DEADLINE open thread. Have a party.

I had to put my copy down and cry for a while at "She would have gotten better". And it hurt almost more than losing George in Feed, because that one was inevitable given the circumstances and now it was preventable...and then oh hello, there's George at the end of the book why is it not next year already!

I miss Dave (dangit we barely met him and he's gone already?), I miss Rick and Ryman and Buffy and I'm v. displeased at Dr. Wynne for turning out to be such a bastard. Maggie is awesome, Mahir is biting in the best ways, and Dr. Abbey and her love of octopi (octopuses? octopodes? damnit.) is brilliant. I wanted to yell at Shaun for being oblivious, Becks for being obvious, Kelly for being...Kelly and I just about threw up at the blog entry for the opening of chapter 22 because I was so afraid. I cried for Shaun because he was dying and then because he wasn't. I cried and flailed at the end of the book because we get George again. I spent 4 hours quoting bits at my husband and trying not to spoiler him and as soon as he's done reading it I'm taking it back and re-reading it again a lot.

Other people who are smarter than me have already left the intelligent comments, so all I can say is this: You are brilliant and this is a brilliant series. You make me cry and hurt and bleed and love your characters, in the way only the best authors can. This trilogy has a permanent place on my "best books ever" list. Thank you.