Status Updates From Hush

This was overally a great book. I am a sucker for tales about characters sp deeply rooted in emotions and this was one of them. The storyline unfolded greatly and though I have several unanswered questions (like is Peyton gifted & the thing/connection between them is it part of the gift or just actual feelings) I believe this novel has become one of my favourites.

... I still don’t really see the connection between these two aside from sex? And I kinda thought when Wren finally opened up about his past, there would have been... more to it, somehow? There was so much that was wrong between these two that a strong ending was really needed to right the ship so these two can sail off into the sunset. And I don’t think we got that

I keep waiting for Cam and Wren to wake up and a) realize how unhealthy their non-relationship is and b) start actually spending time together for things other than sex. Once again I’ve stayed up stupidly late (5am!) to finish this, but I know I’m not going to be able to rate it more than 3 stars. It’s a page turner and lyrically written, yes. But there’s so much here that’s just... borderline toxic

It would be nice if these two would actually talk. About more than sex and power dynamics

It’s admittedly hard not to see Wren as a bit of a player/dick when he wants all the balls in his court, extending out to his friendships. I get that he had some sort of trauma or something, but it was only hinted at in the first couple of chapters. With out more details, it’s hard to sympathize when he acts controlling (which isn’t my favorite behavior trait to begin with)

Oh and not to mention Cam’s virginity. So there was/is all kinds of “innocence” going on with Cam that makes this murky and confusing

Okay so I had been under the impression that Wren bolted because he thought he compelled Cam, when Cam didn’t realize he was gay. And that that’s why he thought he accidentally took advantage. But now it’s because Cam didn’t know about gifteds? Or is it both? I need Wren’s POV again

Okay so the whole gifted thing is normal and very... Young Adult Lit. In the sense that Cam didn’t know about it since he’s from a small town but it’s apparently a “thing”, especially in cities. It was almost less weird when it was just Wren and Nora, rather than a subset of society that “everyone” knows about?
Idk, guess it’s a good thing I’m not actually skimming really so I can wrap my head around this

It’s been NINE MONTHS since he last saw Wren? How long did he date Maggie?? And where the hell is Wren?

Also I apparently suck at skimming even when I KNOW I have like 3 more chapters to go before I start legitimately enjoying this again

I cheated and skimmed ahead — JS messed with my heart/head too much in What It Takes & now I have massive trust issues with her books & the drawn out angst of characters not being together (not being with anyone at all is somehow not as awful as being with the wrong person, for me as a reader. Like, massively. My own personal hang ups). Any way going to skim and skip ahead 5 chapters to Wren being back on page

If this falls into the one-character-starts-dating-someone-else-when-they-really-want-to-be-with-the-other-main-character angst trope, I am going to have to drop this. My headspace can’t handle that nonsense right now

Huh. Okay. I do not know where this book is going right now... certainly not the way I thought it would?

The sexual tension between these two is insane. I was wary of Wren’s powers going into this (consent didn’t really seem to be mentioned in the backcopy, just Wren’s powers, which was worrying) but hoooly shit these two. Wren might be nudging things along but it’s clearly two-sided

It’s a great joke really, on himself, to realize that he has valued boundaries so much in his life—knowing and placing and nam­ing—only to look back and comprehend that a life of such care and precision served only to blur one moment into another, and to so easily erase himself.