Challenge Corner discussion

From Dead Eleven author Jimmy Juliano, a twisty, edge-of-your-seat novel about a unique haunting in the early 2000s

Piper Lowery, a public library clerk in charge of liaising with the local middle school, can tell right away there’s something strange about the new girl in eighth grade. Avery Wallace won’t touch any kind of technology, not even the computers at the library, and her mother comes to school with her every day, refusing to leave her side—not even when Avery uses the restroom.

And then there are the rumors, the whispers Piper hears from kids in the hallway and parents around Avery’s mother is a witch. Her sister and father were killed by something supernatural. A strange virus killed them.

Seeing how isolated and lonely Avery is, Piper befriends her but quickly realizes it might just be the worst decision she’s ever made. Because there’s something dark inside Avery Wallace, and it’s spreading . . .

I'm trying to keep an eye on this thread - for when you start it!
I don't have the arc, I bought it - so I an start whenever you're ready!

I'm excited for this one. This author always comes up with cool concepts. This one will probably be next week for me, if you don't mind waiting.

Don't mind waiting at all! yay!

okay, shuffling things around. I think I'm going to start this one 9/2

Trisha wrote: "okay, shuffling things around. I think I'm going to start this one 9/2"

Doable! I will shoot for that start date as well!

I can start this one this week, promise, though I started She Didn't Stand A Chance last night on a whim...LOL

I'm going camping this weekend and don't plan to bring this one so I'll plan to start next week!

Trisha wrote: "I'm going camping this weekend and don't plan to bring this one so I'll plan to start next week!"
That sounds good. It's football season, so I am going to be even SLOWER now if you can imagine that. I am planning to start this one next after I finish She Didn't Stand a Chance, but I would anticipate that being Monday night.

Trisha wrote: "I'm going camping this weekend and don't plan to bring this one so I'll plan to start next week!"

P.S. have fun camping!!! Let me know if anything exciting happens!

As soon as I finish The Wolf Tree, most likely tonight, I'll be starting this one!

okay, I'm ready when you are!

megs_bookrack ((struggling to catch up)) wrote: "Trisha wrote: "I'm going camping this weekend and don't plan to bring this one so I'll plan to start next week!"
That sounds good. It's football season, so I am going to be even SLOWER now if you c..."

hahaha!! You aren't slow at all!! You read a ton!

Trisha wrote: "okay, I'm ready when you are!"

I started this morning! Didn't make it far, but got to Ch 4 drinking my 1st coffee of the day!

I loved the Epilogue, so we know (view spoiler)[this guy, forget his name, is getting his 3rd-cousin, Piper's story. The at Ch 1, we get to 1st person Pioer, which I liked. It feels like she is in Maine, because she discussed the Northwoods and many of Maine's most well known wildlife, but I could have regional bias. I like we're getting her blog posts and the vibe of how knew the internet felt in 2000. I remember those days well. Also, super interested in Avery and her past. The story she submitted reminded me of Stephen King's short story The Bogeyman and it did creep me out 😝😆 the frozen nightgown!? (hide spoiler)]

Excited to get further in tonight!!

To Ch 9, which is the start of Part II: OMG 😲 Is (view spoiler)[he dead? Or just severly injured? How the heck is Piper going to explain opening the door to their house? Just that she heard the kid screaming? This is obviously the thing that Avery sees, right? It must be seeking vengeance for her, but did she send it or did the being do it on their own!? (hide spoiler)]

Through Part 1

Wow, it IS doing a great job of being creepy

(view spoiler)[
wow, so do we think the mom was haunted - cursed or something?) - and now the thing haunts the mother and daughter?

although, going after Shane seems like something that would be a good thing for the mom and daughter - since he was a danger to them. . .
and I'm curious what happened to the sister and did because I don't know how you go from a car accident to witchcraft.

I agree - the blog posts and slow internet and walkmans - really showcasing those late 1990's/early 2000 lol (hide spoiler)]

Through Part 2

(view spoiler)[ okay, wow, so is this like the chain letter emails? it can curse or infect you like a virus on a computer - does it somehow get stronger as it creates a link to this town?

that's my only guess! and holy moly, not Glenn! I like him so much!

and OMG she went camping. I don't know if I would have had the guts with all the unsettling times she'd had!!

I really hope nothing happens to her dog 😭😭😭 (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "Through Part 1

Wow, it IS doing a great job of being creepy..."

I was wondering if, whatever (view spoiler)[this thing is, perhaps it's possessive over the mother and avery and if it is what caused the father to get in a car accident?

But the sister, I can't figure that out...and did the mother call this thing as the rumors say? I don't think so. Wondering if we'll find out if maybe Avery dappled in the occult and she called it out, and the mother is just protecting her. (hide spoiler)]

To Ch 15: I couldn't believe that Piper (view spoiler)[went to that house alone, with no plan for a story and was just like, can I look around. Hahahha, I love her luck that it was single man, probably bored, who was excited about the possibility of his house being haunted! LOL (hide spoiler)]

megs_bookrack ((struggling to catch up)) wrote: "To Ch 15: I couldn't believe that Piper [spoilers removed]"

omg right?! can you imagine (view spoiler)[ she just strolled up and was like "people think your house is haunted and my followers want to know!" like what?! I can't even imagine. glad he was cool with it! (hide spoiler)]

through Part 3

(view spoiler)[ ooh for a minute there, I thought it might be traveling through the music
but now it definitely seems to be a file or multiple files somehow "haunted". . .by something. . .
and it's definitely Avery that seems to be the "spreader"

it seems to take her over, right? but then, did she infect Piper? Glenn? why Glenn?
she definitely seems to have infected the kid that bullied her. but how is she getting her hands on a computer again? especially since her mom knows what she can do. . .hmmmm

the story of both her sister and her dad and how they lost them - very sad (hide spoiler)]

through Part 4

holy moly
(view spoiler)[ so. . .do we think the "virus" builds up in her system and then, if she releases it or gets some of the virus out, she feels better?

or is she healed because she fully passed it on to Piper? Ugh, I hate that Piper is now infected. She didn't even see the whole thing or lose herself to it!

and wow, the dad coming back was surprising. I was wondering what the message meant - I think Avery might not need the computer to access the internet but was just plugged in and it was the entity but no.. . .

ugh. I wonder what they will do now . . . (hide spoiler)]

and done!

omg can you imagine (view spoiler)[ it getting out NOW?! between social media - it'd be everywhere so quick. yikes!

ha! I love that Avery was free - that it was tied to Halloween. I loved learning what the virus actually was - and how it was made.

I hate that Piper never got free of it! Can you imagine never being alone for a shower/bath or going to the bathroom? Ugh, I'd lose my mind! lol

this one was so good! (hide spoiler)]

I read further last night, but I'm not sure what Part I'm in. I'll have to check later and update!

I'm still in Part II, just made it to Ch 23 and I'm still loving it. I like how it seems we're sort of dealing with potentially a (view spoiler)[computer virus or something, or that's what they're thinking. And I think that connects really well to the time period, because no one really knew about computers or how they worked at that time, unless they were coders or worked in the business. So it was just this big unknown. I think that's a creative use of placing the supernatural elements within this time period specifically. I mean it could ultimately go in a different direction, but for now, i am finding it quite clever. (hide spoiler)]

To Part III, Ch 27: Ooooo, we're finally going to get the (view spoiler)[story from Susan!!! I am so sad about Mr. Fisher. I hope he survives this. Piper really needs to figure it out! (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "Through Part 2

okay, wow, so is this ..."

That's sort of my only guess too! It's gotta be. Also, yeahhhh, so (view spoiler)[worried about Ripley! (hide spoiler)]

To Part IV, Ch 28: Holy crappppppppp 😰 That was intense. I knew (view spoiler)[what was coming of course, about the crash, but still, that whole scene gave me chills! Can you even imagine!? (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "through Part 3..."

Yeah, I don't know either how (view spoiler)[it is spreading now, if Avery is still physically sending it, or if it has gained more power on its own. It is sort of a terrifying concept to think about though...like it this were really possible. (hide spoiler)]

To Ch 34: A tech-(view spoiler)[orcism!? 😝🤣 I love that! (hide spoiler)]

I had to skip around 10-pages around the scene with the (view spoiler)[shears. I was so worried about Ripley! I just couldn't read it, just in case. (hide spoiler)]

I know, I totally added a last line in my review that he remains okay through the book!

Trisha wrote: "I know, I totally added a last line in my review that he remains okay through the book!"

💙💙💙

Done! This took me a while to read. I feel like it was a tad too drawn out, but I did live the ending!!!

Trisha wrote: "and done!

omg can ..."

Right!? It would end (view spoiler)[the world in like 48-hours if it got out now. I did love that ending, how sinister it felt. But yeah, I also feel so bad that Piper was never rid of it. I hope Avery and her Mom were grateful for all Piper did for them! (hide spoiler)]