Uncovered Book Club discussion

I'm SO excited to finally be reading this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for close to 3 years now. I read Marisha Pessl's second novel Night Film when it was released in 2013, and immediately picked up this one, her debut. But somehow, years later, I've still not read it. Hopefully reading it with all of you will finally motivate me to get through this one!

I'm looking forward to this discussion. Just remember to be conscious of spoiler warnings! Thanks!

Yes, yes, yes, yes yes!

whoop it's been on my tbr pile for five years

I'm not gonna read it again but I'll definitely follow the discussion. It still bothers me to this day (because I didn't get the ending), I don't think any book stayed with me for that long while I wasn't a huge fan of it.
Please send your thoughts on the ending my way, it confuses me so much.

I read this when it first came out...not sure if I am up for a re-read. My January is shaping up to have a lot of "re-runs"(re-reads). I may end up catching up on 2016 books instead.

I added this to my TBR immediately after finishing Night Film, which I just read in October and loved! I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

HI! First time posting in this group. Maxwell, I enjoy your book tube channel a lot. I bought this book on a whim two weeks ago, so this is a great chance to get into it. Thanks for starting this discussion!

Alright, folks, I am just finished with part 1, which is the first 10 chapters. And don't worry, this comment won't spoil anything-- because there is NOTHING to spoil. I'm 150 pages in and nothing notable has happened to spoil the book so far. All we've gotten is details about Blue's upbringing, her father's many girlfriends, the pretentious students she's forced to befriend by Hannah, and Hannah herself, who seems to be the indescribably amazing woman that would be better suited for a New York gala than a podunk high school in the Appalachians or wherever they are.

If it sounds like I'm bitter and not enjoying this, that's because I am. I absolutely LOVED Pessl's other book, Night Film, though I read it over 3 years ago so maybe my tastes have changed but my memories haven't. This one is filled with way too many references to pop culture and literature, and I find it very distracting. In Gilmore Girls, the references are just enough to make you laugh and show that the characters are cultured and witty. In this book, it beats you over the head with Blue's vast knowledge of everything from Picasso to Poltergeist.

Anyway, I'm contemplating neglecting this one. But I feel bad because I chose this for book club! And I know a few people who I trust that really loved this book. So I'm not sure if it's just a rough start or if it's just not for me. If I can get the audiobook, I might switch to that and continue because maybe I wouldn't be as annoyed by some of the writing techniques if I were listening to it.

Anyone started yet, or read it before, and have thoughts?

Maxwell wrote: "Alright, folks, I am just finished with part 1, which is the first 10 chapters. And don't worry, this comment won't spoil anything-- because there is NOTHING to spoil. I'm 150 pages in and nothing ..."

Max I tried to read Special Topics .... three years ago and I gave up after 300 pages for the exact same reason AND this time round I'm encountering the same problems. It's just a text avalanche. I'm going to try my best and finish this one because, like you, I know a lot of people loved this book.

I also think that Night Film is a superior novel, when compared to this one.

Robert wrote: "Maxwell wrote: "Alright, folks, I am just finished with part 1, which is the first 10 chapters. And don't worry, this comment won't spoil anything-- because there is NOTHING to spoil. I'm 150 pages..."

That makes me feel somewhat better, Robert. Well, not the part of you having problems with it, but at least that I'm not alone in my feelings.

Unlike you, I don't know if I have the willpower to force myself through 350+ more pages of the book, especially since one of my goals for this year was to let myself DNF books if I'm really not feeling them. And I am not feeling this one...

I read it a couple of years ago, and really liked (and thats all I remember of the book), and I just started the re-read. But am only about 25 pages in, so I dont know yet how I feel about it.

I have to admit the Rosebud (totally not a spoiler) reference did make me laugh just now.

Still I guess I'll just limit myself to a 100 pages a day. I'm trying my hardest to persevere. What's bugging me are the similarities to Donna Tartt's The Secret History

Robert wrote: "I have to admit the Rosebud (totally not a spoiler) reference did make me laugh just now.

Still I guess I'll just limit myself to a 100 pages a day. I'm trying my hardest to persevere. What's bugg..."

I was just about to post the same comment re Secret History!! (Which obviously I didnt notice the first time I've read it, weird...)

Yeah, it's totally like a kitschy version of The Secret History.

Fifty pages in. A goodreads friend reviewed this book by saying that it started slow, but it got so good that she could not put it down. So I will keep going with this one. The writing is amusing to me, but the whole hyper-intelligent-girl thing ( sneaking off to read War and Peace in the library when her mother died--Blue was still in kindergarten?! Am I missing something?) starts to grate on me. I start noticing little cracks in the intellectual armor, like the use of "between" to talk about three or more things, instead of "among." Usually I am not so vocal about this sort of thing, but...I will read on.

Ok out of Donna Tartt territory and now it's like something out of a Hitchcock film

Also after some Google searches, I've found out that most of the books and films mentioned are fake.

I am now a little over half way, and still cant remember having read any of it... But I have to say, I am still enjoying the re-read, despite the Secret History-rehash. The over the top fake references to books etc dont bother me, I think its rather satirical how the 'ivy-league' infatuation with being erudite & namedropping is portrayed.

A weird thing has happened to me while reading this book. I said to myself that if I continue to be irritated by page 200 I will DNF, after all this month I've got a lot of doorstop books ( Midnight's Children, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and to a certain extent Howl's Moving Castle) on my TBR......

Then by page 200 I was hooked. A plot began to form and furthermore as I'm halfway through the book all the details in that 200 page slog are starting to make sense AND I have to find out all the secrets!

I still think that Night Film is the better book but Special Topics, at this point in time, is cleverer, maybe too clever for it's own good but that is probably the point

I was feeling the same way! Checked my bookmark-- I am on page 202. I am accepting those kitschy elements (like counting how many times she says "like a housewife ---ing a ---.") and am getting more into the story. I am not as excited as a frenzied housewife with a can opener (did I get that right?) but I will read on! I feel like a soldier.

Yay I finished the book! and... it's a total mess! I didn't hate this book but it's a mess! Just read The Secret History.

I've finished it too over the weekend, and I have to say: I really liked it (again): Lots to think about...

I will say that the ideas in the book (the idea of the book?) have promise, but I found it to be bloated and top heavy.

I was going to add that there were pacing problems. So much extra information and tangents in the first half. Just when I thought that the pace was finally picking up, I was over 400 pages into it.

Well, I made it 200 pages in and am calling it quits. The pacing is just too slow, and the thought of reading 300 more pages...just ughhh no. I really loved Night Film, but I couldn't get into this one.