've kept her alive so far...

4) I admire Mac's resilience - Just like when Jericho says (I paraphase) "Mac. What a funny name for a thing like you" I am clear that Mac is an extraordinary creature. Given the circumstances, the stress, the fear, the grief and sorrow, she still manages to navigate an alien country/world and not allow it to consume her. She is up for whatever gets slammed at her and can live to tell about it every time. She does not shrink from the challenge which leads me to another admirable quality, her courageousness. I admire her adaptability. She may be knocked down but she always gets up.

5) I admire KMM's continuous depiction of Mac's growth and development - we all know that being who she is, Mac cannot stagnate in hiding. She has to continually grow, change, accept, and learn to survive and to make a difference in the world. Unlike any other KMM heroine, the chips are really not in her favor: She has no (overt) loving partner who holds her hand and attempts to protect her from the madness. Now, I believe JB handles her the way he does for her own good, but I don't have to like it. She's similar to Jillian in TTAHW where the hero protects her in an ungentle manner, but, in Mac's case, she has no deep-seated desire for him to keep her company through her tribulations. Mac keeps growing and keeps getting better. I'm looking forward to Mac 2.0 in BF.

Now this is not a blind endorsement of MacKayla's follies, misgivings, denials or delusions. I do think that she is completely clouded when it comes to her desire for JB and her realization/acceptance of her feelings for him will knock her off her feet. I think JB will go through something similar, although I expect he is more aware of his desire for her. I love all things Mac, even her JB bias. It makes for a great story, realistic in its depiction of her humanity. She's real. She's powerful. She's a fighter. I can't wait for Bloodfever. Come on Karen, bring it on! I hope we and JB can handle it...

[Sara]

Well put Oracle! I never thought Mac was too stupid to live. In fact, as you said, I think she adapted incredibly well. I don't think I would be able to travel to another country and do all that she did, so soon after a loved one's death. She has definitely proved her strength and her intelligence. Even though she starts out as a girly girl (and there is nothing wrong with that) she is strong and she proves it by not losing her mind with all this crazy stuff that keeps happening. Yay Mac! :anim_headbang-vi:

[Karen Marie]

You totally got Mac. She's not perfect, but I know the kid she is--I've seen her in real life--and I'm fascinated by the woman she becomes.

Interestingly, to understand her so well, you have to have some of her in you, too. The resillence? The getting up over and over again and refusing to be kept down? The using what you've got to fight however you can? :)

In a world populated by dubious role models, I wanted a real one who started out with some of the worst in us and ended up with some of the best of us. I don't want to see plastic perfection staying that way, I want to see the Velveteen Rabbit turn real, and he had to lose most of his fur first.

Thanks for seeing Mac, and thanks for being such a great addition to our community of wonderful women here!

[Lovebugg]

Great job Oracle! I feel the same. I wasn't fond of her character at first, but grew to realize, that like myself, perhaps I throw the wrong image some times. I love all things pink, and I love being where i am, in a loving family, safe.

I know I don't have to worry about demons or otherworldly things. I am happy and content. Just like Mac was!

If that all of a sudden was ripped out from under me, I don't know what I would do. So, for a fluffy, sweet, ignorant girl, she has a backbone, and a will to adapt! I love her~

and now I am off to buy my new KMM Bloodfever book!

[Pyxie]

Thanks Oracle! Between you and Danielle42, I finally found a way to relate to Mac. :65: I guess I have always been one of those that believes if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck; you accept it and deal with the reality of it. I will admit, I didn't like her let's pretend I believe your story attitude. But this is what I love so much about this message board. I get a chance to see each character through everyone else's POV. :anim_headbang-vi: It helps broaden my understanding of each character.

I was waiting for your post, you mentioned last night that you would be putting it up, so I was looking for it! Thanks for sharing! :2v-vi: I am getting ready to get my copy of BF, 'see' you guys soon! Can't wait for the theories to fly!!!

[melissa]

I actually am one of those few people who liked Mac from the very beginning. But then I guess I saw her for what she was, a very sheltered, very loved, very small town girl suddenly thrown head-on into a life for which she was not prepared - and doing her best to make the most of it.

Maybe it's because I grew up that way - with loving parents who sheltered me (my dad who still tries to do that!) and protected me from the harder side of life.

Through it all Mac learned to adapt, while remaining true to herself. She doesn't just blindly follow where Barrons leads. She is learning to think for herself and to make hard decisions. She is learning how stong she really is. It would have been so easy for Mac to do as her mother did - crawl into bed, cry for a while then accept that Alina died and then go on with her happy life, tending bar and marrying the hometown boy with the pick up. Instead she put on her big girl panties and headed out into the big bad world.

I find that something to be admired - pink nail polish and all.

[jeant]

Oracle, I really like what you said about Mac. You can express so well what I wish I could. I believe we are a product of our upbringing and enviroment; that is what you know until you are put into another enviroment. (I also think this pertains to V'lane as well. All he knows is what he is and how he has always acted) To say Mac has been put into another enviroment is an understatement!! She manages to survive such a change while in deep grief.
The quality I admire the most is her strength in being true to herself and preservation of herself against the worst of odds. I believe we are going to see alot more changes in Mac before the Fever series is over ( I hope one change is her & JB making WILD whoppee!!:D)

[oracle]

You totally got Mac. She's not perfect, but I know the kid she is--I've seen her in real life--and I'm fascinated by the woman she becomes.

Interestingly, to understand her so well, you have to have some of her in you, too. The resillence? The getting up over and over again and refusing to be kept down? The using what you've got to fight however you can? :)

In a world populated by dubious role models, I wanted a real one who started out with some of the worst in us and ended up with some of the best of us. I don't want to see plastic perfection staying that way, I want to see the Velveteen Rabbit turn real, and he had to lose most of his fur first.

Thanks for seeing Mac, and thanks for being such a great addition to our community of wonderful women here!

Thank you Karen for honoring me in your response and for your entire body work!

Yes, I believe there's a Mac in many of us. Some outgrow her, coddle her, or eradicate all trace of her. I accept her as I have accepted my own youthful folly and know that I could not have learned anything if I hadn't been naive and stubborn and resilient when I've been bowled over by life's lessons (which I am still learning) and gotten back up and moved on, newly informed and empowered. I can't wait to see what else you bring us! Thank you!

[oracle]

Thank you Sara, Lovebugg and jeant! Ooh and I can't wait for the torrid whooppee between JB and Mac, it will be worth the wait and all the tension. Melissa, if JB has his way, she won't be wearing her big girl panties for too long...:th_anim_naughty-vi: Pyxie, thanks for always being supportive and looking out for my posts. It means so much to me.

[Cheryle]

Oracle that was well put. You totally caught Mac. I have loved her since the beginning, she has not been typical and I have grown to love her more since reading Bloodfever she just keeps getting better.

Bravo Oracle! :2v-vi: :2v-vi: :2v-vi:

[cedemaree]

I totally agree with y'all!!! I have always loved Mac. She kinda reminds me of me and every other southern chica I know.

[maryjane]

I totally agree with you. Mac is such a girly girl but yet she is strong and tries to stand her ground. I love her, I think she is just awesome.


I actually am one of those few people who liked Mac from the very beginning. But then I guess I saw her for what she was, a very sheltered, very loved, very small town girl suddenly thrown head-on into a life for which she was not prepared - and doing her best to make the most of it.

Maybe it's because I grew up that way - with loving parents who sheltered me (my dad who still tries to do that!) and protected me from the harder side of life.

Through it all Mac learned to adapt, while remaining true to herself. She doesn't just blindly follow where Barrons leads. She is learning to think for herself and to make hard decisions. She is learning how stong she really is. It would have been so easy for Mac to do as her mother did - crawl into bed, cry for a while then accept that Alina died and then go on with her happy life, tending bar and marrying the hometown boy with the pick up. Instead she put on her big girl panties and headed out into the big bad world.

I find that something to be admired - pink nail polish and all.

[unforgettable]

Thank you! I love Mac. She's not perfect, but she has many great traits in her that come out when push comes to shove.

[desertwolf]

I liked Mac from the beginning also. I liked her confidence and her sense of self. Yes, she was girly - I went through a pink period myself.

[oracle]

Thank you all for loving her as much as I do...Can't wait to see what she discovers in BF...

[Karla]

Yeah Oracle!:anim_headbang-vi: i agree with you. what you have said are almost word for word the way i feel about mac. Her whole world has been turned upside down and shaken and she is still hanging tough! i can't wait to see what's going to happen in BF. (should be getting it shortly if that darned ups man would hurry and come to me :drool-vi:)

[oracle]

Thanks! She's my hero!

[Rokzane]

Hiya,

I'm new to the boards but not to Karen's books. I also loved Mac from the first. My first thought, was "yes! this is a real woman!"

Just because a girl is young and inexperienced in life doesn't mean she doesn't have grit and the willingness to do whatever needs to be done.

May MacKayla Lane always kick ass while wearing pink.

Can I get that on a t-shirt? :D

[Cheryle]

May MacKayla Lane always kick ass while wearing pink.

Can I get that on a t-shirt? :D


LMAO I love it! Hello and a big welcome to the boards!!!

[oracle]

Thanks much Cheryle and Rokzane!

[Ranj]

I totally agree with y'all!!! I have always loved Mac. She kinda reminds me of me and every other southern chica I know.

I'm not southern :p but I resemble Mac in many ways too lol so I had no trouble relating to Rainbow Mac :) I'm still in PINK mode myself and am usually very bubbly, I always have matching accessories (thank you Avon lol) and was smothered with love growing up and even now as my family is very close-knit :p . . . but I can also relate to "Savage" Mac because ....hey, you gotta watch out for yourself and right now she's in a place where she really can't trust anyone. So I applaud her ….it's not easy being brought up and raised one way to have everything change in the blink of an eye (speaking personally here) . . . After seeing the changes in Mac in Bloodfever I can't wait to see how Mac continues to evolve.

Karen you have outdone yourself with the characters in the fever series and I am desperately waiting for more :

[oracle]

Why I love MacKayla Lane:

I admire Mac's strong will
I admire KMM's realistic depiction of Mac
I admire Mac's strong sense of self
I admire Mac's resilience
I admire KMM's continuous depiction of Mac's growth and development




You totally got Mac. She's not perfect, but I know the kid she is--I've seen her in real life--and I'm fascinated by the woman she becomes.

Interestingly, to understand her so well, you have to have some of her in you, too. The resillence? The getting up over and over again and refusing to be kept down? The using what you've got to fight however you can? :)

In a world populated by dubious role models, I wanted a real one who started out with some of the worst in us and ended up with some of the best of us. I don't want to see plastic perfection staying that way, I want to see the Velveteen Rabbit turn real, and he had to lose most of his fur first.


Yes, I believe there's a Mac in many of us. Some outgrow her, coddle her, or eradicate all trace of her. I accept her as I have accepted my own youthful folly and know that I could not have learned anything if I hadn't been naive and stubborn and resilient when I've been bowled over by life's lessons (which I am still learning) and gotten back up and moved on, newly informed and empowered.

Do you see a bit of Mac in you?

[Viking Princess]

Now see, I have a bad habit of disliking the heroines of novels. I nearly ALWAYS love the heroes to death, but the women characters have always been a tough sale for me. With that being said, I took to Mac like butter on bread. I think it has to do with the first person narration, she is from Georgia (like me!), and well ok I always side with my fellow blondes...well most of the time.

Mac appears like a shallow, preppy girl that I would have hated through my high school days in the beginning. Re: the beginning. That all changes after the call. She promises complexity in the fact that instead of giving the phone message to her parents to send to the police she takes matters into her own hands and goes to Ireland. She wants revenge. Badly. And not in the "I'm gonna toliet paper the killer's house kind of way." Mac has an inner badpetunia.

She stands up to everyon who is mean to her. She doesn't crumble and go home. Don't wanna spoil BF but she does certian things to keep herself alive that I would never dream of.

Most of all she is very very VERY believable as a character. All of us know the girls like the Mac before the call. But how many of us know the girl by the end of BF? Not many. I wish I could say I did, I wish I could be as strong. Personally If I was Mac I may have been able to hold up until V'lane showed and then it would be over. I am weak. I would have taken that cuff and more. I won't even lie :happy0194:

But i think Mac is living up to be the type of strong female role model that women should aspire to be. Granted I wouldn't suggest we all find an ancient spear head and start hunting what we can't see, but Mac's strength is inspiring. I absolutely love her. I can't wait to see her grow even more.

(Georgia girls rock :anim_headbang-vi:)

[oracle]

Most of all she is very very VERY believable as a character. All of us know the girls like the Mac before the call. But how many of us know the girl by the end of BF? Not many. I wish I could say I did, I wish I could be as strong. Personally If I was Mac I may have been able to hold up until V'lane showed and then it would be over. I am weak. I would have taken that cuff and more. I won't even lie :happy0194:

Isn't that the truth! I mean really if I saw a shade today, you'd have to visit me at the asylum. I like my world staying within its defined parameters. The paranormal, I like in my books and nowhere else! Yeah I would have worn that cuff and so much more to stay alive. I respect Mac will to live and will to do it her way and I appreciate how sometimes that flies in her face and she has to adjust and grow and move on.


But i think Mac is living up to be the type of strong female role model that women should aspire to be. Granted I wouldn't suggest we all find an ancient spear head and start hunting what we can't see, but Mac's strength is inspiring. I absolutely love her. I can't wait to see her grow even more.

Me too! I am a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and love tough, sarcastic, smart women but I love that Mac wasn't birthed into the Fever world dropping witticisms and kicking ass without breaking into a sweat. She is foolish, childish, green, incredibly naive and incredibly brave, adaptable, awe-inspiring and gorgeous to boot. I love her duality and the reality of this and maybe just maybe she reminds me of myself and some other women I greatly admire. I love the glitter and gold but it's really nice to witness the grit beforehand. Before you're on top of the world, what did you have to struggle to overcome? How did you have to grow? That's what hooks me! KMM, you are brilliant!

[Celticlove]

I think Mac is growing on me....alittle her love for her sister is saving her for me!!

[oracle]

I added a poll for folks to share their opinion of MacKayla. I'm totally loving her but what do you think? Check out the poll at the top of the page!

:happy0158:

[claudia celestial girl]

HI Oracle,

I finally saw this thread and posted a response to the poll. What a totally cool response from KMM!!! :happy0158:

I'm afraid that I'm not one of the one's who loved Mac at first. And I don't see a lot of myself in her. Probably the one thing that resonates with me is her desire to make something of herself besides the 'pretty woman' label. She's resentful of the "Go procreate and die...' mantra, and I totally get that.

Another thing I like about her is her stubbornness - the fact that she doesn't trust anyone, and she doesn't make exceptions to those rules.

I also think she's pretty insightful about people. It started with her descriptions of how to read people by what they wear in a bar, and then her rules being challenged by the first appearance of Rowena. While I could dispense with the descriptions of how she moisturizes her face, I LOVE reading about how she reads people - the clues she picks up from their clothing and personal appearance, to body language, and that subtle 'presence' that some people have. So ... as I argued with someone on some thread somewhere ... I totally think Mac's impressions about characters count in terms of how we readers should interpret the character. (That includes her impression of JB one time as being a panther in street clothes! ;-)

Finally, I really can relate to her connection to Alina as the one person who is like her - her only blood relative, and the only person with whom she totally fits in. So she sort of feels alienated from other people, and I can relate to that.

[krstis]

I was also one of those who didn't care too much for Mac at the beginning, but she has grown on me to the point that I love her to death now. When Alina died and her parents weren't able to cope, she took it upon herself to go far away, by herself, to a completely unfamiliar place to get answers and hopefully, vengeance. Maybe not a smartest thing to do, but it took guts. I can relate to the stubbornness, and I admire her canniness about people, and her ability to be upfront about not trusting them--no phony lip service from that girl.

When Mac was in the caverns with Malluce she survived because she is a Survivor. I imagine she feels a little scared about what she's been willing to do to survive, and sad about what she must feel she's lost of herself, but she keeps on truckin (I know--she's a Mac Truck). JB is right--she has the heart of a warrior.

[IceyFlames]

At first I didn't care to much for Mac, But soon after I started reading I started to fall in love with her and then I couldn't put the book down I read DF in one day well half a day really then ran out the next to get the second and finshed that in half a day to. Now I remember why I don't start series books unless I can run out and buy them one right after the other. I love Mac at first I thought she wasn't going to last and run back home to mommy and daddy then she started to fight for her self in a world that she was tossed in to with nothing and no one and not only has she learned to adapt,not trust but also to think for her self and look between the lines of what all say and do. No longer cowering under her pretty pink bed she now stands and fights so she can fall down and sleep in it!!!! I can't wait for the next one! when is it coming out?

[koala]

Oracle, love your work, I didn't realise so many people initially disliked Mac! While I've come late to the party for commenting , the reason I started reading KMM books was the the character of Mac grabbed me in the excerpt for Darkfever. (Although that probably comments more about me than it does about Mac, :03: )

She never seemed weak to me, sure she was self involved and IS a pretty little thing, but to get up from such a quiet existence to go to a foreign country and search for your sister's murderer? IMO, that takes either a lot of strength or to be a complete fool, and while Mac is naive in the beginning and wears that indestructiblity of all young adults, that's not foolish, it's just "normal". What she does with what she learns is the important part, she "steps up".

As to the girlie aspects of her character, I LOVE it and only wish my makeup and hair doing skills were as good as Mac's, I can drag myself together, but if it requires maintenance, I just don't have the energy for it, LOL.

I only have one complaint about Mac, and that is, I am seriously jealous that she has the pleasure of JZB's company :drool-vi:

[oracle]

You're welcome!


I only have one complaint about Mac, and that is, I am seriously jealous that she has the pleasure of JZB's company :drool-vi:

Me too!!! I am in pain that JZB isn't mine...

[Piccadilly]

I totally love her!

But I still picture her as blonde!

[Bengal]

Oracale you captured it perfectly ! . I loved Mac from the start :60: . It really struck a chord with me, how close she was to her sister, and the pain of losing someone dear to you. And the way life keeps throwing curve balls at her, she might get knocked down but she gets back up and fights on. I also love the fact that Karen shows mac's flaws and doesn't gloss over them or try to make her perfect. I hope that makes sense and i haven't rambled to much, bit tired from work :)

[Charla22]

I totally love Mackayla Lane!! She is definately one of my favorite female characters

[Mac's Man]

I totally love her!

I think she is the best KMM girl yet. I like her spunk :65:

[Michelle*My*Belle]

Bringing up the rear here.

I hope she goes back to being blonde. I liked her innocence and her naivety. Although she will never be innocent and naive again, the blonde hair just might give her back something she's lost. A sense of self. The dark hair just takes her down. Down with the dark things, and the dark thoughts, of death and nothing pretty. She was forced to give up what was pretty to her. There is nothing pretty about her world now.

I'm a total romance person. I wish JB would be that, "loving partner to hold her hand and protect her from the madness". (Our house.. in the middle of the street, our house.) Cool and aloof is fine for now but, at some point his protectiveness and being pissed off that so many are out to do her harm, has to come into play. I mean, I want to see him tear a building apart brick by brick in a blind rage for her. I want to see all the power he can wield because of all of the suppressed pain and longing. Just a STORM of passion. But then I want to see him fall totally head over heals for her. I want them to recite the druid wedding vows, I want them to have kids and to be happy.

So. I guess I have always liked Mac. I can identify with the life she's lost.

[HopeChasez]

I agree with a lot of your reasons and all that, but I think Mac still has a ways to go before she is up to par with some of the women in the Highlander series, at least in my opinion. But she's got like 5 books to develop herself...I just hope by the last one...

I'm a fairly easily adaptable person...so it bothers me that she's not. That it takes her so long to get over something - like the hair...and that she has to be so repetitive about it. yes, you were blonde and bubbly...we get it, move on.

and the whole sidse-seer thing...I still think it would be awesome to be one. But I've always been into stuff like that (in real life we call them lawyers and police officers...who get the bad guys). But she fights it for like...100 pages? thinking it would be fine to have it and turn her back on it. It's like saying if you had the power to stop evil things in the world...would you really have the heart to say no and walk away? I couldn't.

and when the girl was getting her beauty sucked away until she died...Mac got all upset when JB mentioned it would be better for her to die quickly rather than see herself in the mirror later and kill herself...or from some "disease". I bet Mac's one of those who, even tho the person would have no chance to get better, or even wake up from a coma...she'd keep him/her wired.

I think Mac and I are from completely different worlds. Either that or I am the worst woman ever.

At this point, I have to say the only thing I like about her is her spunk and the way she talks....and if this was a series with no JB, fae and evil doers...I wouldn't be able to continue reading - so thanks for small favors.

I hope I'm not being completely rude and disrespectful to KMM's work, because I believe she's a wonderful writer and storytelling...I'm just conveying my feelings on her personality...(it may be why I couldn't get along with my college roommate half the time o_O)

If anyone thinks my post is terrible, let me know and I'll take it down and no one else has to see it. -_-''

[jrbostock]

The thing I love the most about this series over so many others is that the h/h aren't the same people they are in the beginning as the end. We have 5 books to watch Mackayla turn from innocence and naivete into a hardened killer who actually (I feel) does a good job at coping with what she doesn't understand and didn't want a part of. I think that as KMM said the darkest hour hasn't arrived yet and I bet in FF we see her get put through the ringer again and toward the end of the series she is going to grow up even more and be ready to face what her and JB could have together. AND I CAN'T WAIT:2v-vi::2v-vi::2v-vi::2v-vi:

[Sara]

I'm a fairly easily adaptable person...so it bothers me that she's not. That it takes her so long to get over something - like the hair...and that she has to be so repetitive about it. yes, you were blonde and bubbly...we get it, move on.

and the whole sidse-seer thing...I still think it would be awesome to be one. But I've always been into stuff like that (in real life we call them lawyers and police officers...who get the bad guys). But she fights it for like...100 pages? thinking it would be fine to have it and turn her back on it. It's like saying if you had the power to stop evil things in the world...would you really have the heart to say no and walk away? I couldn't.''

I see Mac as having far more depth than that. Remember, her dear sister (who she was very close to) has been brutally murdered. This alone would be a life-changing and crippling event for most people. The fact that she picks up from her little home town while still grieving and travels all the way to Ireland to track down her sister's killer says an awful lot about her resilience and strength of character. She is not just a "bubbly blonde"...that is just surface stuff. Look beyond the cosmetic to the treasure underneath. There is far more to Mac than you realize and this is shown by her actions, not just her words.

Regarding her hair...again, it goes deeper than that. Not only is Mac still reeling from such a devastating event in her life, her entire identity is crumbling and changing. She is not who she thought she was. She doesn't have her sister anymore and now she doesn't even have herself. Her blonde hair is a symbol of her identity and part of her own external picture of who she is. She doesn't recognize herself from the inside, let alone the outside. Its enough to make a person go mad and the fact that she doesn't go insane, carries on and continues fighting for her sister and her very life, again illustrates so clearly her tenacity, kick-ass attitude and incredible mental power.

Look beyond the surface. Look deeper to the complexity that is Mac. She is well worth it.

[HopeChasez]

I see Mac as having far more depth than that. Remember, her dear sister (who she was very close to) has been brutally murdered. This alone would be a life-changing and crippling event for most people. The fact that she picks up from her little home town while still grieving and travels all the way to Ireland to track down her sister's killer says an awful lot about her resilience and strength of character. She is not just a "bubbly blonde"...that is just surface stuff. Look beyond the cosmetic to the treasure underneath. There is far more to Mac than you realize and this is shown by her actions, not just her words.

Regarding her hair...again, it goes deeper than that. Not only is Mac still reeling from such a devastating event in her life, her entire identity is crumbling and changing. She is not who she thought she was. She doesn't have her sister anymore and now she doesn't even have herself. Her blonde hair is a symbol of her identity and part of her own external picture of who she is. She doesn't recognize herself from the inside, let alone the outside. Its enough to make a person go mad and the fact that she doesn't go insane, carries on and continues fighting for her sister and her very life, again illustrates so clearly her tenacity, kick-ass attitude and incredible mental power.

Look beyond the surface. Look deeper to the complexity that is Mac. She is well worth it.


I'm sure she does...but this is just my opinion at the end of DF...I haven't read BF yet, and I'm sure she grows more there.

If my sister was murdered, of course there's the pain and all...but I think I would, and many people usually do, get obsessively angry. And the fact that she kind of "uproots" herself and travels to Ireland...well, she didn't really have much else to do, did she? other than tanning by the pool. At least this gives her life a bit more substance.

It'd be a lot easier to look past the cosmetic outside if she would - which takes her awhile...possibly because she never had to look deeper into herself.

I'm not saying she's not a strong woman, I'm just conveying what I see when I read her words...but I guess that's what makes 1st person so intriguing. Because we really do see her every thought. And in reality, human thought is often repetitive...and we do like to complain a lot. I wonder if animals complain to each other half as much as we do.

I guess I was just hoping for the heroine to be a little more...heroine-like. It is fiction, after all. Faster than a speeding bullet and overcomes all hardships like its nothing. I'm an idealist when it comes to reading, I guess. I always make faces and comment when a character starts whining or does something stupid (which I find they always do at least once every 100 pages). Oh, third person non-subjective view. I should go re-read my journal...then I'll be like "Wow...I make Mac look like a saint with my whining about my life...and my life's not even in danger." xD But I don't have to do that...cuz I'm not a book. so there!

[Sara]

This reminds me of that saying about the duck swimming around the pond. Calm on the surface but paddling like mad underneath. All you can see is the "duck" because you're not looking beyond the surface.

[Southern Girl]

Wow Oracle, I am impressed a personal note from KMM, WOW! I to love Mac, the Fever books have seen me through some very hard times. I just keep on fighting too!

[Grneyes]

She's cool. Sort of like a Barbie that turns Buffy.

[4string]

I know I'm coming in late to the game, but I know some people think Mac is annoying (not here, but reading Fever reviews), but she's a good representation of Southern women, IMO. She's tough and adaptable yet girly and sweet. She's not a cardboard cut out and has different facets. I guess I can see a lot of Mac in myself. I've lived in Georgia my whole life, love getting my nails done, sweet tea, my hair is to my waist, and have a big sis who is made of awesome. :wwink:

[Mirishka]

I know I'm coming in late to the game, but I know some people think Mac is annoying (not here, but reading Fever reviews), but she's a good representation of Southern women, IMO. She's tough and adaptable yet girly and sweet. She's not a cardboard cut out and has different facets. I guess I can see a lot of Mac in myself. I've lived in Georgia my whole life, love getting my nails done, sweet tea, my hair is to my waist, and have a big sis who is made of awesome. :wwink:

hello...newbie here, ive just finished reading Dark Fever and WOW!!! i actually like Mac...i think maybe it's cause i have a few friends on FB from the south...and i love them! I need to start reading the next book right now..cause...i just can't leave it alone!!

and...im sure im not the only one...but...I kinda want a fae...just for a bit...

[Lizson]

4string - your description of Southern women made me remember what Mac said in FF ...

"It's just that in the Deep South, women learn at a young age that when the world is falling apart around you, it's time to take down the drapes and make a new dress."

Who doesn't need a little Scarlett O'Hara inspiration every once in a while? Rhett Butler whisking you up the staircase wouldn't hurt either!!

[Mirishka]

4string - your description of Southern women made me remember what Mac said in FF ...

"It's just that in the Deep South, women learn at a young age that when the world is falling apart around you, it's time to take down the drapes and make a new dress."

Who doesn't need a little Scarlett O'Hara inspiration every once in a while? Rhett Butler whisking you up the staircase wouldn't hurt either!!

lol..i loved that bit!

[Southern Girl]

Well I am really a girly girl! I love pink. I even have serveral pick outfits and several pairs of pink shoes. I am Southern and proud! And yes I do have the Southern accent! :exclamation: Like a lot of Southern women we do like our independence, but want a man to be a gentleman...I like that whole take care of you idea. Among other things, life has taught me some hard lessons and I still like the "pink stuff" but had to but on my "black" and pick some you know what every now and them. I totally get Mac, I even like the sun and the beach too! Mac is my hero!!!!! :notworthy: And I totally get why she was attracted to Barrons but afraid to move on it initially! It was because I understood Mac so much that I really fell in love with the charater Barrons. Why oh why can't there be a real Barrons for me (LOL)!:sad1: