Hanaa’s Comments (group member since May 01, 2015)

Hanaa’s comments from the Let The Readalong In group.

I'm glad you said you didn't particularly like them, because I'm on the same boat lol. I don't know if it's because I watched the movies about a day after I finished the book, or if it actually was a pretty disappointing adaptation. (probably both lol).

You are right -- they left so much out that would have explained a lot more about the characters (especially Hakan-- who is slowly becoming one of my favourites). One thing that irked me was the changing of the names from Eli to Abby and Oskar to Owen. It's small, but because Eli's name had such a significance, I would have preferred them to pick a name that also had a religious significance because it would have added more to the movie. And plus, what's wrong with the name Oskar/Oscar?!

The child prostitution scene is stuck in my head forevermore. Knowing that this is just an everyday thing that happens scares me alone, but the way that it was written in such a blunt way frightened me more.

I always thought Eli was an androgynous boy, but I've heard that Eli is perhaps transgender. I'm not too sure. I talked about it briefly in my review (it'll be up tomorrow), but I don't know for sure. I only think Eli is androgynous because the pronouns went from 'she' to 'he' went Oskar found out that Eli was a male. BUT in terms of gender, I'm standing by androgynous boy until someone else has a better argument :p

I think that their relationship will turn out to be sexual as Oskar gets older, which sounds creepy, but isn't that how it was with Hakan? Hakan was Eli's 'servant' for several years and eventually it ended up sexual. But who knows for sure.

What did you all think of the religious symbolism and allusions throughout the book? I personally enjoyed them and thought it added much more depth to the relationship Eli had with Hakan and now Oskar.

I have! It's pretty ok so far =)

Also, I finished the first part last night. I really liked it. There was a part in particular that made me feel empty so I'm kind of afraid what the rest of the book will be like.

I wonder if Oskar will have the same fate as Piggy in Lord of the Flies.

The last part! Starts on pg. 441 to the end of the book. =)

Part four ends on pg. 440 in the trade edition. =)

Yo, Yo. Part three ends on pg.289 (In the trade edition)

A discussion all about part two, which ends, in my edition, on page 183 =)

Talk freely about what you think of the first part of the novel, which ends, at least in my edition, on page 82 =)

Haha. I'm an old person too. We can sip tea and knit while we tell youngins to get off our lawn :p
And yay! Moderator power!

Hahaha. I can always help, although it would be like the blind leading the blind. But that's fun right? :p