Anonymous wrote:Hey Book Club chair, are we ready to vote on the next book?

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Hey Book Club chair, are we ready to vote on the next book?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

I don't think that is true. Holly and Ruby were both talked about in the lead up in a present tense. And everyone was too 'ok'. Like they were all dealing with the fall out but no one was crippled... it was clear a bad bad thing happened but I didn't think it was a death. And the timeframe was clearly not long enough for everyone to have gotten to that better ish point.

And I think you underestimate how it would feel to watch your child die and know that in some way it was your fault. And just how close a call it was. That would certainly shake me to my core

I'm pretty sure this isn't true. I don't think they mentioned Ruby in the present tense (first half) until after the event happened.

That might be true, but Clementine is far too 'alright' to be someone who just lost a daughter. The timeline clearly has this in a number of months because she knew about the audition prior to the bbq and it was coming up in the present tense.

And the first time you hear Tiffany talk she talks about feeling bad but not really being traumatized at all. I don't know about you but if a child drowned at my house I would be a completely different person.

Of course, I agree with all that. My point is that LM definitely left the option open for Ruby to have died before we found out what actually happened.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

I don't think that is true. Holly and Ruby were both talked about in the lead up in a present tense. And everyone was too 'ok'. Like they were all dealing with the fall out but no one was crippled... it was clear a bad bad thing happened but I didn't think it was a death. And the timeframe was clearly not long enough for everyone to have gotten to that better ish point.

And I think you underestimate how it would feel to watch your child die and know that in some way it was your fault. And just how close a call it was. That would certainly shake me to my core

I'm pretty sure this isn't true. I don't think they mentioned Ruby in the present tense (first half) until after the event happened.

That might be true, but Clementine is far too 'alright' to be someone who just lost a daughter. The timeline clearly has this in a number of months because she knew about the audition prior to the bbq and it was coming up in the present tense.

And the first time you hear Tiffany talk she talks about feeling bad but not really being traumatized at all. I don't know about you but if a child drowned at my house I would be a completely different person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

I don't think that is true. Holly and Ruby were both talked about in the lead up in a present tense. And everyone was too 'ok'. Like they were all dealing with the fall out but no one was crippled... it was clear a bad bad thing happened but I didn't think it was a death. And the timeframe was clearly not long enough for everyone to have gotten to that better ish point.

And I think you underestimate how it would feel to watch your child die and know that in some way it was your fault. And just how close a call it was. That would certainly shake me to my core

I'm pretty sure this isn't true. I don't think they mentioned Ruby in the present tense (first half) until after the event happened.

Anonymous wrote:^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

I don't think that is true. Holly and Ruby were both talked about in the lead up in a present tense. And everyone was too 'ok'. Like they were all dealing with the fall out but no one was crippled... it was clear a bad bad thing happened but I didn't think it was a death. And the timeframe was clearly not long enough for everyone to have gotten to that better ish point.

And I think you underestimate how it would feel to watch your child die and know that in some way it was your fault. And just how close a call it was. That would certainly shake me to my core

Anonymous wrote:^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

+1
I get that they'd be upset but it seemed like everyone's reactions in the aftermath (weeks later) was too much. Stuff happens and, in this case, it really had no major consequence.

^ even with that said, I think the fall out was over the top. It certainly was built up to a death, when the child was fine the next day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outside of this book club, I read half the book and then shelved it. If I'd had it hard copy, I would have skipped ahead to see what the "incident" was to see if I should keep reading, but it was on Kindle, and I've never figured out how to skip around electronically.

My feeling in the first half is that one of the girls dies. I don't want to finish reading it if that's the case. Can someone provide the spoiler please?

You would certainly think someone dies, but no. The little girl had a near drowning experience, but was perfectly fine.

Her parents reaction after the fact seemed melodramatic.

The only thing that surprised me was that Erica was taking stupid things from clementines house in order to make her life more complicated.

The only likable character was Erica's boring husband.

It was more than that though - clementine was flirting with vid and Tiffany and her daughter ruby almost drowned. Erika and her husband saved her with cpr. Came out later that grouchy neighbor actually alerted Erika (drunk and getting plates from the kitchen) that the kid was in the fountain.

It made me crazy that it took at least half the book to tell us what the big deal was. And then it was anti-climatic. For some reason I finished the whole thing but that probably wasn't a smart move.

I did not have a favorite character, except possibly Vid. I thought the hoarding subplot was good. I figured out the neighbor's disappearance pretty early on.

Anonymous wrote:Outside of this book club, I read half the book and then shelved it. If I'd had it hard copy, I would have skipped ahead to see what the "incident" was to see if I should keep reading, but it was on Kindle, and I've never figured out how to skip around electronically.

My feeling in the first half is that one of the girls dies. I don't want to finish reading it if that's the case. Can someone provide the spoiler please?

You would certainly think someone dies, but no. The little girl had a near drowning experience, but was perfectly fine.

Her parents reaction after the fact seemed melodramatic.

The only thing that surprised me was that Erica was taking stupid things from clementines house in order to make her life more complicated.

The only likable character was Erica's boring husband.

Outside of this book club, I read half the book and then shelved it. If I'd had it hard copy, I would have skipped ahead to see what the "incident" was to see if I should keep reading, but it was on Kindle, and I've never figured out how to skip around electronically.

My feeling in the first half is that one of the girls dies. I don't want to finish reading it if that's the case. Can someone provide the spoiler please?

I liked her other books better BUT:

1) I thought Erika and Clementine's relationship was actually very realistic. Those friendships that you make in childhood that become intertwined with your family that you end up maintaining despite the fact that you grew up to be totally different people?

I have a friend like this. I kind of hate her, but we have been friends for like 20 years. And I don't TOTALLY hate her. Anyway, these weird complicated super long friendships between women aren't that out of the realm of possibility is all I'm saying.

2) The 'incident' was well done and I thought the story anchored around it was realistic but the lead up was too long and the fall out too short. Everything neatly tying up together in a bow at the end

3) Neighbor story was essentially pointless

4) Love Vid and love Tiffany. Bonus love to Ruby and Holly.

5) Erica's relationship with her mom touched home for me, as someone with a lunatic parent. Constant pain but also love and obligation.

I felt like this was two or three drafts away from being great.

Like other PP, I liked her other books better. I wasn't surprised by the event at the house; I was by the old man's death. I did find the Erika/Clementine relationship believable however. I saw it as a codependent relationship. Erika needs Clementine to show her what is "normal" is and how she is supposed to be. Clementine needs Erika to compare herself to, so she can believe that she is "better" and thus having a better, happier life. At the end when they both release this codependency, Erika is finally able to live in the moment without thinking everything to death...her and her husband go on the trip. And Clementine moves from believing she is better to just believing in herself...and gets the job with the orchestra. That was just my thoughts on the relationship.

Don't love the questions so I'll just post on my own.

Like others I didn't love it. Unlike others, I DID like the beginning - where what had happened was a mystery. Thought that was well done. Once it was done, it got pretty boring.

I thought Erika was an extremely unlikeable character and that ruined a lot of the book for me. I cringed every time there was a scene with her and every scene with her hoarder mom seemed totally unnecessary.

My favorite characters were Tiffany and Vid. At least they seemed like engaging, interesting people. The rest just seemed like duds.

I did like the twist with the neighbor dying trying to help. I didn't see it coming and thought it was interesting. Can't remember (I read it a bit ago) whether Erika made the connection between the timing of his death and her seeing him in the window that night.