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Novak, Chase - Breed - Start Date: December 12th 2012
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Questions and Comments for Pages 63 - 114 Begin at the beginning of Part 2 and stop at the end of first full paragraph on page 114. Last sentence of which is, "Calling out down here is like crying yourself to sleep with your face pressed into a pillow."
I'll keep this short and sweet because I'm not feeling good today. Got old fillings replaced and suffering from a little cold.
8) One of the things I forgot to mention that I bet will be important later is that there was a third child the nurse and doctor kept. What happened to it?
9) Looks like there are more children out there like the twins. Interesting they'd all have the same marking. It must also mean there are some in LA as well.
10) Stefani, you called it, looks like the adults eat the kids. Ew!
11) So I'm kind of a little freaked by what might happen to Alice (Is that her name? I misplaced my book) when she first menstruates. Will her dad act like he did with the Nanny(or was it his wife's sister - I wish I knew where my book was) in part one?
12) I need to say it--what's the authors fascinations with glistening dog extremities? Seriously Ew!
13) Sound like the little girl might go a little ferel like her parents. She wanted to eat the dog. Did you expect it? Could the brother be different?
14) Why did the twins separate? The sister didn't have a clue where to go.
15) What did you make of the father capturing the teacher's boyfriend? Is he going to eat him?
16) Was this part get more interesting to you?
Feel free to add any of your own thoughts or questions.
Tearsa wrote: "I hope it is not too late to join this discussion! This is my very first discussion I'm actually able to participate in on Goodreads, so I hope I'm not too late! I'll take the chance and post my qu..."Welcome! And it's never to late to join in! I hadn't thought about the baby with the nanny being the Johnson's. That's an interesting thought, you might be right. And they ran because they were concerned about more scrutiny because the baby attacked someone.
Questions and Comments for Pages 63 - 114Begin at the beginning of Part 2 and stop at the end of first full paragraph on page 114. Last sentence of which is, "Calling out down here is like crying yourself to sleep with your face pressed into a pillow."
I'll keep this short and sweet because I'm not feeling good today. Got old fillings replaced and suffering from a little cold.
8) One of the things I forgot to mention that I bet will be important later is that there was a third child the nurse and doctor kept. What happened to it?
I wondered that too. They alluded to the fact that the infant was grossly deformed and wouldn't survive so they took it away to kill it and dispose of it. But, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the third child is still alive.
9) Looks like there are more children out there like the twins. Interesting they'd all have the same marking. It must also mean there are some in LA as well.
I'm getting the feeling that the doctors and nurses know exactly what's going on. Maybe the children will end up murderous like the parents, and the third child was less human from the start so they took it away to hide the truth?
10) Stefani, you called it, looks like the adults eat the kids. Ew!
That's just gross! Though I find it interesting that it's a coherent discussion they are having about it. "Honey, I've been thinking of eating the kids lately..thoughts?"
11) So I'm kind of a little freaked by what might happen to Alice (Is that her name? I misplaced my book) when she first menstruates. Will her dad act like he did with the Nanny(or was it his wife's sister - I wish I knew where my book was) in part one?
I hadn't thought about that but I'd be worried too. Maybe even worried about Adam when she hits puberty too. They are very close and seen to have some...unnatural abilities like their parents. He might react in a similar way.
12) I need to say it--what's the authors fascinations with glistening dog extremities? Seriously Ew!
Yeah, he's got a fetish there or something. It's disturbing.
13) Sound like the little girl might go a little ferel like her parents. She wanted to eat the dog. Did you expect it? Could the brother be different?
I don't think so, I think it might have just been the opportunity that prompted it with Alice. Adam, I feel, will be the same but might be coming into it later.
14) Why did the twins separate? The sister didn't have a clue where to go.
I found myself yelling at the book in that moment, "DON'T YOU WATCH HORROR MOVIES!! NEVER SPLIT UP!!". I'm wondering why they did that too, it makes no logical sense.
15) What did you make of the father capturing the teacher's boyfriend? Is he going to eat him?
I think he just wanted the apartment number from him. At the end of the section, I gathered he was probably in the basement of their house. Maybe a snack for later after the kids are captured.
16) Was this part get more interesting to you?
I did like this part a lot more. I think it's because we went from a very omniscient POV which is lacking in personal character details and it switched to a more close POV. So I am engaging with the characters more because of the shift in POV and I hope it stays that way.
Questions and Comments for Pages 63 - 114 Begin at the beginning of Part 2 and stop at the end of first full paragraph on page 114. Last sentence of which is, "Calling out down here is like crying yourself to sleep with your face pressed into a pillow."
8. I think so too. Maybe the child survived. The nun nodded as the problem was taked care, but that doesn't say anything about what has been done.
9. Maybe is the Johnson's kid? I believe so, since the "doctors" had protocols with several locations.
10. I'm beginning to think they eat everything that has hot blood. And the kids have the same instincts... I don't think there is no way this book will have a happy ending.
11.Oh gods, I didn't thought about that. That and what Stefani said really had me troubled now.
12.Maybe he has an over-excited dog and thinks this is the normal dog behavior? I don't now. But so far looks like a furry fetish or something... gross
13.I was expecting it, but not so soon... maybe when they hit puberty, since it seems the animal behavior is linked to hormones... although the hair grow on Adam may be an indicator that they are entering that phase...
14. Maybe to divide and conquer? They won't stand a chance with both parents together... But I agree with Stefani, NEVER SPLIT UP!
15. I don't get it. If he chased the kid by smell, why don't break it? I don't see nothing good on Xavier's future.
16. A little bit. I think the closeness of their POV is working better... although the parents are still strangers... like we're not supposed to be attached to them. The beginning of this part was totally freaking me out... now I?m calmer, the book is still gross, but I'm no longer in that "stop reading and go watch some happy cartoons to brain bleach" state.
OK, is anyone troubled by the texting exchange or is just me? If Alice drops her phone before looking at the park, and it get hit by cars how on earth, did the twins exchange messages?
Stefani wrote: "Tearsa wrote: "I hope it is not too late to join this discussion! This is my very first discussion I'm actually able to participate in on Goodreads, so I hope I'm not too late! I'll take the chance..."Unfortunately reading further on I don't know how right I'll be... we'll see though! And thank you!
Questions and Comments for Pages 63 - 114 Begin at the beginning of Part 2 and stop at the end of first full paragraph on page 114. Last sentence of which is, "Calling out down here is like crying yourself to sleep with your face pressed into a pillow."
8) One of the things I forgot to mention that I bet will be important later is that there was a third child the nurse and doctor kept. What happened to it?
I assumed the way they were talking that they actually killed the child. At the same time, it must play some kind of importance so I don't really know. :/
9) Looks like there are more children out there like the twins. Interesting they'd all have the same marking. It must also mean there are some in LA as well.
Yeah I'm expecting somehow a few children to come out in this story, but how many can they really be? I thought this doctor was a little more obscure than that. These are pretty odd coincidences though.
10) Stefani, you called it, looks like the adults eat the kids. Ew!
Yeah that's disgusting. I'm just waiting for the author to describe a scene where a person is eaten. Gross. Sadly these are the parts where he likes to be descriptive!
11) So I'm kind of a little freaked by what might happen to Alice (Is that her name? I misplaced my book) when she first menstruates. Will her dad act like he did with the Nanny(or was it his wife's sister - I wish I knew where my book was) in part one?
It was the wife's sister definitely. I'm really hoping that doesn't happen in the book. If animal instincts are taking over, who knows what'll happen. :/
12) I need to say it--what's the authors fascinations with glistening dog extremities? Seriously Ew!
Yeah I'm definitely not amused!
13) Sound like the little girl might go a little ferel like her parents. She wanted to eat the dog. Did you expect it? Could the brother be different?
I suspected something was going to happen. I feel like they have been hinting signs in both the children (the dog scene with the little girl especially a hint). I wanted to be wrong though :(
14) Why did the twins separate? The sister didn't have a clue where to go.
I think they separated because it would be easier to chase two in the same direction than two going in the opposite direction. It was smart except it took her awhile to get ahold of her brother. I'm kind of worried they are meeting in Central Park, of all places.
15) What did you make of the father capturing the teacher's boyfriend? Is he going to eat him?
Ugh it was bound to happen. This is exactly what I didn't want..them eating a human we're semi-acquainted too. As if eating a human wasn't bad enough.
16) Was this part get more interesting to you?
I think so. I'm kind of glad we weren't getting attached to the parents before because any deep emotions being expressed now belong to the kids. And I don't really want to feel bad for the parents. Maybe that was the author's intention?
The whole eating pets thing is HIGHLY unnecessary, and I don't like the whole description with the dogs in the cage with Xavier. I feel like Leslie referenced the possibility of going to the doctor that did this and I can't help but think WHY NOT ANY SOONER? Also, I hate when the author does weird descriptions like the little girl squatting in the park. But I guess the descriptors aren't going to be pretty in a horror story...
Yeah, I'm upset about the texting exchange as well. I don't like not knowing! Poor plan on the twins' part.
8. They were supposed to "kill" the deformed baby, but I would not be surprised to see if it is still alive.9. I find it strange that there are so many more of these children, and yet is seems to be unknown to "normal" people.
10. It is rather disgusting to think that parents are eating their kids!! Ewww!!
11. It seems to indicate that puberty will bring changes to the kids to make them more like their parents. A little depressing.
12. I'm not a dog fan anyways, so yuck!! lol
13. I actually did not see that coming. I guess the kids are not that different from their parents.
14. I guess they thought it would be easier if they separated, but I would never do it. I would be way too afraid!!
15. I'm not sure. Maybe he just wants to "torture" him into information, which does not really make sense. I'm not sure what he wants him for now.
16. This part was better than the first section, although I still find it a little disjointed. I still don't feel too connected to any of the characters. I'm still not a fan, but will continue reading!!
December 14 114 - 176 Start at the 2nd full paragraph begins with "With the white dog gone, it is as if her world is empty--she has nothing to follow, nowhere to go, and a sudden crushing aloneness comes over her, as heavy and real as rain."Ends with "Alex's and Leslie's barks of excitement and shrieks of laughter echo against the room's black-and-white tiles."17) So if the goby fish DNA hadn't been mixed into the DNA then everything would have been okay because the parents wouldn't be compelled to eat their young? Yeah, I'm thinking the eating of animals and humans is not strictly limited to the fish DNA, You?
18)So there is this network of these mixed species children living around New York. Some chaining up their parents. What did you make of Peter's reaction to his parents' behavior?
18) So now we know the boy in the wheel chair is the long lost brother of Adam and Alice. I wonder what role he will play?
19) What did you think of Kis' video? Doesn't sound like there is a cure.
20) Do you think they ate Xavier?
21) Do you think these people will eventually turn into animals? They seem to be losing their minds.
Questions and Comments for Pages 63 - 114 Begin at the beginning of Part 2 and stop at the end of first full paragraph on page 114. Last sentence of which is, "Calling out down here is like crying yourself to sleep with your face pressed into a pillow."
I'll keep this short and sweet because I'm not feeling good today. Got old fillings replaced and suffering from a little cold.
8) One of the things I forgot to mention that I bet will be important later is that there was a third child the nurse and doctor kept. What happened to it?
I totally forgot about the third baby. I just assumed that they really killed it, but now you have me wondering.
9) Looks like there are more children out there like the twins. Interesting they'd all have the same marking. It must also mean there are some in LA as well.
Apparently, Dr. Kis has been busy. I find this disturbing and creepy. I agree with the others that maybe this kid is the Johnson's? Or maybe the people that the Johnsons found out about Dr. Kis from.
10) Stefani, you called it, looks like the adults eat the kids. Ew!
This is so disgusting! I mean they already eat dogs and other animals, soooooo gross.
11) So I'm kind of a little freaked by what might happen to Alice (Is that her name? I misplaced my book) when she first menstruates. Will her dad act like he did with the Nanny(or was it his wife's sister - I wish I knew where my book was) in part one?
It was the wife's sister. I am beginning to wonder how much of these traits are actually in the kids. I mean Alice has already had an urge to eat a dog. I am sure that Alex's animal instincts would be hard to ignore and its possible he could do something horrible to Alice.
12) I need to say it--what's the authors fascinations with glistening dog extremities? Seriously Ew!
I know! I thought that description was a little overboard.
13) Sound like the little girl might go a little ferel like her parents. She wanted to eat the dog. Did you expect it? Could the brother be different?
I expected something weird to go down. I mean they have the DNA of whatever was injected into their parents, so of course they aren't going to be normal. I just wish that they would be different.
14) Why did the twins separate? The sister didn't have a clue where to go.
I think it was in the hopes that they would be able to get away. I don't think they would have had as much of a chance if they had been together the whole time.
15) What did you make of the father capturing the teacher's boyfriend? Is he going to eat him?
I thought that was creepy. I mean murdering others is going to get him caught. I hope he doesn't eat him, that would draw a line for me.
16) Was this part get more interesting to you?
I think it is very interesting, but gross. I am not sure I can handle much more nasty bits.
December 14 114 - 176 17) So if the goby fish DNA hadn't been mixed into the DNA then everything would have been okay because the parents wouldn't be compelled to eat their young? Yeah, I'm thinking the eating of animals and humans is not strictly limited to the fish DNA, You?
I think the eating animals and other humans is related to all of the other DNA too. They mentioned a LOT of predators on that list. I think the goby however is probably solely responsible for the desire to eat the children, most animals do not have that instinct or desire.
18)So there is this network of these mixed species children living around New York. Some chaining up their parents. What did you make of Peter's reaction to his parents' behavior?
Yeah, that was all kinds of weird. I wonder how these kids survived long enough to be able to get the upper hand on their parents.
18) So now we know the boy in the wheel chair is the long lost brother of Adam and Alice. I wonder what role he will play?
I am wondering that too. I hope we see more of him, just not once in passing or having him including will be rather pointless.
19) What did you think of Kis' video? Doesn't sound like there is a cure.
I'm wondering if there might be other videos, so there could be a cure but that wasn't mentioned in that specific video. He seemed very cavalier about the whole thing, "well you know they want to eat their children...but it's not that big of a deal!"
20) Do you think they ate Xavier?
I fear so. Though I shudder a bit when Alex was talking about just "tasting" him, I hope he's not down there in the basement missing a few fingers but still alive.
21) Do you think these people will eventually turn into animals? They seem to be losing their minds.
It seems that the animal DNA is starting to take over. I wouldn't be surprised if they abandoned all of their humanity in favor of the animal instincts at some point.
I didn't get any reading done today. I'll try to post questions tomorrow. Sorry.
Well, I'm a little behind too, so no complains from me :)
I'm to the point that I do and don't want to know what's behind the door. You'll know when you get there. *shudder*
I've finished the book, unfortunately, I have the flu, so I'll try to catch up on the questions tomorrow. Starting to feel better, but still pretty lethargic.
Donna,
I finished the book too. Feel better.
Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233 Begins with, "Across the country, in San Francisco,Cynthia Kramer is showing a mahogany tripod table from the era of King George III to yet another young married couple with bewildering amounts of dough to spend on antiques."
Ends with, "Its eyes are dark, utterly alive and remorseless."
22) Can you even imagine being the sister of someone who confesses she wants to eat her kids? Then finds out she and her husband have already chowed down on someone they've locked up in their cellar? *shudder* I kind of wish she knew the whole story, but I wasn't under the impression Leslie had gotten very detailed about it all.
23) Rodolfo seems to be getting a little possessive of Alice and acting aggressive toward Adam. I'm not liking it.
24) What do you think of the way Leslie and some of the other parents seem to be losing their speech skills? It almost seems like their brains must be deteriorating. I could see being overcome by animal instinct, but the language and memory lapses make me wonder if perhaps something like mad cow disease is at work too? I'm guessing that since the side affects keep getting worse perhaps some infusion of DNA is at work? It kind of reminds me of that old movie The Fly only this time with wolves and goby fish.
25) You're a school administrator or a school teacher with a kid who is afraid of their dad making horrorific accusations about their parents wanting to eat them. What is the logical thing to do? Why not inform the police. The parents obviously didn't or the teacher would have been picked up for investigation.
26) So you want isolation and own a house in Manhattan. What would be the logical thing to do? I'd move to the country with lots of acreage. I'm guessing the house would be worth a lot. I guess these guys just aren't thinking clear enough.
27) Things don't look good for the kids or Michael. Do you think they'll get away?
28) Do you think Xavier will survive and why did they arrest Cynthia? I'm sure she has ticket stubs from her flight she could prove she just got into town.
Questions and comments for pages 176 - 23322) Can you even imagine being the sister of someone who confesses she wants to eat her kids? Then finds out she and her husband have already chowed down on someone they've locked up in their cellar? *shudder* I kind of wish she knew the whole story, but I wasn't under the impression Leslie had gotten very detailed about it all.
Cynthia is about the only person in this book I feel sorry for. I really hope everything will work out for her...and to buy her some therapy, she'd going to need it.
23) Rodolfo seems to be getting a little possessive of Alice and acting aggressive toward Adam. I'm not liking it.
It's really creepy. She's a ten year old little girl, keep your hormones in check there pal.
24) What do you think of the way Leslie and some of the other parents seem to be losing their speech skills? It almost seems like their brains must be deteriorating. I could see being overcome by animal instinct, but the language and memory lapses make me wonder if perhaps something like mad cow disease is at work too? I'm guessing that since the side affects keep getting worse perhaps some infusion of DNA is at work? It kind of reminds me of that old movie The Fly only this time with wolves and goby fish.
I think it is a more advanced form of the animal instincts taking over. As the animal DNA becomes more prominent then their human aspects will recede..speech, compassion, all of that.
25) You're a school administrator or a school teacher with a kid who is afraid of their dad making horrorific accusations about their parents wanting to eat them. What is the logical thing to do? Why not inform the police. The parents obviously didn't or the teacher would have been picked up for investigation.
Yeah, that's just...dumb. The teacher is required by law to report it immediately whether he believes the story or not. The principal is similarly required by law to report it whether he believes it or not.
26) So you want isolation and own a house in Manhattan. What would be the logical thing to do? I'd move to the country with lots of acreage. I'm guessing the house would be worth a lot. I guess these guys just aren't thinking clear enough.
Clearly there is some lack of logic going on here. Maybe they are afraid that disappearing house pets would be more noticed outside the big city?
27) Things don't look good for the kids or Michael. Do you think they'll get away?
I don't think so. So far the majority of this book has been them running from mom and dad, eventually they have to get caught.
28) Do you think Xavier will survive and why did they arrest Cynthia? I'm sure she has ticket stubs from her flight she could prove she just got into town.
That also pulled me out of the story because it makes no sense. They might detain her and take her down to the station for questioning or to provide a statement, but you can't place someone under arrest for calling to report a crime. You have to have reasonable cause because if you can't make charges stick then it all gets thrown out. Wouldn't happen. She'd be taken to the station for questioning and to provide a statement, not arrested and read her rights.
Questions and Comments for pages 234 - end
Begins with, "Alex has decided not to flee or fight, though the mental image of himself slashing and biting and pummeling those guards is so vivid and so real it feels like a memory."
29) Did you get the impression I did that Alice and Adam turned into wolves?
30) What did you think of both parents killing themselves?
31) What did you think of the ending? I kind of felt there was just no closure here. You've got the brother in America, a sister who has not clue what happened to her sister and brother-in-law, we have no idea how the kids fared and we don't know if Xavier survived. What did you think?
32) What will you rate this one? If there was a sequel would you read it?
33) What did you like the most and what did you like the least about the book?
I'm a little behind, but I am going to catch up! Here's my answers from yesterday!December 14 114 - 176 Start at the 2nd full paragraph begins with "With the white dog gone, it is as if her world is empty--she has nothing to follow, nowhere to go, and a sudden crushing aloneness comes over her, as heavy and real as rain."Ends with "Alex's and Leslie's barks of excitement and shrieks of laughter echo against the room's black-and-white tiles."
17) So if the goby fish DNA hadn't been mixed into the DNA then everything would have been okay because the parents wouldn't be compelled to eat their young? Yeah, I'm thinking the eating of animals and humans is not strictly limited to the fish DNA, You?
That cannot be it. There has to be way more to it, especially since the video of Kis is so sketchy.
18)So there is this network of these mixed species children living around New York. Some chaining up their parents. What did you make of Peter's reaction to his parents' behavior?
I think it was a little depressing. Peter obviously knows what his parents are capable of and it seems like there's been an incident leading up to the chaining of his parents.
18) So now we know the boy in the wheel chair is the long lost brother of Adam and Alice. I wonder what role he will play?
Me too, I'm most looking forward to the twins figuring this out, if they even do. It's got to play some kind of rule because the notion of this triplet has been brought up several times.
19) What did you think of Kis' video? Doesn't sound like there is a cure.
No it doesn't and it doesn't sound like he's too upset about what he's done. That whole scene gives me bad vibes, something terrible is going on there.
20) Do you think they ate Xavier?
If they didn't already, I don't think he's coming out alive. Especially because the father doesn't seem to upset about the idea of killing a human and eating him.
21) Do you think these people will eventually turn into animals? They seem to be losing their minds.
I think they do. I think the women tend to get there first for some reason.
Questions and Comments for pages 234 - end29) Did you get the impression I did that Alice and Adam turned into wolves?
I really have no idea lol. But I have to admit that toward the end I started to skim because I didn't care anymore, so I might have missed it.
30) What did you think of both parents killing themselves?
That seemed a logical conclusion though I'm not sure why they didn't come to that decision BEFORE tracking down their kids and killing someone.
31) What did you think of the ending? I kind of felt there was just no closure here. You've got the brother in America, a sister who has not clue what happened to her sister and brother-in-law, we have no idea how the kids fared and we don't know if Xavier survived. What did you think?
I was disappointed. Nothing was really explained in the entire book. Details were very vague about everything. Then we get to the ending and it was just....left hanging. I wasn't expecting a happy ending, but I expected better than this.
32) What will you rate this one? If there was a sequel would you read it?
I wouldn't read a sequel, just because I had no little feeling about this. I will probably rate it a 2, maybe 3..I'm undecided so far. Much of it I didn't like at all, but there were a few moments that I did like a lot.
33) What did you like the most and what did you like the least about the book?
I liked the part where the kids were on the run with Michael, that was when I started to get really invested in the story. I hated the lack of details throughout. "Bits of animal DNA" is pathetic detail for a procedure that is turning people into cannibalistic monsters. We didn't know about anyone's thoughts, feelings, or motivations for most of the book either and that annoyed me.
As usual, I fall behind on the weekends... I'll try to compensate today... Questions and Comments for Pages 114 - 176 Start at the 2nd full paragraph begins with "With the white dog gone, it is as if her world is empty--she has nothing to follow, nowhere to go, and a sudden crushing aloneness comes over her, as heavy and real as rain."Ends with "Alex's and Leslie's barks of excitement and shrieks of laughter echo against the room's black-and-white tiles."
17. Mammals are usually not canibals... fishes are different matter. But, they are turning into predators, so, all the others not like them are automatically prey.
18. Weird. I think he did what he did in order to survive, but the whole situation makes me shudder.
18. We'll have to wait and see. Although I got the impression that his "mommy" gave him some drug to "put him to sleep".
19. Kis seem like a lunatic... again The Island of Dr Moreaux came to mind.
20. No, I don't. But maybe is just whisful thinking.
21. Seem to be losing? They lost their minds when they went to Slovenia... their instincts taking over is just a terrible side effect.
Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233 Begins with, "Across the country, in San Francisco,Cynthia Kramer is showing a mahogany tripod table from the era of King George III to yet another young married couple with bewildering amounts of dough to spend on antiques."
Ends with, "Its eyes are dark, utterly alive and remorseless."
22. It is beyond shocking. I have a sister, and a baby niece about 4 months old, so I'm not dweling in this question...
23. I'm not liking it either. Is like he's claiming her or something.
24. And since it seems women are more affected than men, I think is some kind of hormonal response to the DNA infusion.
25. Private school administration always thinks more about who's paying than the ones they're suppose to take care... at least movie and book wise.
26. I think that keeping the status and appearences may have to do something with that. After all, it was keeping family traditions that caused all the trouble.
27. I don't think so. Eventually they're going to get caught
28. I really think the author has some coherence troubles. I'm not liking the book at all, and is not just the gross factor. But, trying to see this with other eyes, the police arrive at a house, with something really inhuman happening, so, the only suspect is the one that is not injured and doesn't belong there... nope... it doesn't make sense.
Sonia said, " I really think the author has some coherence troubles. I'm not liking the book at all, and is not just the gross factor. But, trying to see this with other eyes, the police arrive at a house, with something really inhuman happening, so, the only suspect is the one that is not injured and doesn't belong there... nope... it doesn't make sense."I agree with you. I don't like the book. I have a hard time believing this one made it to my library's shelf. The writing is poor. There are a lot of holes to the story. I can't wait to hear what you think of the ending.
Lisarenee wrote: "Sonia said, " I really think the author has some coherence troubles. I'm not liking the book at all, and is not just the gross factor. But, trying to see this with other eyes, the police arrive at ..."Only 15 pages left... I'll tell you soon enough :o)
Sonia wrote: "21. Seem to be losing? They lost their minds when they went to Slovenia... their instincts taking over is just a terrible side effect. "That really made me laugh because you're right. When you're more willing to accept some unknown treatment from a weirdo doctor in an unheard of part of the world instead of adoption, you have some serious problems.
Stefani wrote: "That really made me laugh because you're right. When you're more willing to accept some unknown treatment from a weirdo doctor in an unheard of part of the world instead of adoption, you have some serious problems. "
I totally agree.
So I'm gonna answer the last set while I digest the crappy ending.... seriously, I think I'll take notice from the author's name, so I'll never read another book from him again!!!
Questions and Comments for pages 234 - end Begins with, "Alex has decided not to flee or fight, though the mental image of himself slashing and biting and pummeling those guards is so vivid and so real it feels like a memory.
29. I have no idea. First I thought about that, but then it could be the sound of their cries. I don't know... the whole ending seemed stupid.
30. I don't think Alex intend on killing himself...he just wanted to flee, but it went terrible wrong.
I was expecting Leslie to end like that, since she was so fascinated with the engines since the first day. And it was, ultimately, her best motherly action... she was a danger for her kids... her sister was their bets option.
31.A bunch of loose ends, no closure whatsoever, and no explanation of what was in the serum in the first place. The whole book was lacking structure and connection.
32. 1 out of 5. I feel disapointed... the book had so much potential in theory and didn't deliver it... I endure so much icky facts, and feel like the only purpose was to gross the reader, since there hadn't weight to the story. Right now I'll probably say it was the worse from 2012... I have to take a pick of this year's list to make sure, but I'm almost certain it was. And it wasn't the type of story or the pet eating and stuff, it was the writing.
33. I liked the twins. And the professor. The way he connected with the kids and tried to protect them was something. And strangely, it was the only character that allows us some insight of what he was feeling and thinking - apart from Adam. I didn't like the POV. The detached way the story was "communicated", it looked like if a documentary, without the good narrator, and the good plans, and the good storyline and all the good work behind. It was disjointed, and with no dept. I feel betrayed, I had so much expectation for the story.
Sonia wrote: "30. I don't think Alex intend on killing himself...he just wanted to flee, but it went terrible wrong. "That really confused me. Because this section began with "Alex decided NOT to fight OR flee." Then flees and gets killed. So either it was intentional or there's another coherence problem here.
And I agree about the potential. This book had fantastic potential and it was all just squandered.
Stefani wrote: "And I agree about the potential. This book had fantastic potential and it was all just squandered. "I think is that what makes me think of it as the worse of 2012 - Since I've read the 3 fifty shades this year and rated them 2 stars, I feel sorry for Novak... wait, this one had parents eating their children... ok, maybe it was deserved... it wouldn't be, if the book was stronger, and solid and coherent, but it was.
It was like a promise of a "Resident Evil" or a "28 days later" (which I incidentally prefer to the first) with the deliver of a bad class B (almost C) movie.
Sonia wrote: "Stefani wrote: "That really made me laugh because you're right. When you're more willing to accept some unknown treatment from a weirdo doctor in an unheard of part of the world instead of adoption..."He writes under another name as well. So check out his author profile too.
Sonia said, "I liked the twins. And the professor. The way he connected with the kids and tried to protect them was something. And strangely, it was the only character that allows us some insight of what he was feeling and thinking - apart from Adam. I didn't like the POV. The detached way the story was "communicated", it looked like if a documentary, without the good narrator, and the good plans, and the good storyline and all the good work behind. It was disjointed, and with no dept. I feel betrayed, I had so much expectation for the story. "I totally agree and I'm giving this one a 1. I've only given a 1 to 3 other books. It's reserved for those I just can't forgive.
Lisarenee wrote: "I totally agree and I'm giving this one a 1. I've only given a 1 to 3 other books. It's reserved for those I just can't forgive."I don't recall ever giving a 1 star. Oh wait, I did it to The Great Gatsby, but maybe I wasn't fair... although I remember hating the book back in high school - I never was a big fan of the classics... and that one I remember it was really difficult to follow back in English classes...
Still a little behind... But not giving up!Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233
Begins with, "Across the country, in San Francisco,Cynthia Kramer is showing a mahogany tripod table from the era of King George III to yet another young married couple with bewildering amounts of dough to spend on antiques."
Ends with, "Its eyes are dark, utterly alive and remorseless."
22) Can you even imagine being the sister of someone who confesses she wants to eat her kids? Then finds out she and her husband have already chowed down on someone they've locked up in their cellar? *shudder* I kind of wish she knew the whole story, but I wasn't under the impression Leslie had gotten very detailed about it all.
Yeah, thank god she knew though or poor Xavier. I did not appreciate the description of his arm, btw. It kind of bothers me how vague they left Leslie and Cynthia's conversation because we don't really know how much she does know. I wonder how the questioning of the police with Cynthia is going to go.
23) Rodolfo seems to be getting a little possessive of Alice and acting aggressive toward Adam. I'm not liking it.
I can definitely tell that too. It's really creeping me out, especially because isn't she supposed to be only 10?
24) What do you think of the way Leslie and some of the other parents seem to be losing their speech skills? It almost seems like their brains must be deteriorating. I could see being overcome by animal instinct, but the language and memory lapses make me wonder if perhaps something like mad cow disease is at work too? I'm guessing that since the side effects keep getting worse perhaps some infusion of DNA is at work? It kind of reminds me of that old movie The Fly only this time with wolves and goby fish.
At first I concluded it was due to the fact that they were just becoming more animalistic but I guess that shouldn't have too much to do with that. I know the book mentioned that Alex said something like there wasn't enough room in her brain to remember all this new animal traits and English words or something. Maybe it's not just "animalistic" maybe it's also a more sci-fi beast-like animal. I guess (or at least hoping) we'll find out.
25) You're a school administrator or a school teacher with a kid who is afraid of their dad making horrific accusations about their parents wanting to eat them. What is the logical thing to do? Why not inform the police? The parents obviously didn't or the teacher would have been picked up for investigation.
I guess the question back would be are you talking legally or morally? I feel like the moral thing to do is to report it obviously. Even if the kid was lying it's better safe than sorry to check things out. At the same time, the parents could always somehow cover things out and that's when I think it gets sticky legally. Sadly I don't know how much reporting it would help..which is why I commend Michael for sticking through it with the kids. Even though legally he is screwing himself over.
26) So you want isolation and own a house in Manhattan. What would be the logical thing to do? I'd move to the country with lots of acreage. I'm guessing the house would be worth a lot. I guess these guys just aren't thinking clear enough.
Maybe it's their way of holding on to the "normal" life they had before all this mess.
27) Things don't look good for the kids or Michael. Do you think they'll get away?
I think something majorly horrible is going to happen. I just feel like there's this big build up of a chase so something crazy has to go down. And of course at least someone has to get away.
28) Do you think Xavier will survive and why did they arrest Cynthia? I'm sure she has ticket stubs from her flight she could prove she just got into town.
I also didn't think the arrest made much sense. I feel like they need more evidence that she did it. Didn't she make the phone call in hysterics?
I think Xavier is going to survive, I mean he made it this far!
Sonia wrote: "Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233: I really think the author has some coherence troubles. I'm not liking the book at all, and is not just the gross factor. But, trying to see this with other eyes, the police arrive at a house, with something really inhuman happening, so, the only suspect is the one that is not injured and doesn't belong there... nope... it doesn't make sense. This is really starting to bug me as well. The inconsistencies as well as the confusing narration..I am just not into this book as I had hoped.
Tearsa wrote: "Sonia wrote: "Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233: I really think the author has some coherence troubles. I'm not liking the book at all, and is not just the gross factor. But, trying to see..."I think we all are in the same boat. It sounded so promising.
Ugh. I finally finished it and I am so happy to move on from this.Questions and Comments for pages 234 - end
Begins with, "Alex has decided not to flee or fight, though the mental image of himself slashing and biting and pummeling those guards is so vivid and so real it feels like a memory."
29) Did you get the impression I did that Alice and Adam turned into wolves?
I kind of thought about that, but the ending was just so abrupt and disappointing that I didn't dwell too much.
30) What did you think of both parents killing themselves?
About freaking time. In the beginning when Alex said that with an animalistic instinct they won't ever want to kill themselves, I thought oh boy here we go. I kind of suspected it to happen to at least one of them.
31) What did you think of the ending? I kind of felt there was just no closure here. You've got the brother in America, a sister who has not clue what happened to her sister and brother-in-law, we have no idea how the kids fared and we don't know if Xavier survived. What did you think?
No closure. Everything just felt half-assed. The author just killed everyone off and now who the heck knows where the children are going. Not that I cared much because I had no investment in these shallow characters. The only one I really cared for was Mike and he was murdered before the "ending began" so to speak. I was just happy for it to be over.
32) What will you rate this one? If there was a sequel would you read it?
I rated this a "1." I would never read a sequel.
33) What did you like the most and what did you like the least about the book?
The concept of the book was what I liked the most because it was dark and fresh and something I've never encountered. My least favorite about this book was the POV.
WAY behind....I haven't been on in a few days because school was just way too crazy. I am trying to catch up because I would like to get back on track for January's books of the month.
December 14 114 - 176 Start at the 2nd full paragraph begins with "With the white dog gone, it is as if her world is empty--she has nothing to follow, nowhere to go, and a sudden crushing aloneness comes over her, as heavy and real as rain."Ends with "Alex's and Leslie's barks of excitement and shrieks of laughter echo against the room's black-and-white tiles."17) So if the goby fish DNA hadn't been mixed into the DNA then everything would have been okay because the parents wouldn't be compelled to eat their young? Yeah, I'm thinking the eating of animals and humans is not strictly limited to the fish DNA, You?
I don't think so either, I think that it is a bit of everything. I think that part of it is that there may have been some sort of crazy unresearched animal added into the mix. This craziness reminds me a bit of that book, State of Wonder, that we read earlier this year.
18)So there is this network of these mixed species children living around New York. Some chaining up their parents. What did you make of Peter's reaction to his parents' behavior?
I think it is believable. Who wouldn't be upset that their parents would rather eat them than anything else. I can understand his response.
18) So now we know the boy in the wheel chair is the long lost brother of Adam and Alice. I wonder what role he will play?
I am not sure. I am wondering if anything will ever come of him or if he is just mentioned so that we know the other side of things.
19) What did you think of Kis' video? Doesn't sound like there is a cure.
I think Kis is obviously delusional and he doesn't see the problems with what he is doing. He thinks of himself as a god.
20) Do you think they ate Xavier?
I am not sure what they did with him. I hope they didn't eat him because that would just be disgusting.
21) Do you think these people will eventually turn into animals? They seem to be losing their minds.
I hope not otherwise this book will be the second one that I have read this month that I have hated.
Questions and comments for pages 176 - 233 Begins with, "Across the country, in San Francisco,Cynthia Kramer is showing a mahogany tripod table from the era of King George III to yet another young married couple with bewildering amounts of dough to spend on antiques."
Ends with, "Its eyes are dark, utterly alive and remorseless."
22) Can you even imagine being the sister of someone who confesses she wants to eat her kids? Then finds out she and her husband have already chowed down on someone they've locked up in their cellar? *shudder* I kind of wish she knew the whole story, but I wasn't under the impression Leslie had gotten very detailed about it all.
I think she has told her sister next to nothing about what has happened. I bet her sister thinks the worst of her and who could blame her really? For a moment, I thought that Leslie was going to put her own sister in a cage and eat her too.
23) Rodolfo seems to be getting a little possessive of Alice and acting aggressive toward Adam. I'm not liking it.
I am not liking it either. I am wondering how his feelings are going to play into the end of the story.
24) What do you think of the way Leslie and some of the other parents seem to be losing their speech skills? It almost seems like their brains must be deteriorating. I could see being overcome by animal instinct, but the language and memory lapses make me wonder if perhaps something like mad cow disease is at work too? I'm guessing that since the side affects keep getting worse perhaps some infusion of DNA is at work? It kind of reminds me of that old movie The Fly only this time with wolves and goby fish.
I am thinking that their minds are turning into more of what their DNA is like now that they are not completely human. It seems more like they are werewolves or something because they talk about how they are changing. Its weird.
25) You're a school administrator or a school teacher with a kid who is afraid of their dad making horrorific accusations about their parents wanting to eat them. What is the logical thing to do? Why not inform the police. The parents obviously didn't or the teacher would have been picked up for investigation.
As an educator, I am appalled by Michael. I know in the state of Texas, we are required to report anything suspicious to CPS right away, even if we are not sure it is true. It keeps us from having a lawsuit and it keeps the kids safe if something truly is going on.
26) So you want isolation and own a house in Manhattan. What would be the logical thing to do? I'd move to the country with lots of acreage. I'm guessing the house would be worth a lot. I guess these guys just aren't thinking clear enough.
It sounds to me like they are in denial and still want to believe that eventually they can bring back all the pieces of their lives. I think that is why they haven't picked up and moved. I think having all the people around them also keeps them from hurting the kids.
27) Things don't look good for the kids or Michael. Do you think they'll get away?
I sure hope so. I don't want anything to happen to them.
28) Do you think Xavier will survive and why did they arrest Cynthia? I'm sure she has ticket stubs from her flight she could prove she just got into town.
I think he will survive, but he is going to be so emotionally scared and physically handicapped that he is probably going to try to commit suicide later on.
Questions and Comments for pages 234 - end Begins with, "Alex has decided not to flee or fight, though the mental image of himself slashing and biting and pummeling those guards is so vivid and so real it feels like a memory."
29) Did you get the impression I did that Alice and Adam turned into wolves?
I think that they are eluding to the fact that they are not human. I am not sure, however, that they literally turned into wolves.
30) What did you think of both parents killing themselves?
I don't think that Alex killed himself on purpose. I think that he just didn't want to be caught because he knew what would happen to him. I do think that Leslie killed herself. I think she was tired of secrets. I also think that she was so afraid of eating her children and fighting the sickness that she just wanted it to all end. It is sad.
31) What did you think of the ending? I kind of felt there was just no closure here. You've got the brother in America, a sister who has not clue what happened to her sister and brother-in-law, we have no idea how the kids fared and we don't know if Xavier survived. What did you think?
I agree with you here. I think that the ending was very poorly done. If he is gunning for a sequel, I won't read it. I was not impressed with this book at all.
32) What will you rate this one? If there was a sequel would you read it?
I think I will give it a two. I would give it a one, but there were some parts that I really liked.
33) What did you like the most and what did you like the least about the book?
I liked that the story was so very different. I did not like the writing style or the direction the author chose to go with the story.
Sorry I couldn't keep up. I finished the book right away, but after answering the first few questions, I got hit with the flu, which put me behind in getting ready for Christmas. Thanks Lisarenee for the get well message!! :) Overall I just didn't like the book!! It was poorly written, with poor character development, and frankly it just left some area not addressed or wrapped up (Leslie's sister for one). I have to agree with other people, I am only giving this book a 1. Hopefully, my next challenge will go more smoothly!!
Mod
~LK
This book was crazy. I didn't much like it, but I can say that I will remember it for a long time. I was expecting something more out of it than what I got. I can't put my finger on what it was that made this book less enjoyable then it should've been. After all, I love creepy and weird things. I gave it two stars. Even though I didn't like it much, I still finished it pretty quickly.
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
The Great Gatsby (other topics)Acceptable Risk (other topics)
Breed (other topics)
1) What did you think of the writing style? For me it feels like I'm viewing everything from the outside and aren't invested in the couple. I feel like I'm just observing.
I do like the fast-paced feel of the book, yet I do not like how quickly and unnotably they shuffle between the characters' points of view. I also do not like how little we are finding out about the couple on a deeper level. So I guess that is the downfall to the fast-paced feel.
2) What do you think was in the shots? The assistant said a little of this and a little of that? Lions, tigers, bears and a goby fish? Oh, my! Would you turn tail and run at that moment? Do you think the assistant trying to warn them?
When I read through it I was thinking a lot about the different chemicals that must be in the shot, yet then they announced the goby fish thing. I really don't know how much I want to know what is in the shot, but I have a feeling it's made of different animal "parts" or something. Eugh.
3) If you were Leslie would you have let them give you the shot? I would have decked everyone and run the H-E double hockey sticks out of there!
This question is hard because I can't relate to their desperate need to have a baby. I don't know how much the desire to have this baby would equal to how far I would go. At the same time, I also feel like I would never travel to some unknown place that I can't even pronounce to get some random shot for 20,000 dollars, and I'm pretty open to adopting. So thinking about all these things, OH YES I'd run. I still don't know why she didn't.
4) What do you think happened to the Johnsons?
I'm assuming something like them going completely animalistic and out of control and peacing out, embarassed that they ate some kid or something. Or maybe their newborn child goes animalistic and starts eating something or destroying something and they run off to the wild where no one can find them. That's what I imagine.
5) Not liking the hamster and mice eating. What the heck? Definitely a horror story.
Yeah, I had to re-read that part because I wasn't sure I read it right. Really? Gross. I'm sure that there is a lot more where that came from.
6) Do you think the whole area they live in has these infected (for lack of a better word) people? First there was a kid biting the nanny, a father saying he could just eat his kid up....
I was thinking about that, and I decided it's more foreshadowing than anything. However, I don't read too much horror so I could be really wrong. I also thought about the one kid being the Johnson's child.
7) Thoughts so far?
It's definitely far out there than from what I am used to reading. I'm enjoying it. Obviously there's not a huge character development going on for Alex and Leslie, but it's still pretty interesting. I'm concerned that I'm going to get even more grossed out than that moment with the hamster, so this book is definitely going to keep me on edge. As a whole, so far so good :)