March Selection Follow-Up

There was a lot of great discussion about this book, which seems to have really captured everyone's attention.  I will write about the things we discussed that don't give spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, you should be safe.  (There may be some very minor spoilers.)

1. Why is this YA?
More than one member asked this question because, presumably, Julie and Maggie are past their teen years when most of the action takes place.  Perhaps it is the spirit of the book or the fact that it begins when they are teens.  It could also just be a marketing decision.

2. Did you see von Linden as being totally evil or was he a conflicted character?
Many people thought that his attempts to engage Julie in conversation were an attempt to humanize himself and perhaps make her feel more comfortable.  His actions at the end of the book certainly make it seem as though he felt conflicted.  Kathryn compared this situation to the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when Picard is taken prisoner by the Cardassians.  It just so happens that I have a clip to show you, so if you've read the book, you can see the parallels.

 

3. Maddie does not see herself as a heroic, although her actions are similar to another pilot who she does see as a hero.  Is Maddie a hero, too?

I think we all said yes, of course, but Mary made a good point when she said that "a real hero is humble".  Maddie doesn't see what she does as heroic because, to her, she was just too afraid to jump.  Staying in the plane was the only other choice.  Does that make her any less of a hero?  I think many people would say no. 

4. Maddie had to make a very difficult decision.  Did she do the right thing?

I think the answer to this was a unanimous YES.

When we began our meeting, I asked everyone if they found the beginning of the book to be "draggy".  Despite the fact that the slow build-up of the book is a criticism I see often for CNV, no one in the group had an issue with it.  I asked them if they had issues with the rather dense discussions about airplanes and military protocol. To paraphrase Mary, we are used to reading technical documents that we might not understand.  It's part of our job.   I don't disagree with that statement!

Some other discussion points:

The subtlety of the mentions of torture in this book.

The origins of the phrase "Kiss me, Hardy".

The class difference between Julie and Maddie.

March 2013

Our pick for March is....

Oct. 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.  As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

February Selection Follow-Up

 

We had an excellent turn-out this month and a new member!  Nothing brings people in like John Green, right?  Here are some of the things we talked about

Story

Well, it was sad.  More than one person talked about sitting at the kitchen table and crying as they read.  A few of us also talked about how we related to Gus and Hazel's parents, as well.  One of everyone's favorite scene's was the kiss in the Anne Frank House, which had a lot of symbolism, yes, but was also just a great scene.  What better place to have a kiss? John was asked about this scene in a recent Twitter chat:

Q: The way you handled Anne Frank's house was really well done. But why did you choose to have that scene there? 

A: I wanted to reclaim that space and make it alive and full of love, as it once was.

Characters

There was a lot of discussion about Augustus verses Gus and the significance of which name he was called.  As it happens, this was addressed in the twitter chat last night.

Q: Why was hazel calling Augustus "Gus" so significant? 

A: Augustus is a name for emperors; Gus is a name for children. So the journey from Augustus to Gus is the journey from strength to weakness, which I would argue is the real hero's journey.

We weren't the only ones who wondered about whether it was hard to write from the perspective of a teen girl.  It seems that John had a lot of input from his wife and other female friends.  It's also interesting that one or two people didn't really view Hazel's gender as being significant.  

Pacing/Flow

I don't think there were any complaints or comments on this front.   

Overall

This is the first book that everyone enjoyed!  I think we all recognized that enjoyment perhaps sounds strange with such sad subject matter, but considering how sad it was, everyone seemed to recognize that the humor paired with the honest story telling made it something special. 

As it happens, The Atlantic sponsored a Q&A Twitter chat with John Green about TFioS and it addressed some of the things we talked about.  If you'd like to read all of the questions and answers, go here.

Book Talk

Kathryn recommended Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.  She claims to have made a Venn diagram related to the book.  (We want to see that diagram, Kathryn!)

Venom by Fiona Paul is being passed around the group and is getting a good response.  The sequel, Belladonna, will be released in July.

February 2013

Our selection for February is....

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.  Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.  Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Don't forget to check the extra credit section for some additional reading!

December Book Selection Follow-Up

Story:
I think we all agreed that this book was spooky, if not downright scary in some parts!  The house that was "alive", the mysterious singing and whistling and, of course, Naughty John, were a few of the things that really gave people chills.  

Characters:
Many people in the group were annoyed by Evie.  They felt that she made some really selfish and irresponsible choices, including what she did at the very end.  One member even asked if perhaps her parents sent her away because they just wanted a break from her.  We all agreed that she did show some growth by the end of the book.  The other characters (Memphis, Theta, et al) were everyone's favorites and in many cases, they were more interesting than Evie. 

Pacing/Flow:
This was much longer than the books we normally read and a few members mentioned that there was some repetition that could have been taken out to move the story along.  The switching of story lines (from Evie, to Memphis, to Theta) was enjoyed and gave a well rounded view of what was happening.

Overall:
With the exception of one member, The Diviners got a thumbs up, overall.  The general consensus was that the myriad of unanswered questions was a set-up for book two, which some found frustrating.  There was some discussion about the pros and cons of cliffhangers vs. a more resolved ending. 

December 2012

Because of the craziness that comes with the holiday season, we won't be meeting again until January.  The pick for December/January is The Diviners by Libba Bray!

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Don't forget to check out the extra credit reading and have a wonderful holiday!

November Book Selection Follow-Up

Overall, Where Things Come Back was enjoyed by the entire group in attendance this month.  There was a lot of discussion about the way time lines were used in the story and while some people found it to be a bit confusing, the overall opinion was that it connected nicely, in the end.  The way that Cullen's family dealt with the grief over Gabriel's disappearance was also a topic of discussion because to many of us, it seemed very realistic.  Our group is a mix of people who grew up in larger cities and those who grew up in small towns.  For those of us small town folks, the way that Lily was described seemed very authentic and relatable.

How about that ending?  A few members wanted to know if the ending in the book was the original ending because many of use were expecting something much darker.  So, we'll be contacting Mr. Whaley to see if we can get an answer to our question!