Stacey’s Comments (group member since Oct 26, 2014)

Stacey’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

I've (finally) finished!

Lazlo -- (view spoiler)[ I loved him. Loved that he ended up being the person who could "solve the problem" and I'm excited to see what he finds out about all the other missing children (hide spoiler)]

Sarai -- (view spoiler)[ She seemed fine but I have to admit that I don't feel like I really got to know her beyond the dreams and how Lazlo saw her. I've got my fingers crossed that some Godspawn they have yet to find can make her "alive" again. (hide spoiler)]

The story -- (view spoiler)[ I was disappointed in this. For the first 100ish pages I was excited to get on the road to Weep, and find out what happened and watch all the smarty pants figure out how to fix it. And then...nothing happened. They got there, and everyone wandered around, and dreamed, and internally dialogued until I wanted to skip large parts of the story. The author writes great characters, and her conflicts are real and heartbreaking -- but please give your wonderful characters something to DO! (hide spoiler)]

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 7 . DAY 1

1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a retelling of real life events that happened in one of the darkest periods of human history. Several well known Australians have recommended it including Graeme Simison, author of The Rosie Project who described it as "Extraordinary - moving, confronting and uplifting.. a story about extremes of human behaviour: calculated brutality alongside impulsive and selfless acts of love." I find when I read about this subject I have to mentally prepare myself for a myriad of emotions including anger, indignation and heart wrenching sadness. What expectations do you have as you prepare to start this book? I try to limit myself to a smaller number of pages a day when I read one of these books so I don't get too overwhelmed. I'm sure it will be heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

2. The Prologue describes the first meeting of Lale and Gita. It is not the beginning of the story and is repeated further on. Why do you think the author starts with this scene? It's their first meeting. I think their story drives the book, so its good to get an insight on how things started.

3. Initial impressions of Lale - the life he had and the horror of where he is transported to? I'm amazed at how he seems to be able to adjust and adapt to whatever happens to him. Many people would just shut down in any of those situations, but he seems to be able to just keep his head down and keep going.

4. This story has many examples of the best and worst of humanity. What do you think of Pepan's and then Lale's rationale of becoming tattooists? "If you don't take the job someone with less soul than you will and hurt these people more. Working for the Kapo is not the same as defiling hundreds of innocent people." I can see both sides of the argument, and how this situation offers you no good choices if you want to stay alive. I think to take the job and attempt to limit the suffering is noble, but at the same time to actively participate in the process would be a tough thing to live with.

5. "To save one is to save the world." What is your interpretation of what this means and how important is it to the prisoners of Auschwitz? I think they are so surrounded by death, that each life becomes even more meaningful. It also gives them a purpose and a reason to keep going if they are attempting to help those around them make it through as well.

6. What do you think happened to Pepan and how will this affect Lale going forward.? I'm frightened about what happened to Pepan, because how will Lale know if he makes the same mistake? I'm guessing since we know he makes it through, it all works out, but the fact that he just disappeared would make me hesitant to take his job.

7. First impressions of Gita? Why do you think her attitude is different from Lale?. Would she have survived if she hadn't met Lale? She's not coping as well as Lale, but she's managing, I think. She probably wouldn't have survived without Lale, just for the typhoid incident, but I'm not sure if she would have made it mentally if not for him either. I'll see as we go along what she's made of.

8. Victor and Yuri paint an interesting picture of civilians caught up in war just trying to survive. Thoughts on their different attitudes to the situation and how they are trying to help Lale? That situation frightens me as well. I think its great that they are trying to make a difference as they probably feel pretty helpless as well. And I'm surprised Lale has as much freedom to just wander around unhindered as he seems to, but I guess the tattoo bag makes people not pay much attention to him.

I'll keep going, although my challenge calendar is suddenly much more crowded! This one is usually pretty easy to work around.

Are there any updates on how long we are continuing or on TWT?

DQ 3: Chapters 18 - 28

14. After sharing his theory and brainstorming, Jazz totally manipulated Connie and Howie to get them to go with him to look for evidence instead of calling the Sheriff. (And we've seen him manipulate a lot of people, especially women, before.) What do you think about this behavior? I like him, so I'm probably biased, but I think most people at times manipulate those around them into doing what they want, either consciously or unconsciously. Or maybe I'm just really cynical. :) Either way, I didn't really have too much trouble with it.

15. Jazz spends a lot of time taking care of his Grandmother, and she is awfully toxic. Why do you think he is so determined to stay with her instead of going to a foster home? Is Melissa right to decide to move him out? I think he really has a lot more freedom where he is now, as opposed to having functioning parents watching his activities and moves. I think it's not a healthy place for him to be, and I'm kind of surprised he was able to get away with it as long as he was.

16. Wow the scene with Ginny was very intense. What did it make you think of with regards to Jazz - his feelings of pleasure conflicting with trying to help? Do you like him any less or more? I think it was interesting to see the conflict between what he "knows" he's supposed to do vs. what his father trained him to do. He's still a teenager, and I'm not surprised that this was a conflict for him.

17. Erickson keeps showing up and being pretty abusive? Is he a red herring or something more? (Ha I guess don't answer this if you have read this book before - unless you remember what you thought at the time.) He was my first suspect, which means he's probably a red herring. ;)

18. How did the Impressionist know about Jazz's room (or did he?)? Do you think he is going to interact even more with Jazz now, even though it is against orders? I'm going to guess he may have just broken into the home to take a look around and found it. Or if he has contact with Jazz's father --which seems likely to me -- maybe he told him? Hadn't really thought about that.

I just finished this this week. :( But I'll stop by and chat as you all read.

I'm now through Part 4. I have to admit I'm a little bored. Maybe it's my mood, but I'm again finding the flashbacks in the middle of the action tedious. The info on Wyland is interesting, but I feel like we know most of the other stuff, and it just keeps taking me out of the story. Hopefully I'll be done this weekend.

I am Tina! Doing it on audible, so it's taking a while. Just finished the third part.

Chapters 9-17

8. "If I catch killers, then maybe that means I'm not a killer," says Jazz. Howie then goes on to give a great reason why Jazz isn't a killer (love Howie)...are you seeing killer tendencies in Jazz?
I think he THINKS like a serial killer, which is what his father trained him to do. But I don't see any of the inherent traits that serial killers display so far in this story. Howie is pretty spot on.

9. Jazz has another interaction with Jeff Fulton, do you think that Jazz should share information about Billy Dent's victims with their families? If so, how would that impact his mental health? I think that that task could easily become soooo overwhelming, its better for Jazz to not even open that can of worms.

10. We see vulnerability in Jazz through the dreams he is having of cutting flesh, that he believes is his mom...and thinking that he killed her. Do you think these are really flashbacks? If so, why? They certainly could be, I wouldn't put it past his father to do something like that. As to what they really are, I'm not sure, but interested to find out.

11. Enter Office Erikson once again, he comes from the town that one of the ladies was killed lived in, and we saw his behavior when he picked up Jazz from the high school. Why do you think G Williams isn't doing anything about this abnormal behavior and potential connections to the victim? He seems to be getting a lot of leeway for someone so new to the department, so there must be something about him we don't know that G William does.

13. I've read this series and love it, it was actually one of my first book about serial killers (was scared to read them before). Are there other series that you recommend in this genre? I've read a lot of early Dean Koontz, and all of his killers were twisted and strange enough to be memorable. This question is making my TBR list grow!!

I've finished Part 2 and most of Part 3, so I'm avoiding Deanna's spoilers. :) I love the plan so far -- so perfect! I will admit I'm getting a bit tired of Nina and the parem drama --it's getting a little repetitive. The Shue bad guys are interesting and I'm interested to see how that works into the story.

DQ set 1: Chapters 1 - 8

1. What are your first impressions of Jazz? What is his motivation for spying on the crime scene and requesting to help investigate?
I like him. I think his perspective is new and interesting and I'm excited to watch his way of thinking play out in the rest of the book. I think he probably feels like he has more knowledge about the kind of person who would be doing the killing, and wants to make up for not stopping his father.

2. "Ever since arresting Dear Old Dad four years ago, G. William had kept in touch with Jazz...". How would you characterize the relationship between Jazz and G. William? Why is the sheriff so adament about one body not meaning a serial killer? Is he trying to protect Jazz, himself, or both?
I picture kind of a grandfather/grandson relationship. I'm sure he doesn't want to have another killer in his small town. That's a lot to deal with once, let alone twice.

3. Howie has been the only friend who stayed with Jaspar after his father's exposure. Jaspar claims that he needs Howie to keep him "close to the line of safety and legality". Do you think Howie realizes what Jazz needs from him? Why doesn't he get angry when Jazz gets him into trouble?
I think they kind of need each other. Jazz would go too far if he didn't worry about keeping Howie out of trouble, and Howie would probably not to anything fun or dangerous if Jazz didn't encourage him. They balance each other.

4. Deputy Erikson has caught Jazz's attention twice now with his behavior at the crime scene and his unexplained appearance at the morgue. Do you agree with Jazz's assessment of the deputy, or do you think there is a reasonable explanation for his actions? I think he's the killer. I'm probably supposed to think that, but he's sketchy for sure.

5. The Impressionist states he "had been given a rule" not to interact with or harm Jaspar. Who do you think might have given him that rule and why? Maybe he has some kind of tie to Jaspar's father. Like an apprentice or something. Would explain why he is in the town.

6. Jazz has the mantra, "People matter. People are real.", as a screensaver and pictures of all his father's victims in his room? Do you think this actually helps or hurts him? Is Connie right about letting go of the past?
Hard to tell. To a certain extent I think he spent the first several years of his life not really seeing these girls as people or people as something that are to be respected. I think all this helps him remember, and move towards his goal of being more "normal".

7. "His upbringing... told him that women were simultaneously special and useless." How do the three women in his life (Connie, Melissa, and Gramma) match with what he has been taught? Do they reinforce or challenge the idea? What kind of influence are they on Jazz? I think Connie, and to some extent Melissa are special -- he sees them as important, or at least vital to maintaining his life the way it is. I think Gramma is tough, as she is so unable to manage due to her mental state, that she should be useless, but again he needs her to maintain his home.

I posted in the Leaky Cauldron, but I'm happy to continue. I don't have a lot of other challenges going on right now. 😊

Finished Part 1 yesterday! So far not too much different from the previous books in terms of characters, although Van Eck is coming off much more sadistic than I remember from the first book.

This book is finally my focus until I finish! I'm just about halfway through and everyone has made it to Weep. Its setting up to be a no win situation near as I can tell so far - but this author has ways of turning things around so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Set 4: 21-end

Finished!

19. October seems to be pretty popular with the men. This section starts with Conner putting the moves on her despite being married. Tybalt also seems to be a potential love interest (which I’m a fan of) and then there’s her husband who we haven’t met yet - I’m leaving Devin off this list for obvious reason. Do you have someone you’d like to see Toby end up with or do you not care about the romance aspect?

I like Tybalt the best, but to be honest, I didn't really like October enough to wish her on anyone. Sorry.

20. I really like The Luidaeg as a character and think she will be important in later books. What did you think of her? Do you think Toby made a mistake by forcing The Luidaeg in her debt? Why do you think she did it?

LOVE Luidaeg -- even though I have to keep checking the glossary to figure out how to pronounce her name in my head. She was a breath of fresh air and seemed like an interesting character to follow.

21 Were you surprised it turned out to be Devin? I never liked or trusted him so wasn’t too surprised when he ended up being the bad guy. Why do you think Toby trusted him so much?

I was, but I probably shouldn't have been. I'm still a little fuzzy on his motives, but it doesn't surprise me that he would have done something like this.

22. I loved it when Toby asked her cats to bring her to their king, Tybalt. Did you have a favorite part or character?

The Luideag was my favorite, and I enjoyed her interactions with Toby.

23. One thing I’ve been wondering about is whether or not her husband, Cliff, knew she is a changeling. She can’t control her illusion at the dawn so did he know about it? Does her daughter? If they know she’s a changeling why wouldn’t she have explained what had happened over the last 14 years? Or did I miss something and all this was explained.

I think it mentioned that he didn't know her heritage, although I'm not sure how they would have lived together without her having that glamour slip at least once.

24. How did you like it overall? Do you think you will continue on with the series? If you do continue, what are you hoping to know more about it later books?

I dunno. There was nothing in this book that actually grabbed my interest and made me want to read further. But I probably would have stopped after the first Kate Daniels book if folks hadn't been telling me to continue, so I may try another one at some point.

Set 3 Chapters 14-20

13. We finally meet Lily. What do you think of her? Is she what you expected?

Actually, she was pretty close. She cares for a garden area, so I would expect her to be more nurturing in her relationships.

14. Screw you, Evening!"I shouted. "Screw your duty and your dying and...and your going off and leaving me to deal with this alone!"Why would October say she is doing this alone? For what I can see she has a lot of resources and help available. All she has to do is ask. Why wouldn't she ask for help?

She seems to feel that they wouldnt help her if asked. I also think she is stubborn about being independent.

15. Why did October let the Doppelganger in? Was she really fooled? From what I've read so far I wouldn't have expected her to open the door.

I think she was just so caught off guard that she didn't think about and just reacted like a mother.

16. I am so confused. There are a lot of new characters and I feel not enough of an explanation as to why they are there. What do you think of the book so far? Do you like the writing style?

I'm getting a very first book vibe from it so far. We have to find a reason to see everyone and introduce every character that will be important in the rest of the series, whether it makes sense in the story or not.

17. Can we trust Devin? Does he really care for October or does he want something in return?

I'm going to pass on this one.

18. Will October find Evenings killer in this book? And more important will she survive with all her limps still attached?

I sure dont know! Shes got a lot of needless injuries right now!(

It seems easier to get to my info - which is probably more important to most people. But getting to the groups, and finding what I want to see is challenging.

Did everyone get an update to the Goodreads app last night? Or was I just the unluckiest person out there? Every time they do an update, i hope it will get better - but it just gets more difficult to use.

The longer the better for me! And I love the idea of the reserves getting to play as the other teams. Excited to see what you have in store for TWT!

Sounds like this one is getting positive reviews as well. Hoping to start early next week, so i'll be a little late.