Le' Dae > Recent Status Updates

I knew this would be a tough, emotionally painful read for me to get through, which is partially why I avoided it for a year or so but I promised myself I would start and read it this year/month, so that's what I'm going to do. The initial few chapters are already getting under my skin, so it's doing its job well!

Ooh, I'm feeling positively nervous about this already. It's an exciting feeling though.

Just finished the first chapter and I'm hooked! It's got that gritty, weirdly dark nostalgic vibe for a time experienced but not necessarily fully missed. If that makes sense. It's shaping up like one of my favorite episodes of Cold Case. And I LOVED that show so that is a huge compliment!

"This whole situation continued to feel more absurd than dramatic." Yeah, that pretty much sums up my feelings at this point. I'm glad I pushed through and finished it, because I would not read it again. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it but I certainly didn't like or love it. It's just there, I suppose.

Sigh, people, I tell you. People, and the foolish, remarkable choices we make then wonder why we are unhappy or miserable. But we figure out how to make it worse when we bring someone else into our bullshit without warning. Misery loves company, I guess...

I fucking knew it! Ugh! But I wished to myself it wasn't true, that Eli and Joan weren't as shitty as I suspected them to be. Unless something changes from now to the end, it looks like Fiona was right to some degree too.

Sweet memory.

It's a shame it took this long for it to improve. Not that it's horribly written in prose, I actually like quite a bit of that but I meant in its entertainment value because the latest couple of chapters from Cassie's POV are really good. Sure, Cassie almost immediately bored me again with her spiraling freakout over thinking she's evil but aside that the conversation between her and Beth was desperately needed!

I'm going to finish this this month but I took maybe a week or two off from it and I wasn't missing it or thinking about it aside of wanting or needing to complete it as a personal goal. All the characters suck, all the characters are boring, well except and I'll stick to my initial thoughts Beth has the best chapters. I've guessed some things correctly about Beth so far, been wrong a few times but I'm wondering...

I'm beginning to think Annabel is a dog or something, because she is honestly such a freak of a human child. Sorry, not sorry, but that whole family is kind of off-putting. lol

Cassie is a "weird fucking girl." lol there are some moments of true humorous observations in this you can't help but like.

"I toyed with the thought that death had made me sociopathic, but even that didn't bother me much." I originally read this line on a review and misunderstood who the narrator was but having gotten to this page I fully understand. Little moments like this brighten the story. Also, I love the line because it's reminiscent of the protagonist in a novel I'm writing.

The kids, well so far Annabel seems sweet. Preston sounds like he's going to be a rude jerk, kind of like his father. Eli is giving me "ick" vibes now. Sometimes he seems considerate and kind and maybe not totally sleazy but it always fluctuates. At this point I just don't trust him or Joan. Honestly, I'm having trouble remembering all their names, even Cassie's!

I'm looking at this as a Literary Fiction with Gothic lite. I'm sure I complained about this before but it is not a horror. And because I can now see it for the type of book it should have been labeled and marketed as I can enjoy it a lot more. Still a boring main character in Cassie but aside from her personality, she has some relatable thoughts and insights. Learned something new about hamsters though!

Wow! Can't believe I read 5 chapters straight through which is kind of unheard of for me lately since I haven't done that in a year, or so. But this was so good! Mhmm, well... Onto Part 2!

Why did I find the ending of chapter 7 so frustrating?! I know why but I can't get into it here. Loving this book though. Inspiration is burning in me for a current story I'm working on, different vibes overall but some similarities.

Gideon can truly get under Maeve's skin, it's hilarious! They both be having some points though.

Loving it so far!! I waited too long to pick this up!

I've already cried a few times and I rarely do that with some books lately. It's depressing, painful but lovely in parts, the prose really. I'm hoping for realization from Nila eventually though.

Maeve is Maeve. She's an obnoxious jerk, contradictory. She's strange but I like it least for this story cause it is so easy to immerse yourself in, it flows immaculately.

Not gonna lie the section on hemophilia irritated me so much at its slight inaccuracy. Cause it is primarily an inherited bleeding disorder! Maybe that was an exaggerated license author thing but I hated it. lol Already proving itself to be marketed as inaccurate cause it's not a horror. It reads very literary fiction somewhat dark and Gothic. Cassie is sadly a boring character.

I just love this book. Each chapter is just emotionally devastating...