Boys vs. Girls 2 Prelude

### **Rating**

Rated PG-13 for action violence, brief strong language including sexual innuendo, drug references, smoking, and thematic elements - all involving teens.

### **Followed by**

*Agents of the S.M.S.B.: The Inferno Relit*

"*They all know I live to improve people, but in order to improve what is faulty and fix what is broken, I'll have to break out of this cage I'm in and start repairing myself.*"
―Charles Hugh**[src]**
***Boys vs. Girls 2 Prelude*** is an action/adventure novel and an installment of the D.I.T. Literary Universe. It is set before the events of *Boys vs. Girls 2* and after those of *Boys vs. Girls: The Fate of the Towers* and it focuses on the lives of Charles Hugh, Steven Thompson, and Summer Petersen. It also features the Battle of Orem from McKeen's perspective in full detail. This novel, unlike others in the DLU, is taken hugely from D. Isaac Thomas, the author's, real experiences in twelfth grade in 2018 and 2019. It is the thirty-fourth book in the D.I.T. Literary Universe, as well as the thirteenth installment of Part Four: Truth Eternal.

The book features Charles Hugh as protagonist, Luke Norris as main deuteragonist and Valiera Nelson as overarching deuteragonist, Steven Thompson and Rose Johannson as tritagonists, Helen McKeen, Zachary Brown, and Summer Petersen as tetartagonists, Natalia Thornton as antagonist, Mr. Phee as overarching antagonist, Miranda Patrick as secondary antagonist, and Taylor Avery and Nicholas Phee as tertiary antagonists.

The novel was released to the public on August 16, 2019, to highly positive reviews, praising the story, action, character development, thematic elements, and the numerous parallels to the reality of the real world. The backstory behind Nurse Rose and the novel's unique approach to messages of friendship, perseverance, and love have received particular acclaim.

## Summary

Adolescents Charles Hugh and Steven Thompson butt heads when they are both seeking the women they love. Meanwhile, the evil Natalia Thornton and Beion lead the Cavaliers in an all-out assault against Helen McKeen and the Armies of Organa for supremacy of the Earth.

## Plot

Beginning his Senior year at Tower Placement School, Charles Hugh dreams of a better life than his dysfunctional family's bleak existence. He seeks his righteous best friend Luke Norris and deranged school crush Valiera Nelson, who eventually ends up blaming him for trying to get a snobbish student named Ray Eliott in trouble before cutting off contact with Norris, all in spite of his revelation to her that many of their friends happen to be one and the same. Quite early on, Charles sees Dustin bullying a girl named Rose Johannson and a gangster named Carl Alex, who proceeds to introduce the enigmatic Jamie and eccentric Wesley Denkenberger. Charles grows close with them until Carl runs away from home. Meanwhile, the Armies of Organa prepare to battle Natalia Thornton, wondering if it will actually come to war. Charles meets Valiera's younger brother Nicholas Nelson when he requested that Charles' obnoxious mother, Leah Hugh, pick him up from his apartment, as he is friends with Charles' narcissistic stepbrother, Nicholas Phee, son of his abusive stepfather. When they eat out at Cracker Barrel, he eventually deduces that Valiera has been emancipated with Miranda Patrick (whom she has been unhealthily clinging to since before the start of the book) and Will Oswald (her imaginary brother). A fairly eventful Fall Break comes and goes, and after Charles trick-or-treats with little Carolyn and some high schoolers, he chats with Luke Norris at 4 a.m. until Valiera shows up in response to his peace offering following a meeting of the Gay-Straight Alliance, and inadvertently reveals some of her insecurities before having a breakdown and tagging Patrick and Oswald to help verbally abuse him.

Following a deadly run-in with the malevolent Natalia Thornton, Hugh finally acknowledges that Valiera Nelson hates him, something he no longer wants to change. After he optimistically turns her in, the staff confront Hugh for his role in the Battle in the Red Battlements and his parents revoke his right to work independently. He grows closer with Luke and becomes a little more active on social media. Finally, Hugh reunites with Rose Johannson and some of her friends and they catch up together. After visiting her house, Hugh asks her to the formal Winter Dance as friends, but the fun ends abruptly when Rose suddenly calls Carl Alex by snatching Charles' phone and harassing him provoking him into going on the run. Charles is later picked up by his professional caretaker Christina and her two-year-old daughter Karen, and they go to the Dollar Store and Walmart to purchase Christmas gifts for family members. However, things take a turn for the worst when Leah tells him that she has a restraining order set between him and Johannson and Alex.

Several uneventful days pass, and Hugh is contacted by Steven Thompson, informing him that the Armies of Organa are regrouping at Ulysses Quarters and implores him to join the imminent Battle of Orem. After meeting with mercenaries Ariana and B-4-90, Thornton leads the Cavaliers to march upon the enemy base, penetrating the gates via siege cannon. Turning up out of nowhere, Johannson feigns continued interest in Thornton's cause to injure her; Hugh and Norris confront Thornton directly in order to rescue Johannson and give the others time to escape. Taking off in Andre's car for a rendezvous, Hugh properly meets Josh Hogan and Trinity, and is once again futilely implored to join the Armies of Organa. Subsequently, Hogan visits Zachary Brown and recruits him for a top-secret mission: to locate Summer Petersen. Conducting the search himself with close friends Trinity and Jason, Steven Thompson keeps in touch with Charles, who gives him useful suggestions. Realizing his friend is in an abusive situation, Thompson follows along as his increasingly dysfunctional family goes to an arcade. However, it is around this time that Valiera Nelson finally approaches Charles and takes accountability for her callousness, asking for his forgiveness, and he begins doing everything in his power to prove he's a good friend for her, still hoping they can begin dating someday. Leah surprises Charles, Omner, and Nick by picking up Rose Johannson before they eat out. Charles finally visits Valiera, who has already met his parents, and Rose awkwardly joins Charles at a celebration dinner for the closing night of an old program. Rose ultimately deserts everything and everyone to overcome her deep-seated depression alone. Deep in the forest, forcibly corralled in the Petersen Estate, an increasingly depressed and lonely Summer Petersen, assisted by the repentant war robot GTR-10, has begun homeschooling through Doyle Learning Academy for months. She periodically posts videos on YouTube to teach people and vent about her isolation and increasingly poor lifestyle. Much to the increasingly lethargic girl's relief, she finally finishes school.

Charles reconciles with his brother Omner Hugh as well as his mother Leah, realizing Nicholas Phee and Mr. Phee were their real enemies and not each other, and on Mother's Day they take their belongings and leave the house before anything worse can happen to them. After leaving a homeless shelter with registered sex offenders and a hotel where they wait to be admitted into a young womens' center, Valiera Nelson, who has been phoning him frequently, returns from Salt Lake City to warn Charles that the Cavaliers of Thornton know about the ambush planned by the Armies of Organa at Tower Placement School. Hugh takes part in the infiltration of Nexus Tower and uncovers an invaluable trace to Summer Petersen's whereabouts, which he promptly sends to Helen McKeen near the treacherous Maze of Ventilation, resolving to join the Boy-Team until he finds his own living quarters. In the meantime, Natalia Thornton meets Charlie Corner and initiates him. Having recently parted with Miranda Patrick on neutral terms, he acknowledges that Norris and Nelson are the two dearest friends he's ever had. In recent days past, the Cavaliers have suffered a crushing defeat thanks to Summer Petersen's return to the bigger picture, and on Charles' eighteenth birthday, at the park, Luke blesses Charles and Valiera, saying she is the heroine he deserves and that they will make an amazing couple, and everyone agrees the future, while far from resolved or absolute, seems to be bright.

In a series of postscript scenes, Asgard is being discussed by members of the S.M.S.B. a century later when a mysterious black-haired girl appears; Steven Thompson lovingly embraces Summer Petersen in her hideout; Charles Hugh rounds up Ken for an arrest; Charles helps some kids at a medieval summer camp; and Valiera is due at the hospital.

## Development

This novel, unlike others in the D.I.T. Literary Universe, is based on a true story, as it is taken hugely from D. Isaac Thomas, the author's, real experiences in twelfth grade in 2018 and 2019. For instance, Charles Hugh is based loosely on Thomas himself, Luke Norris is based on Tyson, Rose Johannson is based on Emily, Valiera Nelson is based on Nikki, Carl Alex is based on Kelly, and Crystal is based on Destiny, and many others have a real person they are loosely based on as well. All five of the aforementioned people were Thomas' peers in twelfth grade.

In December of 2018, the synopsis of the novel was revealed, along with the existence of Rose Johannson, among others, leading many to suspect she and "Nurse Rose" were the same character, which ultimately turned out to be true. On the other hand, Crystal's reappearance was kept a complete secret until the novel was released on August 16, 2019.

Regards Crystal's appearance in *Prelude*, D. Isaac Thomas explained that he debated with a friend of his about introducing her earlier in the book or hold onto her introduction later, ultimately choosing the latter option because he felt that due to Crystal's antagonism towards Rose Johannson, it was more effective for her not be introduced earlier as it could have given away too soon that Johannson was not what she seemed.

D. Isaac Thomas has confirmed that all of the main characters in this book are supposed to represent one of the Ten Virtues of Buddhism, or *Pāramitā*:

1. ***Dāna pāramī*** : generosity, giving of oneself - Helen McKeen
2. ***Sīla pāramī*** : virtue, morality, proper conduct - Steven Thompson
3. ***Nekkhamma pāramī*** : renunciation - Miranda Patrick
4. ***Paññā pāramī*** : transcendental wisdom, insight, discernment - Carl Alex
5. ***Viriya pāramī*** : energy, diligence, vigor, effort - Valiera Nelson
6. ***Khanti pāramī*** : patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance - Rose Johannson
7. ***Sacca pāramī*** : truthfulness, honesty - Josh Hogan
8. ***Adhiṭṭhāna pāramī*** : determination, resolution - Charles Hugh
9. ***Mettā pāramī*** : goodwill, friendliness, loving-kindness - Luke Norris
10. ***Upekkhā pāramī*** : equanimity, serenity - Summer Petersen

## Reception

The novel received highly positive reviews and nearly mutual acclaim, praising the story, action, character development, thematic elements, and the numerous parallels to the reality of the real world. Melissa Vaine said that as someone D. Isaac Thomas based exclusively on his own teenage being, Charles Hugh was astonishing as a charismatic geek yet tormented soul who reached his full potential in Thomas' knockout — the rare young adult school-life novel that expressed what is happening in the real world. Chris was equally enthralled, citing it redefined not only the Armies of Organa but an author writing about themselves through representation and is "impossible to shake off." He summarized the film as "a bravura piece of storytelling that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few books do." Thomas' schoolteacher who covered Creative Writing in 2018, while never able to read the finished novel, said he was lost for words in describing Charles Hugh's character, calling the novel "gut-wrenching" and "simply stupendous."

Two aspects of the novel have received particular acclaim. First, the novel gives a full backstory behind Nurse Rose, the most hated character in the entire franchise, painting her teenage self as far more sympathetic and innocent, and foreshadowing her transformation into a horrifically perverse and narcissistic villain. Second, the novel was hugely praised for its unique approach to messages of friendship, perseverance, and love have received particular acclaim.

## Rating

Like its predecessors, *Boys vs. Girls 2 Prelude* is rated PG-13 (parents strongly cautioned). The book is rated "action violence, brief strong language including sexual innuendo, drug references, smoking, and thematic elements - all involving teens".

## Trivia

* There are a small handful of inconsistencies in the book that do not line up with previous installments of the D.I.T. Literary Universe:
	+ Steven Thompson tells Charles Hugh that he wants him to "join the Boy-Team", despite the fact that according to the original three books, he already worked for the Boy-Team part time, having fought in the Coup of Utah and, in *Prelude*, trying to recruit Valiera Nelson and taking orders from Vincent Organa.
		- Although, it could just be Thompson's annoyance that made him use the word "join the Boy-Team" in order to show his contempt that he feels Charles isn't doing enough.
	+ To become a nurse, Rose Johannson would have had to go to medical school first. However, it is established in *Prelude* that she frequently missed parts of school, especially junior high, and rarely went to school at all during the Second School War, which would have made her fall short by a longshot of the expectations to get into medical school to begin with, so her prequel story arc defeats its purpose by contradicting her original story in *The Super Babies*.
		- It is possible that Johannson pulled herself together after 2023 and repeated several years of school and getting her high school degree to begin medical school long after most of her peers graduated.
	+ Crystal is in attendance at Tower Placement School. According to a conversation between Crystal and Master Intelligence in *The X-Children: Where Are You Now?*, she is sixteen years of age. However, she is shown here going to school and hanging out with a fifteen-year-old Johannson in 2023, a time when she wouldn't have been born yet, leaving the curious plothole that she may be the one friend Johannson kept since childhood and, even more dubiously, whether Crystal has somehow been sixteen for many years.

## Gallery

***The D.I.T. Wiki*** has a collection of images and media related to ***Boys vs. Girls 2 Prelude***.
## Appearances

### Locations

* United States of America
	+ Nexus Tower
	+ Utah
		- Johannson House
		- Nelson Family Apartment
		- Phee House
		- The Forest
			* Maze of Ventilation
			* Petersen Estate
		- Tower Placement School

### Events

* Search for Valiera Nelson
* Second School War
	+ Battle of Orem
	+ Cavalier Offensive
	+ Search for Summer Petersen
		- Summer Petersen's fifteenth birthday
	+ Infiltration of Nexus Tower
* Charles Hugh's eighteenth birthday

### Organizations

* Armies of Organa
* Cavaliers of Thornton
* International Alliance
* Guild of Gourds
* Department of Damage Control (mentioned)
* TikTok

### New Characters

* Chris
* Unnamed bus driver
* Carl Alex
* Taylor Avery (mentioned previously)
* Aspen
* Charles Hugh's unnamed counselor
* Omner Hugh
* Leah Hugh (indirectly mentioned previously)
* Mr. Phee
* Nicholas Phee
* Nicholas Nelson (mentioned previously)
* Saul Nelson
* Wesley Denkenberger
* Ray Eliott
* Jamie
* Madeline
* Valiera Nelson's unnamed counselor
* Carolyn
* "The greatest ginger" (user ID, given name unknown)
* Christina
* Karen
* Ann Mex
* Steven Thompson's unnamed nephew
* Adam Whitman

### Mentioned

* Arizona
* Charles Hugh's father
* Christian Nelson
* Girl-Team
* Magistrate
* Mr. Stupid NoHead
* Phee siblings' mother
* Second Battle of Tower Placement
* Valarie
* Queen Zygen