I have the Internet back!
It turned out that the connection needed to have a part replaced. And it was a simple part, so it didn’t take long to fix at all. Very happy.
BTW, my views in this review have changed. Not about the series (IT’S STILL AWESOME) but about one of the characters and their relationship to another character. I explain in the next review, so I won’t bother here. Just thought I’d let everyone know and then withhold the reason why so that all my readers are left wondering for the rest of the day. That’s all.
Pandora Hearts, #11 by Jun Mochizuki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Okay, this series has gone beyond awesome but I’m going to have to put this little bit as a spoiler. Don’t worry. It won’t take long. Just highlight the blank spot.
I love that Jun Mochizuki didn’t put a major character in total darkness when she made him/her blind. There are all sorts of degrees of blindness and I’m beyond ecstatic that she didn’t go with a cliche and make everything suddenly go dark. This character can still see light and forms, but not much beyond that. It’s fantastic. Fantastic and tragic.
Moving on…
A major theme in this volume is loyalty, to yourself and others. Several characters find themselves in a position where they have to ask themselves where (and with whom) they stand.
The most adorable one is Lady Sharon. She thought that by standing next to Break, she was supporting him. But now, she’s starting to wonder if it’s better to go out herself and try to support him through her individual actions.
I swear, they are the second cutest non-couple couple in this series. (The first is, obviously, Alice and Oz.)
I also liked watching Gil struggle with his need to serve. Due to revelations in the past volume, he’s trying to work out who he really needs. After all, Oz is moving further away. Supposedly. When Oz gets Gil alone to try to get him to confess what he really saw in Sablier, we see that their friendship is still very strong.
Speaking of Oz, he shines beautifully here. He’s just as sharp as he was in volume #1 and there’s so many things he catches in this volume, it’s just awesome. It really balances out his gradual unbalancing. (And that only adds to his coolness because he’s aware something is very much not right with himself.)
It was also nice seeing the back and forth between Gil and Elliot. Even though Elliot’s older brothers couldn’t stand Gil and Vincent, I think it’s fascinating that Elliot managed to forge some kind of brotherly relationship with Gil. For them to sit and talk about legal and illegal contractors in only a slightly awkward fashion is actually pretty awesome given the craziness we’ve seen so far in this series.
Other things I found interesting/annoying or just plain enjoyed:
* Barma and Oz. Nice twists in their dialogue. Loved it.
* Reim and Break. Their interaction in this volume really made me smile.
* Alice and Oz interact now like real friends. Their closeness is really wonderful and only gets better in this volume.
* Gil and Alice. Cutest scene ever when he pats her head.
* Vincent and Ada. Oooooooooo, I want her to run each time I see them together. And what made it worse was this time I got to see inside his thoughts while he’s talking with her.
Don’t get me wrong. It makes sense and is kind of foreshadowed in the things Vincent tells Gil and Elliot. (Highlight for spoiler) (I’m convinced now that Vincent is actively trying to isolate Gil. It’s okay to live with the Nightrays, but not okay for Gil to have a second brother in Elliot. Plus, there’s the masochism of getting Gil so angry he finally reveals all the resentment Vincent knows he feels and punishes him like Vincent feels he deserves. If that’s true, that’s yet another similarity between him and Break.) The truth is very malleable with him. But his past isn’t and if that’s his prime motivator with Ada (highlight yet again) hurting her because she’s had a better life than him…well, let’s just say I’m looking forward to GilxAda by the end.
Note: I noticed a number of reviews that said some of the volumes are confusing. I didn’t think so, but then again I get kind of obsessive with re-reading this series. She really does pack a lot of foreshadowing in small spaces. I think it also helps to have read the original Alice in Wonderland. Even though this is an original story, Jun Mochizuki stays pretty true to the symbols.
We’ll see if my experience holds true in the later volumes. 
Next up, volume #12.
Amy Keeley 