Batty About The Archived by Victoria Schwab - Week Three

Batty About Books presents

The Archived

by Victoria Schwab

This week we meet Owen, find a knife, people are shelved where they died not where they lived, about alterations, that Wesley carries a bo staff, that archive paper can be used to send messages both ways, the Histories are getting older and more numerous, that either Wesley or the Coronado are bringing Mac's parent’s back to life, and Ben is awakened. Oh, I forgot to mention the bo staff… so cool!

If you missed it:

Week 1 - Cover Appeal

Week 2 - The Beginning - pgs 1-110

Here are my thoughts in blue (@thebrainlair) and Maria's (Maria's Melange, @mselke01) in purple.

Don't forget to head on over to Maria's Melange to see what she was thinking and my responses to her!

Week 3 - The Middle - pgs 111-214

Being Mackenzie

“I should backtrack, but it’s too late to lie when the truth is halfway up my throat.” p142

“...there’s finally something good in my life and I’m already making a mess of it” p143

“...hanging up feels like letting go” p147

Maria: Great selection of quotes! I’ll have to make some of these into images for the page.

Mackenzie is this strange mix of teenager and adult. On the one hand she wants be “M”. Just a girl who hangs out with friends but she is so steeped in being a Keeper that she doesn't easily communicate with other teenagers. She takes life seriously and thinks it would be easier to just be alone. She wouldn't have to remember to lie and she could focus on her job.  But, she recognizes that she is missing out. That having Wesley and Lyndsey in her life are “something good”. I wonder how she will deal with this now that she has Owen.

Maria: While Mac’s life is extreme - I think it’s a good reflection of that awkward time in our lives when we are stuck ‘between lives’. I think that’s one of the reasons I identify with Mac in some ways. There are always the lies we tell our parents, the lies we tell our friends… I guess even as an adult, right?

Kathy: Right!

Parenting

“Mom squints at me, and for a moment, part of me begs for her to see through this, a flimsy, half-concocted lie. p148

“He’s supposed to care. ...And suddenly I need him to care.” p164

“I’m not, not at all; but his worry gives me the strength I need to lie. To pull back and tell him I’m fine.” p165

These two scenes with her parents also remind me that she is still a child. And no matter how old we are, we want to know our parents care. The scene with her mom illustrates how far apart they’ve grown. She wants her mom to know she is lying so they can talk but she doesn’t expect her to, really. The scene with her dad also illustrates their relationship. While she doesn’t think her mom will get it, she depends on her dad to be there for her. Even if she can’t tell him the truth, it’s somehow ok if he knows she’s lying. He must have always supported her in the past. Again, it makes me think he knows she’s a Keeper.

Maria: I think the loss of her brother really made the rift between Mac and her mother bigger. It sounds like Mac’s thought her mom was a bit “wifty” for a while… her strange predilections and impulsive behavior sound like an established pattern that just got worse once Ben died. I wasn’t happy with her father in the first section of the book, but I think this chunk really helped show that there is strong relationship there. She WANTS their help… but she knows she can’t have it. Another big part of Mac’s journey to adulthood.

Kathy: "Wifty", yes. We hope that her mom settles down with the coffee shop and they can start sharing again. They love each other. They just need to find their way back to each other.

History

M  - “I understand clinging to one’s own past, but when it comes to the pasts of other people, I don’t get it.”

A - “Everything is valuable in it’s own way. Everything is full of history...”

“A tether to other people in other times. As long as I have that, I’m not alone. And they are not really gone.”

A - “Some things should be allowed to fade.”

M - “Everything deserves to be remembered.” p145

This conversation between Ms. Angelli and Mackenzie brings to mind an earlier conversation about memories and the purpose of Histories.

In a way, it seems like Mackenzie is of two minds, that she doesn’t care about other people’s past, just her own but she also says that everything should be remembered. Does she just mean, each person’s family should be responsible for their memories? But what about your friends? Wouldn't you want to help them preserve their memories? Ms. Angelli is an antiquities collector because she wants to remember the past. It gives her a connection. But she also says that some things aren’t worth remembering. So, like Mackenzie, she is of two minds. They both want to select what should be remembered.

Like we do, though it doesn’t always work. I sometimes remember painful experiences that I’d like to forget and sometimes forget the good things. But, can we really forget or do we just have a hard time accessing those memories?

Maria: I think the theme of memory and history is so important to this story (I talked about it, too!) As a history minor in college, I have to say I think history is vital. When we lose our connection with the past, we lose so much. We lose our ability to learn from the patterns of success and failure. We lose our sense of being part of a bigger picture. We lose the idea of how far we have come - or how much farther we have left to go in issues of human rights and equality. When people ask me what superpower I would like to have, I often respond with “memory”. I want the ability to choose, though. To choose what to remember with crystal clarity and what to blur into just the shape of what has gone past. I hate the idea of losing my memories, and especially the idea of having someone ELSE choose what I can keep and what gets tossed.

Kathy: I wish social studies classes focused more on the connections through history instead of just trying to memorize dates or judge the leaders of the past. It would be great if we thought more about what was happening in society that allowed each leader to "succeed" or led some to "failure". What had the people experienced or what were they hoping to experience? How does that relate to us now? Students would get so much more out of school, I think.

Busyness

“But it’s not just the simple absence of sound and life. It is a silence that spreads behind my eyes, where memories should be. It is a silence that doesn't stop at our skin, but reaches into me, fills me with cottony quiet, spreads through me like calm.” p166

This passage brings two things to mind; being so busy that your mind can’t rest and the silence reaching where “memories SHOULD be”. There are times I need to slow myself down and just be. I’m running myself ragged and need to get some downtime and some sleep. I know that relaxation and sleep are restorative but have also led myself to believe that I’m too busy. And when I want to relax, I can’t. So I crave this silence Mackenzie finds with Owen. This absence of not just noise but thoughts and this bearer of calm. This was why I chose the word preparation this year. Because the more prepared I am, the more time I have to step back and relax and reflect.

What do you think of the statement “where memories should be.”Does Owen’s silence bury Mackenzie’s memories?

Maria: That’s an interesting question. I know I’m often so busy that I can’t take the time to really reflect and store my memories. I feel like Owen’s gift of silence gives Mac the chance to rest, but I didn't get the sense that it would damage her memories in any way. Sometimes just the break from the constant barrage of noise and thoughts can help me regain the energy to deal with things. But maybe that’s just my introversion talking.

Just for fun

“You know...that despite my title, this isn't really a library, right? We don’t lend, we don’t check out, we don’t even have a reference-only reading area. ” p173

Ha. Even though the first two things mean the same thing - lending and checking out - I find it funny and sometimes tease the students that I’m not there to help them, I’m too busy reading all the books!

Maria: This also reminds me of one of my bigger questions about this world - what IS the point of the Archive? What role do the Librarians play? I get what Keepers and Crew do… as long as we accept that the Archive is needed. But what is the actual role of this library of memory?

Kathy: I'm going to search for this - to see if it's answered in the next part. That's a great question.

Overall

So we answered the question of who Owen is but not the question of why? How did he die and why isn't he slipping?  I also wonder what happened to Robert. And who killed all the Coronado residents? Time to finish the book and, hopefully, get all my questions answered!

Check out our Batty About Books Facebook page where we will post quotes from the final pages of the book. Or at least Maria will! What are your thoughts so far?

Batty About Books - Insignia by SJ Kincaid

Batty About Books reads

Insignia 

by SJ Kincaid

(Katherine Tegen Books, 2012. 464p. $17.99. 9780062092991)

We finished it! Maria and I just wrapped our final post on Insignia. While Maria (@mselke01) enjoyed the book. I thought it was just ok. We would love to hear what you thought, too! Over at Maria's Melange, checkout what she thought of the book as a whole. Here, Maria's thoughts are in purple, while mine are in blue!

In case you missed the previous discussions here are some links.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
And now, Part 4!
The Final Countdown
The Story
The government is recruiting teens to make into cyber soldiers. Great premise.  They are getting computers put into their heads and they can plug into the network through a wire into their brains.  We’ve got a classic hero’s tale going with Tom coming from a background he needs to overcome: No home, gambling/drunkard dad, mom’s gone.  He’s good at video games but not so hot at school. I can see students getting behind this story. They’ve read it before but not in terms of the future
  I like how you bring up the hero’s journey idea here. Often, in a first book, the main character still goes through the entire journey (like Book of Three or Wrinkle in Time). I think Insignia didn’t bring the journey to completion, though. That’s not completely uncommon, the Lord of the Rings series takes all 3 books to complete the journey as well.
The Main Man Tom’s no Harry Potter but he tries to stand up for himself and his friends by taking on the authority. He tries to resists the bad guy and his gifts come in handy in the end.  I think students will like the way he takes matters into his own hands while I didn’t like or dislike him. Tom is definitely not my favorite character in this book. I agree that he doesn’t have the resonance that Harry had. I really adored Harry - I empathized with him completely. I liked Tom, but it wasn’t quite the same.
The Friends Wyatt - super intelligent but socially awkward. She was my favorite character and I especially loved when she tried gloating.  She’s our Hermione and our Ron. I do wonder if she secretly has a crush on Tom, though. Wyatt is my absolute favorite - though I did start to get more interested in Medusa by the end. I like how you put it - she does encapsulate both of those character types. I have to agree, I do think she has a thing for Tom. I hope that doesn’t become a big “thing” and bring all the angst to the table. Not something I want to see happen either! I like the way the relationship has built between Tom and Medusa and will be interested in seeing if they can overcome.
Vik - the spicy Indian. He’s loyal to Tom but he also loves the military and everything it stands for. Will he be able to keep the secret??? It will be interesting to see which side he falls on in Vortex. He’s Neville but funny. I liked how Vikram and Tom played out. I hadn’t thought about him as the potential leak. Curious. I do agree that he may be the weak link here. I’m not sure if it will be due to divided loyalties or just his lack of ability to keep a secret. If he ends up even ⅓ as awesome as Neville by the end it’ll be awesome.
Yuri - why was he here?
 Hmm... I hadn’t considered that. I saw Yuri as a window into the paranoia of the leadership. He’s a little bit of a Chewbacca in the group. Supportive, strong, but not really critical to the plot? (As a side note, I do love Chewie). I think students will be able to relate to both Wyatt and Vik but not sure what they’ll think of Yuri. Will there be new plebes for him to befriend?


The Grownups Blackburn - one of the most disappointing turns in the book for me. His 180 hurt me the most. I could get behind Eliot’s change since he’s young - they may change on a dime - but a grownup who’s fought long and hard to overcome some problems and specifically came in to help students then turning on said students?  I guess I should have seen it coming when he first humiliated Tom. I can see students despising his character and being gleeful for his comeuppance.  No one likes a bully. Especially one who’s in power over you. This bothered me a lot as well. In section 3 I mentioned how much I liked Blackburn, and then he totally crashed and burned. I was able to accept it as part of the brain destruction that occurred with his neural implant, I guess. It made the danger of tampering with the human brain more real to me - as did what happened to his family. I still would have preferred to get this lesson a different way.
Ossare - Absent most of the book, she has a huge role in the end. Even if it’s only find someone else to help Tom. Would have liked to see more of her. And in a positive light. What will happen between her and Blackburn now? They are really on opposite sides of this thing and he crossed a line.  Her part is pretty throwaway so I’d be interested to hear if students talk about her when talking about the book. I wonder if she’s back in the story more because she’ll be a bigger part in the next one? I agree with you - either more of her or take her out completely.


Neil (Tom’s dad) - Another absent character that has a big role. Kincaid told us he’s not that bad of a guy. And his scene with Tom at the end supports that. Though he asked to see Tom NOT an avatar and then Tom told him he was an avatar. Weird. What will he do when he finds out what’s happening? Will he want the neuro processor out of Tom’s head? Will it be too late? We all want our parents to be proud of us so I think students will like him in the end. I definitely want to hear more about Neil. I think he’ll have a bigger role to play - but maybe that's just me reading into his behaviors and comparing him to Blackburn.
Overall I’ve been wondering why I couldn’t enjoy this book more. I think it’s because I’m a detailed reader.  I’ve noticed in our conversations you are a forest girl - you focus on the big picture, the how it all comes together, while I’m a trees girl - I look at each chapter, each character, each sequence as an individual thing. Then I break that down.  It’s a tough way to read but I also think it’s what makes me a good librarian.  I’m on the lookout for books for book clubs, for literature circles, for teaching, and for fun. And ALL those things run through my mind as I read any YA/MG book. After reading through all of what you wrote, this is where I started responding. I think you are absolutely right. I am definitely more of a global thinker - a big picture processor. It’s one reason I love my current job. I help students move toward more global themes or overarching connections in everything we do - and they get it. Yes, I also insist the back up those ideas with specifics,but I do tend toward getting the global insight first. When I read a book and think about using it for a class, I ask myself those kinds of questions. If the individual pieces are exceedingly lovely (Seraphina, I’m looking at you), I absolutely notice it. If they aren’t, I tend to gloss over that as I look for bigger meanings. If they are horrifically bad (Beyonders, anyone?), I do notice. Overall, though, I’m looking for the bigger picture. So awesome we get to do things that play to our strengths!
What bothered me most about this book was it seemed to support the very things it was against. I was also bothered by the way it seemed to use negative examples to support it’s points. Also, the characters would 180 without any hints of where those “changes” came from. Tom says “Nothing in their conversations...could’ve readied her for the truth about him...” He’s talking about his battle with Medusa and his last actions but I think this sums up my feelings about the book. I felt blindsided by too many things. And they left me with questions of how these things could come about - which I should have been able to see in the story - instead much of it was just told to me.   I can see, however, the story moving in the direction of working against the “appearances” focus. I also see Blackburn’s humiliations of the students in a new light. Taking the book as a whole (and assuming that some of those themes continue into Vortex), I think I’m more happy with how those themes played out. I agree, though, I’m more satisfied with character changes when I can see them coming. I didn’t feel the information was there for us to get an “aha” moment - more of a “what??” moment. I prefer to have some sense that I’m predicting things correct. Or at least that all the little pieces have fallen into place in a way that makes sense by the end.
Tom says “It wasn’t worth being somebody if it meant hollowing himself out...” He’s talking about losing his soul if had to act like Eliot - shaking hands and smiling at people he didn’t like. But, what he does to Medusa. Wasn’t that like losing his soul?   
Yes! I mentioned this in my section as well. I just ached when he did that. Though I do think the resolution at the ending with her brought me some relief.

Something Else Vortex -  is the title of two books coming out 2013 and they are both sequels to books I didn’t love but I might read the sequel. Weird they are also both blue. Though Kincaid’s cover is better. What is the other one? I like the Kincaid cover a lot. I wonder what the new symbol is. The other book is the sequel to Tempest by Julie Cross.

Batty About Books - Insignia by SJ Kincaid - Pt3

Batty About Books

Insignia by SJ Kincaid

After a short break Maria and I are back tackling Insignia by SJ Kincaid.  Maria's responses are in purple and she has a different take on this part over at Maria's Melange!

We’ve covered 1/2 the book so far.  Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you want to catch up.  

Maria and I wanted to start talking about book covers. As we are all so visual, it pays for a company to make a book eye-catching but you also want the cover to speak to what’s inside the book.  So, we’ll be adding a segment where we talk about the cover before and after we read!

Cover
I wasn’t attracted to this cover.  The red background with the white lettering, while shouting science fiction, did not pull me in.  I would not have given it a second glance without a twitter buddy’s recommendation.  Once I picked it up and read the back, I wanted to read it.  Word War III? Secret weapons? A blurb by Veronica Roth of Divergent fame??? Closer look needed!  That’s when I noticed the computer chip-like background and the 1s and 0s (which Tom mentions whenever he’s trying to tap directly into a computer location). The cover reminds me of The Matrix but red instead of green. Yes! That’s exactly it. Definitely Matrixy.



On to Part 3 - pg. 223-332
This week we see Tom going through some changes.  We are also introduced to a magic word - and we still don’t know what it means! There’s also some primping, some exercising, and a whole lot of sewage!

First off let me say that my feelings for this book have not improved. It’s just not my cup of tea.  I’ve tried to put my feelings aside and just read the book, but then the writing style gets in the way. It’s uneven.  So, I ask that you read my part with a grain of salt keeping in mind that this is not my book.   I will be quick and try to keep this spoiler free. What’s really funny is that I often get nervous when I like a book and someone else doesn’t. So I have had to try to focus on whether I was enjoying this book or if I was trying to spot the things that are making you not like it. As I generally take on the “mediator” role in any group or conversation, I have to watch that tendency here.

Another interesting thing is that you raved about Ready Player One. I’m listening to it now, and enjoying it, but I don’t think it is one I would rave about. The “info dumping” has gotten a bit old. 
I wonder if NOT having read Ready Player One first would have changed things for me? Though my beef isn't with the story - which I like - it's the execution.
The Good
Tom gets to fight with Medusa. I like that they are becoming friends even though they haven’t met yet. It’s refreshing to read about a building relationship instead of an insta-romance. I agree. I’m finding their relationship very entertaining also. I like that she is happy to keep beating him.

The Bad
I was let down with the ending of the virus battle. I wanted more man!

They cut the old neuroprocessors out of the adults that went crazy and re-used them??? SCARY! I expect to hear more about that! Also, the student’s memories are stored on the processors? (232) So if Beamer’s get removed, will he only remember his life before or after the Spire? This whole idea is crazy scary, but seems so plausible. Can’t you just picture some government doing this?

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PROGRAMS!

Tom threw out the word ROANOKE and heck breaks loose! What does it mean? Will we find out in this book? I was so fascinated by this! I have to admit, I’ve read a bit more now and they do talk about it... I’ll be curious to hear what you think when you get to that.

Dalton says - “once the lot of you are public...” What are his and Vengerov’s plans???? Is Dominion planning domination?

The Ugly
First, Why did Tom get in the car without using netsend to let Vic know what was going on? His earlier feelings about Dalton should have prevented this from happening.  Also, he was gone a long time and no one knew? If Dalton used Tom’s GPS to track him, wouldn’t his friends use it to look for him too? (247) Yes, I was surprised that he didn’t say anything to Vikram - but he was so intent on finding a way to keep this life that I can believe he would get into the car for the chance to get sponsored.

Second, no one at the Spire suspected or noticed anything? One whole month went by! I agree on this one, although I think it may be because we were getting Tom’s perspective. I bet his friends did suspect things were weird. There is some evidence that they were getting annoyed and suspicious (though I don’t think I marked any specific passages so I can’t find direct quotes). Wyatt, for one, seems to feel there is something wrong with him.

Lastly, I get the impression the author doesn’t like any of the characters. Teenaged boys? They are immature and easily provoked by saying they can’t do something. Teachers? Evil and will use their position for their own amusement including “getting back at” students with assignments. Adults? Evil or blind. They are just promoting their own interests. No real feelings for anyone else. Also, the ones in charge don’t notice anything. Teenaged girls? If they are smart, they are mannish and uncouth.  If they are pretty (and they can’t be both) they will use their looks to forward their agenda or they are shallow like the ones we see in the mall (294). I honestly did hope we would get more with Heather so that she would have a chance to redeem herself. I’m fascinated by Blackburn - but I’m not actually “liking” him as I move into section 4. I bet you’ll really hate him now!

Overall for Part 3
It just felt implausible. I’m heading into Part 4 still holding out hope for redemption. I commented on a few things I felt were unlikely, but it sounds like I’m a lot happier with this book than you are. Hopefully our next book will be more up your alley!

Batty About Books - Insignia by SJ Kincaid - Pt1

Welcome to the latest installment of 

Batty About Books! 

For the next 4 weeks 

we will tackle

Insignia

by SJ Kincaid

(Katherine Tegen Books, 2012. 464p. $17.99. 9780062092991)

Insignia is about World War III where the government hires teens to fight the wars for them. Using their minds... I’m also re-reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline at the same time and my mind is protesting! Throw in my recent re-read of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and my past read of Epic by Conor Kostick and my head is starting to explode. I can see elements of all three of these novels in Insignia.  The humor of Ready Player One, the simulations that are part of Ender’s Game, and the type of gaming from Epic. Now, I understand that there are only so many stories to be told and as we delve deeper into the story, I’ll be on the lookout to see how Kincaid handles the familiar elements.  Will this be a book to bring to book club because it brings something new to the gaming table? Or will it just be one to recommend if there's nothing better? We shall see.

NOTE: This week we are doing things a little bit differently. Instead of two separate discussions - we did one LONG one! We decided to divide the post into pieces for each blog. Most are Maria's initial thoughts with my responses and then her rebuttal/response, then me again if needed. At Maria's Melange you'll find her overall book opinion as well as her thoughts on how females are being handled in Insignia and how well the "science" is pulled into the science fiction.

Insignia by SJ Kincaid - Part 1 1-116p.

Big ideas
Being someone: Tom comments that he would “give anything to be important” (49). I can see this idea resonating with the target audience. I wonder how much more he’ll find he has to give to fit into this world - what’s the catch and when will we discover the crisis that I’m sure is coming?
Kathy: I think not just the target audience will identify here.  Though, playing devil’s advocate, will saying it so bluntly actually turn the target audience off? Point well made. I made the same point in my review of Supernaturalist - where one character kept saying things like “this is what leaders have to face.” I’m not sure why it bugged me in that book but seemed more natural in this one. I’ll have to ponder that more. Kathy: Maybe because the characters are older, and so far, it’s not being overused? There should be some things left to the reader to decide, especially in a YA book. I’ll have to see how Kincaid proceeds with this. We want authors to feel their readers have some intelligence.  I had a super-hard time with Virals and Seizure by Kathy Reichs. She seemed to want to dumb things down for her young adult readers. I haven’t read any of her work for adults, though, so maybe that’s just how she writes.  Have you read Virals?

Well, we know that something involving his father and Eliot Ramirez has to come up again. I feel like we’ve been fed the perfect setup between these two. Which is my major beef with the book so far. I feel like Tom did when he came to Pentagonal Squire, like I’m being manipulated. I’m being told too much information and not being left to figure anything out. Okay - I just had a “revelation” (maybe?) I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me before, duh me. Blackburn’s mental illness stems from having the processor. His paranoia was a major symptom, right? Maybe dad was more involved than we know? Though you’d think THAT would have come up when Tom was being recruited.... so maybe I’m wrong. Kathy: OOOHH!! I actually just said that out loud! That would be an AWESOME twist.  I like your thinking - maybe dad also has some of what Yuri has and he can only access so much info. Could be why he drinks and gambles...


Warfare - is it better to fight through proxies? No one gets hurt, right? I can feel the coming storm as the programming instructor runs them through the drills about defending their mental processors from hackers and viruses...
Kathy: Add that to Falmouth’s earlier discussion of the four reasons offshore war is better and we can smell the conflicts coming later. Also, the names of companies - Nobind and Stronghold - have to also come into play later. I smell author agenda. Which I don’t mind, as long as the story isn’t sacrificed for the message. Absolutely. This could be handled well or it could become one long soapbox. With the current political climate, I’m curious about the way the corporate entities are handled.

Overall Impressions
I’m having a hard time enjoying this book right now. I think it’s a due to reading Ready Player One right now. There are so many similarities, I’m finding myself disappointed in Insignia. I hope that as I read on, I can put those thoughts aside and just enjoy this book. Hmm.  I wonder if that is why I’m able to enjoy this one so much? I have Ready Player One on my list, but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’d love to hear what Brian has to say about the book (I tweeted him because I thought he’d enjoy it, and he confirmed that he loves it!) Kathy: His review is one of the reasons I wanted to read it. I would have happily skipped it since I’d read my share of game-based stories to last me a while! Also, I loved Ready Player One and am reading it again for the Level Up Book Club game.  Matthew is following the type of challenges Wade faced in that book, even if his are different. I’m still loving it and could easily devour it!

On Maria's blog we also discuss MG vs YA science fiction and how note taking changes with the books you read. One thing I point out is a blog post on SLJ's Heavy Medal that discusses emotional vs. Intelligence type reads. It will be well worth your time to read that after you finish at Maria's Melange! Knowing what type of books you prefer can help you put aside your biases, or at least recognize them!

Come back next week as we dive deeper into Insignia by SJ Kincaid.
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52 Reasons to Hate my Father by Jessica Brody - Review

52 Reasons to Hate My Father 
Jessica Brody

Reviewed by Isabella (Bellanush)

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genres: Realistic
Release Date: July 3, 2012

Source: Publisher- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (thanks you for the ARC!)

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of the same humor that was in her first book. It really kept my attention for the most part and I enjoyed seeing what the world is like from the rich perspective. It really reinforced something that my parents have told me for a long time; that if you
have money, it doesn't mean it makes you happy.

I really liked how that the story showed that lesson. I liked Luke's character a lot but I had to agree with Lexington when she said he was kinda stuffy. But he proved us wrong in the end and turned out to be a really fun character.

But I didn't appreciate Lexington's whining in the beginning of the book at all. I know it goes with the whole rich, spoiled heiress thing but I really hate when people act like that so it got on my nerves. I was extremely happy when that part of the book was done. I also wish that she had spent more time on the jobs. We got in depth into some of them but I would have enjoyed it a bit more if we could have gotten a little more involved in some of the jobs that she did end up enjoying such as the florist job.

But, overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. I hope she comes out with a new one soon.

Author Stuff
Website - Jessica Brody
Twitter - @JessicaBrody
52 Reasons to Hate My Father excerpt

Crossposted on Goodreads.

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Batty About Books - Graceling by Kristin Cashore - Part 3

Batty About Books welcomes you to 

Part 3 of Graceling by Kristin Cashore! 

Maria (@mselke01) and I are reading together and our first book is Graceling.  Each week, time permitting, we will share our thoughts about a section of the book.  My thoughts are in blue and Maria's in purple.  On her blog, Maria's Melange, you can read the other side of the story!

BEWARE!! THERE BE SPOILERS HERE!!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - page 235 - 357
Graceling Part 2 - Page 116 - 234
Graceling Part 1 - Beginning to pg 115



Kathy: The first thing that jumps out at me is the mention of Po’s father and his ambition.  Po continually stresses that he is not to know about Po’s full Grace, even though they honor Graces in Lienid.  What are we saying about Kings? We have Randa, Leck and Po’s father, who stole his kingdom from Po’s grandfather, and they seem to have some issues with Power.  When you have Power, are you destined to abuse it given the chance? 
Maria: Hmmm... this is a tricky one. Po isn’t just Graced - he’s a mind reader (well, more of an empath, but still). I think Cashore gave us a nice peek into that aspect of Grace earlier in the book. I think it is his particular Grace, more than just the fact that he is Graced, that is the problem. I also am inclined to give Po’s father a bit of slack so far. Randa and Leck are unbridled jerks, yes. But I can see where being a ruler might mean trying to do what is best for ALL of your people, even if it causes harm to your own child. (Not saying I would make that call myself, but I can see some logic in it). I’m hoping that Po’s father is that kind of ruler, and that his mother is just concerned that the king will feel he NEEDS to use Po’s Grace to sort things out, and not really think through what it does to Po.

Kathy: What is the deal with Leck? What does he want with Bitterblue? What does she mean he has a thing for young girls?? At first I thought it was because she was Graced but we would know if he knew, right? Her eyes would have changed.  Is there something else? She mentioned that her mom became more immune to Leck’s Grace when he threatened Bitterblue and that she herself became more immune when he threatened her mom.  Does that happen with others? 
Maria: Leck seems to be (or it sounds like) someone that the Criminal Minds team would be chasing. He enjoys inflicting pain, and I can imagine he may also be a pedophile. All of that, though, doesn't really explain the extent to which he is going to recapture Bitterblue. Maybe her immunity will cause his downfall? Maybe there was a prophecy about her? It doesn't sound like anyone else becomes immune when threatened directly, so I’m thinking there is more to the story than just that. Maybe there is something to the Lienid blood as well that helps with the immunity? Have we seen any other Lienids react to Leck?

Kathy: Also, how is his Grace able to control others? I mean, that is one awesome but crazy Grace! He is also a very smart man, surrounding himself with a Graced inner and outer guard.  Why did he kill his wife? 
Maria: I think she threatens his control. Maybe a Lienid thing, or maybe it’s tied to his need to destroy his daughter. Maybe if she got out, she could destroy his ability to control the spin of his story? I really want to know what’s next.

Kathy: While traveling through the mountains with Katsa, we see a more motherly side to her. Will protecting Bitterblue somehow lead to a change in her wanting children? Or will it reinforce something for Katsa since she has to constantly think about Bitterblue and change her plans accordingly, even to the point of slowing down. 
Maria: I’m curious about this as well - but as I mentioned in my discussion I’m pleased to see this female mentorship build. I think the women teaching women aspect is sorely lacking in fiction, and I’m hoping that Cashore builds on this relationship.

Kathy: In addition to the way they are putting Bitterblue first, I was touched by the scene where Katsa went under the waterfall to find Po’s safe place. She asked him to turn his face away so she could get undressed.  I liked that she considered that a 10 year old might not be ready to know about that part of their relationship. 
Maria: Yes! I loved this. I don’t think Katsa was very sheltered, and I love the fact that she considered the need to shelter Bitterblue.

Kathy: And we left Po!! What does he mean that he doesn’t think he’ll get his balance back?? How is he faring??? Has he been caught? How could Cashore leave us hanging? 
Maria: Yes! I forgot to mention that. I noticed his comment about his balance not coming back as well, and jotted down a note. Can his Grace also notice what is wrong within him? That worried me a lot. I am happy he’s out of the picture for a while - so Katsa and Bitterblue can bond - but I do want him back!

This was an exciting part of the book! I can't wait to see what the last part brings.  How will Cashore bring all the players back together and right the wrongs? Will she write the wrong? Tune in next week!

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