Carmel’s Comments (group member since Oct 18, 2015)

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

Oops! I missed the last round of questions so I answered them, read the next bit and answered the new ones below!
:)

Discussion Questions October 23 & 24

1. Out of Mia’s three family members, it seems like we are the most sympathetic to Mia’s mom. How much do you think the fact that we get to see things through her perspective plays into it? We can see that Eve has regrets and didn’t have Mia’s back. And we get hints that James and Grace are worried about Mia’s disappearance. Do you think you would have more understanding of James and Grace if you could see what they were thinking like we do with Eve?

I agree that we are most sympathetic to Eve. That said, I think that we can see James’ grief and regret through his actions. He becomes reclusive and seems to drink more (?). He also shows his grief when he speaks with Eve about Mia’s 6th birthday. I don’t really think that what we are seeing Grace’s grief… I think that her behaviour after the kidnapping could just as easily be explained as worry about her plans going awry. I do think that if we could see in James’ head we would have more sympathy for him and I think that if we could see in Grace's head it would be the end of the book.

2. Do you think Mia could be pregnant like Eve does?

No. I think that after she was found, she likely had a battery of medical tests which would have included a pregnancy test. The pregnancy theory came from Eve looking up eggs in a dream dictionary - I think Mia remembered the boxed eggs that Colin cooked.

3. Were you surprised Colin gave Eve the gun? Why do you think he did that?

Yes. I think he did it because he is trying to build a peaceful relationship with her. I think he hates the feeling of being despised. He tells us thats why he gave her the sketchbook. He is trying to gain her trust and 'atone' for kidnapping her... which probably takes more than a cheap sketch book. In my opinion anyways.

4. Colin says he can’t leave because something is holding him back. What do you that is? Who do you think he sent the money to?

Wasn’t this answered? In my edition of the book, “seeing the same thing” falls on page 168. On page 156 Colin lists his priorities: cover the rent, take care of ma, eat”. So his motivation/commitment is to care for his mother.

5. Colin realizes he gave Mia the sketch book because he wants to atone for he has done. After learning more about his life, do you feel any sympathy for him at all?

Honestly, no. I think that there is always a better way than resorting to violent crime. He tried to get extra shifts at his job, saw an easy way out and took it. Where was applying for other jobs? Taking high pay/menial labour jobs that most people don’t want to do? I respect that he’s caring for his mother but I don’t approve of his life choices.

6. Now that we are almost halfway through the book, do you have any guesses on who is behind the kidnapping of Mia?

My finger is still pointed at Grace

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14. What did you think of Gabe's plan to show Mia the cat, Canoe? Were you surprised it was so effective?

Yes! I was very surprised at both the plan and its effectiveness. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me that the cat would act as a key - unlocking her memory when the sketches did nothing. Then again, I don’t know much about amnesia… It seemed like an easy “fix” to the problem of Mia’s memory being gone.

15. Colin opens up quite a lot to Mia and we find out about his mother. Has your opinion of Colin changed as the book has progressed? For example, do you think he really would have killed the lady that needed help with her vehicle?

Yes, I think he would have killed the woman. No, my opinion of him hasn’t changed. I really don’t understand how he can have such caring and love towards his mother and an utter lack of empathy for others. It doesn’t make sense to me. Also 5 thousand dollars?! There has to be way easier ways to make 5k than kidnapping a woman. Why not go work on an oil rig? He had other options! I was thinking that he would be paid like 100k and needed the money for his mother's surgery or something. FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!

16. I was totally shocked at the internal exam given to Mia. That is not common place in Australia, it is usually a urine and then blood test to confirm a pregnancy. Do you think it was realistic they would have done that kind of exam? Should Eve have told her he truth of why she was there?

I’m shocked as well. Urine and blood is standard in Canada… (I say this as someone who has minimal exposure to these exams) But especially to do that to a potential rape victim … to just shove instruments into her? Without explaining? Where did this woman get her medical degree?! I don’t find it realistic at all. And again, I find it unrealistic that she wasn’t tested after she was found. What if she has HIV or some other sexually transmitted infection? When I found out that she was ACTUALLY pregnant and that they didn’t do any tests after finding her it made me want to throw the book.

17. So Colin paid off Jason to stay away the night he kidnapped Mia. I was pretty shocked that he would take the money (it was only $100?) and then not tell the police. Do you think it is true or did Colin make that up?

Oh interesting… I was starting to wonder if Jason had been paid off before that. He stood her up all the time because it would promote the desire for her to go home with Colin. Maybe I read that wrong. Criminal activity seems to go for way less than I’d imagine. If someone offered me $100 to stand up a tinder date I’d say no. Seems so illogical. Doesn’t he have a fairly good job? I have no idea why he wouldn’t tell the police. Maybe it was the manner of questioning. He was embarrassed in front of his office by Gabe deliberately. Maybe that made Jason just want to get it over with as quickly as possible.

18. So sad that Mia wonders if people will realise she is gone or just gossip about her not coming to work. There is more similarities between her and Eve than they realise I think. Do you agree?

Yes. They both seem to have terrible self-esteem, they also both seem to be attracted to abusive men, and they also both have a fondness for the holidays that surpasses stressful situations.

19. Is it a good idea for Mia to return to live at her apartment? Do you think someone will still try and take her for ransom?

I think it would be too risky for another kidnapping attempt from her apartment - especially since Eve seems to be glued to her side. I think that getting Mia away from James after the near miss with the abortion seems like the best idea anyone could have. (He threatened to have the Dr's husband disbarred! What?!)

20. Do you feel that the relationship that has developed between with Mia and Colin is believable? Can something that started in violence and lies really last?

No. This is Stockholm Syndrome - I don’t know if Kubica is trying to portray a real romance at this point but I don't buy it.


Great questions!! I'm looking forward to reading and discussing the whodunit part!

This is my first BOM so hopefully I do this right! I'm excited to join in! Thanks so much, Imke, for awesome discussion questions!!

1...It seems mother and daughter don’t have a very good relationship. What do you think?

I think that the conversation between Ayanna and Eve is fairly realistic. Eve is a woman of privilege who would never quickly think that something horrific could have happened in her life. I think that it is quite telling of her relationship with both of her daughters, and the rest of her social circle, that she immediately assumes that a ringing telephone must be a telemarketer. This woman never gets phone calls from people who genuinely want to speak with her? Sad.

I agree that her relationship with her daughter seems strained. Though I wonder if that is more because of her husband's influence than her own doing. Eve's immediate reaction is to protect her daughter from critique and to make excuses for her missing work. Eve also kept diligent notes of her daughter's childhood, down to the name of her imaginary friend; marks the passage of time since Mia moved out in days; and stored her daughter's first painting (well enough that it was able to be hung after years in storage). When I read that passage the first time, I thought that not having the painting displayed was a glimpse into a negative relationship but considering now, we've been told that the painting was done on poster board, a first for a new artist. I think that Eve keeping the painting shows caring and and a desire for closeness with Mia. Failing that, perhaps a desire for understanding in their relationship.

2. What do you think of detective Gabe? It seems to me he is more interested in Mia’s mother than in finding things out about Mia. What do you think of the other family members as seen through Gabe’s eyes?

My mind isn't made up about Gabe yet. His attitude towards Jason makes me think that he has something to prove, a residual need from highschool to payback jocks who bullied and ignored him. I was surprised when we found out his age and physique. In my mind, I had imagined him looking like Tommy Lee Jones in the Fugitive. I don't think that he has a special interest in Eve. Especially not romantically. His note of her hair in her cleavage was mirrored with his note of Ayanna's thigh behind her skirt. I think that he is a good detective who notes even the small irrelevant details in his mind.

As for the other characters, I'm not a fan of Grace. Eve and James seem to be logical characters to me. I can see them being real people. Neither are accustomed to things going wrong and neither know quite how to grapple with it. Grace on the other hand, shows a complete lack of compassion or empathy. She seems irritated by the situation rather than concerned and was quick to blame Eve's disappearance on irresponsible behaviour. She also sits in a detective's office critiquing the victim's appearance shortly after she has been found? (I almost wonder if she is involved with the disappearance).

3....Do you like the switch from past to sort of the present?

As you point out in question 5, I feel that it has lessened the suspense for me. The danger is gone, Mia is safe. I like that we are given concrete time periods to work with within the back and forth. We know that Mia went missing in late September and that she was found around the beginning of January (What year is it??). Without those times to anchor us, I think that the back and forth would get under my skin a little bit more. I am also curious about the backwards "R" in before, after and girl (on the cover).

4. We meet Colin, the kidnapper, what do you think of him? From the sentence But I smile when she looks at me, and when her hand touches mine, I let it stay because I know one thing: this girl might change my life, it looks like he is going to fall in love with Mia. I hope this is not going to be a romance when I expected a thriller.

Interesting! When I read that passage I assumed because she would change his life with the money he would be payed. I didn't consider romance. Though now, thinking of the sketch book, I wonder if I should have!

I like that we have the opportunity to jump into Colin's mind because a lot of him doesn't make sense to me. When he brings Mia to his apartment and thinks "I watch silently as she judges me" - is Mia really judging Colin? His thoughts on the "piss-stained carpeting", his "meager living", his "half-eaten bagel on a paper plate", the curry smell choking her and his need to quickly clean up all his shoes before they enter doesn't seem like the kind of thoughts that a man who is planning to harm a girl would have. They seem like thoughts I would read from a college boy who has brought a girl back to his dorm room for the first time. Embarrassed because he can't afford real plates or a better apartment. Why does he have so many shoes if this is a burner apartment? Why would a kidnapper take a girl to his real apartment?

In stark contrast to all of that he tells us that he "couldn't care less" about her and obviously ends up following through with whatever plan he had. He doesn't strike me as a violent criminal - Patrick Bateman type. He keeps returning to the money and how he needs it. He thinks to himself that it'll be over in a few hours. His knowledge of the plan for over a year makes me curious about how much money Colin is being paid. More than he could make in a year in an honest profession? I want to think of him as a "down on his luck, good guy in a bad situation" character but we will see!

**Also!! He paid off Jason to stay late? That's an interesting thread to follow..

5.... What do you think of the style of this book so far?

I like that we have the opportunity to look through so many character's eyes. Maybe I'm getting used to it because it is one of my least favourite aspects of the Game of Thrones books. It also might be working for me so far because we have a very limited character list. It isn't hard to keep track of who is who when we switch perspectives. I also like that we don't need a ton of exposition on the history of these characters. Jumping into their minds we know relevant information immediately. Gabe doesn't feel honoured by being given a big case. Eve knows every base line fact that she should about her daughter (socks, coffee, etc.) but has no idea about her life (that friend from Zimbabwe). It allows us to gather information quickly and efficiently and flesh out a better "big picture" than another style might allow.

6. What do you think is going on with Mia? Does she really have amnesia, or is she protecting Colin in some way? From the scene with the sketchbook I think she and Colin may have had some sort of relationship.

I think she has amnesia. If she were faking, I think that she would show it in small ways. She would still avoid caffeine and remember that she doesn't like socks. I think that we are looking at a fundamental character change. I think that maybe she fell in love with Colin in the cabin (as is hinted in the drawing?) but then maybe something terrible happened at the end and that has caused a mental break in Mia.

I think that the drawings from the cabin show us that while she was in the cabin, Mia was still Mia. I think that the transition to Chloe happened around the time of her rescue.

7. What do you think of Mia’s family? I like her mother she seems to care a lot about her and wants to try and help. Her father and sister aren’t very nice.

I've touched on my thoughts of Mia's family throughout my other answers but to summarize, I think that Eve is a mother who has lost touch with her daughter but wants to be close. I think that whatever caused Mia to leave the family home in the first place will be important later on... I think that her father is a proud and important man. As a judge, someone who believes in the law and throws himself into his work upholding it - I think that he is struggling with his inability to "fix" the problem when crime sweeps into his life. We see this a little bit when Eve talks about how elated he was when Mia was found. Finally, this feeling of incompetence, this lack of ability to effect change has come to an end. Then we see his frustration as the situation continues. Grace is almost a parody. Trying to follow in her father's footsteps in law... but only reaching a Senior Associate so far. Berating her sister for her appearance before her sister is due to review evidence from her time held captive. She is too much. I don't see a sister acting that way in the real world which leads me to believe that she must have another layer to her. At this point Grace is a suspect in my mind. The way she acted during the investigation pushed the idea that Mia was irresponsible and not in real danger. Not worthy of looking further into. Now that she is found, she is pissed off but staying close. We'll see!

This will be my first BOM as well! Picking up my reserved book from the library this week! Excited!!