Buddy Read for When She Woke

[Sarah]

Well I started reading it at last and have got to page 30 - and I'm hooked! I've not done the spoiler thing before - want to write about it - Can anyone explain how I do it?

[Marnie]

Sarah wrote: "Well I started reading it at last and have got to page 30 - and I'm hooked! I've not done the spoiler thing before - want to write about it - Can anyone explain how I do it?"

I did it for the first time today too. If you click on (some HTML is ok) there is a key but it goes like this
Type < write the word spoiler>
Write your comment.
When you are finished type <\ the word spoiler>
Post your comment.
I would do a test post to see if it works ( you can always delete it- which is what I did ). Can't wait to read your comments.

[Cherie]

I finished my challenge book and started reading When She Woke last night. I read until way-too-late (early) and I am paying for it with a terrible head ache this morning. I got to page 103 on my Nook, where it lists "Three The Magic Circle". I am holding off on reading the spoilers, but I agree, it is riveting.

[Sarah]

Thanks Marnie for explaining - it's quite straight forward really! I've not read much so far - only on Page 30 at the moment but here are some of my initial thoughts: (view spoiler)[The religiousness of the society in the book reminded me a little of the society inThe Handmaid's Tale and also the Westborough Baptist Church. Love how many commandments the main character has broken so far (as of her conversation with her mother during a prison visit) - I wonder if she'll break any more before the books out?!? I too thought there were similarities withThe Running Man what with the TV broadcasting of the first year of the criminal's detainment. I think the virus which causes the skin colour changes and the different colours for different severity crimes concept is really interesting and unique. (hide spoiler)]

[Almeta]

Passing page 40.

(view spoiler)[Do you think Reverand Aidan Dale and "Dr."Raphael are watching Hannah on vid/television?Are they worried she may tell on them now? (hide spoiler)]

[Lynn]

Almeta - Yes and Yes ... most definitely!

Page 322, 93% (view spoiler)[ Why oh why is she going to meet Aiden? Why is she not running to Canada? I'm pretty sure he's going to turn her in, I can't decide if on purpose or by doing something stupid so they get caught out :s (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[ ::phew:: It didn't turn out badly. (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

Ok I am at 79% and all I can say is hmmmmm.(view spoiler)[ I did not see Hannah and Simone together. It doesn't even make sense to me.What am I missing?<\spoilers> (hide spoiler)]

[Lynn]

Marnie - I don't know if you saw my post on message number 47 but that's pretty much the only thing that didn't sit right with me.

Otherwise I absolutely loved this book. Unlike so many books, I couldn't read into what was going to happen next. So many issues raised to think about. I can't wait to hear and discuss it further with you all.

[Almeta]

Page 42 (view spoiler)[renewal shots every four months? 16 years is a long time for that regime! So if she finds a way to escape to somewhere and waits just four months, she might “get the red out”? Hmmmm. (hide spoiler)]

[Lynn]

Not quite Almeta, (view spoiler)[they also inject something else that comes into effect if they don't get their renewal shots. Their body starts 'fragging' (I think that was the word) which basically means their body deteriorates until they die. (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

I just finished. I went back and reread this thread and saw your comment Lynn. This book begs to be talked about- so many interesting ideas.BUT it is after 1 AM here and I must go to sleep. I'm sure this book will follow me there.

[Lynn]

Heh, yes I should get some sleep too really ....

[Janice, Moderator]

I have read all evening and am at about 75%. This book is really hard to put down. I'm going to take it off to bed with me and see how long I can read. Hehehehe!

[AmyK]

I'm almost done, about 20 pages to go and bound and determined to keep my eyes open for all of it!!

[Lynn]

Did you manage to finish it Amy?

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished the book last night and gave it 4 stars. I felt the ending was rushed, under-developed, and that it seemed to switch genres.

Was this a retelling of The Scarlet Letter? People, in their reviews, allude to that yet Hillary Jordan only mentioned that the seed for the book came from a comment her uncle made.

I identified strongly with Hannah in that I had a similar religious upbringing to her. I even asked the same questions. What about the dinosaurs? How did they fit in to the timeline? I remember telling my mother one time that I felt like God was a puppeteer and I a puppet on a string. (She was aghast, btw! Queue in Hannah's mother.) I was also rebellious in that I did not accept bland answers and forged my own way. I think that Hannah was much stronger than I am.

I liked that the book was not pushing religion, but questioning it. I know some people thought the book was too religious.

I also didn't care for (view spoiler)[the sexual encounter between Hannah and Simone, not because it seemed out of character, but that it wasn't developed properly. I do think the book alluded to homosexuality frequently. Even back at the Sacred Walk institution (already forgot its name) the women were not allowed to touch each other. Homosexuality was a theme that tied into the others, but perhaps not as successfully. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I wasn't going to read it until jaxnsmom and Connie bent my arm. I'm so glad they did!

[Almeta]

Lynn wrote: "Not quite Almeta, [spoilers removed]... if they don't get their renewal shots"

Yeah, I've gotten to that point now. Darn it. (view spoiler)[Thought she could escape. (hide spoiler)]

[Almeta]

Page 95

I understand Hannah’s questions of faith based on the dogma with which she was reared, (view spoiler)[but now I am getting a little irritated by the proselytizing at The Straight Path Center. I just am not good at blind faith or rigid authority.

Hannah is correct, she just left one prison for another. (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

I finished the book this morning before I had to get ready for work. I wanted to finish last night, but I was too tired and also did not want it to end right then. Wow, what a story.

[Cherie]

Lynn wrote: "Almeta - Yes and Yes ... most definitely!

Page 322, 93% [spoilers removed]

Finished! [spoilers removed]"

Lynn, I felt the same way as both of your spoilers, in almost the same words!

[Lynn]

Janice wrote: I also didn't care for (view spoiler)[the sexual encounter between Hannah and Simone, not because it seemed out of character, but that it wasn't developed properly. (hide spoiler)]

To me that's the same thing Janice, it wasn't developed properly therefore it seemed out of character.

Janice wrote: I liked that the book was not pushing religion, but questioning it. I know some people thought the book was too religious.

I didn't find it too religious exactly for that reason, it asked questions rather than forcing a view point on you. Apart from a really interesting story the book got me thinking about issues more than any other book in a long time.

[Cherie]

@ Janice and Lynn (view spoiler)[ What happened between Simone and Hannah was not so much out of character as unexpected. That is how it felt to me. I was more surprised by her decision to go see Aiden, because of all of the risks. I thought she had given him up. What did I miss? I thought all of THAT was rushed and I didn't think the church thing with Paster Easter was necessary. (hide spoiler)]

[Lynn]

Cherie (view spoiler)[ I wasn't surprised by her decision to go see Aiden .... she's a young girl in love, they do very silly things. (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

My take-(view spoiler)[ I didn't get Hannah and Simone because I didn't understand how Hannah could magically turn into a lesbian and be the dominant one to boot. Then when she went to see Aiden instead of running to Canada I wanted to scream. I'm glad they didn't end up together though- that would have ruined the book for me. On another note. I liked the idea of different colors for different crimes but the hypocrites needed a color too :)<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Marnie]

Lynn wrote: "Cherie [spoilers removed]"

I agree with you Lynn (view spoiler)[ people in love can do very stupid things. I was hoping that Hannah - who seemed to be developing her gumption- might not but she ended up making the right decision. <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Lynn wrote: "Part 5, Page 287, 82% - So many twists and turns that keep me swiping those pages (even while I'm at work, naughty Lynn!) but there is finally one that didn't quite feel right. [spoilers removed]"

I agree - I sort of felt that most of the last section didn't really fit which is why I gave it 4 vs 5 stars. However, overall I thought it was a great story and would highly recommend it. So happy the group chose it as a buddy read as I might not have read it otherwise.

[Rachel]

Marnie wrote: "I am at 44%
[spoilers removed]"

me too!

[Rachel]

Lynn wrote: "Almeta - Yes and Yes ... most definitely!

Page 322, 93% [spoilers removed]

Finished! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ i also didn't understand why she would risk all to see aidan after everything- i guess it was for closure but i also thought it was gonna end with her getting caught- very happy she made it to Canada and that kayla was safe as well (i'm a sucker for happy endings :) (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "@ Janice and Lynn [spoilers removed]"

I thought that (view spoiler)[it was unexpected too. It seems like Jordan suddenly wanted to include homosexuality as one of the issues regarding tolerance and acceptance. But, I don't think she needed any more issues. The book would have been fine without it. Actually, it may have been better because it kind of threw it off the rails.

I actually liked the bit with Pastor Easter. She helped Hannah come to terms with religion vs spirituality and gave her a way to believe in God. Simone did that as well to some degree in that she talked of a God of her own design. Maybe I liked that section because of my own experiences with religion/spirituality.

I truly thought that after she met Pastor Easter and talked with her, that she would leave without seeing Aiden. I was quite disappointed that she continued in her resolve to see him. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Janice wrote: "I finished the book last night and gave it 4 stars. I felt the ending was rushed, under-developed, and that it seemed to switch genres.

Was this a retelling of The Scarlet Letter? People, in the..."

In the back of the book, she does say that the idea of the book came from her uncle's comment. also in the interview with the author at the end of the book she mentions that although the books starts like a futuristic scarlet letter- the 2 stories then become very different. i have no idea as i tend to avoid most of the classics including the scarlet letter lol

[Rachel]

Cherie wrote: "I finished the book this morning before I had to get ready for work. I wanted to finish last night, but I was too tired and also did not want it to end right then. Wow, what a story."

i agree this was a great book- won't be forgetting this one anytime soon.

[Almeta]

Page 184 FRUSTRATED AND OUTRAGED.☻
(view spoiler)[Mrs. Henley may seem like a caricature, but unfortunately persons of such deceit and cruelty exist, particularity in the name of religion; as do the Mr. Reverend Henleys of the world, full of pride and hypocritical pontificating. And let’s not forget Aidan’s reach for power while pretending to practice what he preaches. Or Cole and his bigotry, hatred and dangerous rage.

Fortunately there are decent devotees as well; regrettably they have yet to arrive in this story. (hide spoiler)]

[Lynn]

Janice wrote: "I actually liked the bit with Pastor Easter. She helped Hannah come to terms with religion vs spirituality and gave her a way to believe in God"

Agreed, I thought it was needed to help balance the book.

[Janice, Moderator]

Almeta wrote: "Page 184 FRUSTRATED AND OUTRAGED.☻
Mrs. Henley may seem like a caricature, but unfortunately persons of such deceit and cruelty exist, particularity in the name of religion; as do the Mr. Reverend ..."

I kept picturing the character Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when I read about Mrs. Henley. If they ever made this into a movie, that actress would be perfect! LOL!

(view spoiler)[Mrs. Henley was truly evil, in my opinion. The pleasure she derived from the cozy little tea interviews she held with new walkers was truly chilling. (hide spoiler)]

[Almeta]

(view spoiler)[I actually knew a person like Mrs. Henley. She used her power to intimidate and humiliate. As a guidance counselor she asked intimate and inappropriate questions of young girls; they would come to me in tears. Because she had a disability, no one ever challenged her. She lived through others vicariously. I thought she was a wicked, malicious woman! If someone had killed her, I wouldn't have been at all surprised.☻ (hide spoiler)] So I have a special loathing for Mrs. Henley!

On the home stretch. Errands have pulled me away from this book way too often.

at page 275, Section five.

[Rachel]

Almeta wrote: "Page 184 FRUSTRATED AND OUTRAGED.☻
Mrs. Henley may seem like a caricature, but unfortunately persons of such deceit and cruelty exist, particularity in the name of religion; as do the Mr. Reverend ..."

agreed- I wanted to slap all of these people!

[Almeta]

Why does every change in Hannah's life require she be placed in a locked room? Claustrophobic at every turn!

[Janice, Moderator]

Almeta wrote: "Why does every change in Hannah's life require she be placed in a locked room? Claustrophobic at every turn!"

Hmmm... interesting observation!

[Cherie]

@ Janice and Marnie (view spoiler)[ Maybe Jordan had to include the section with Hannah and Simone because it was the only way she could throw in Simone's views on God. It was a way to get her to the 'other side' of the gruff and unfeeling Simone character. Maybe she could not figure out how to do it without the lesbian sex. I did like Pastor Easter, but the whole, "she was called to be there thing was a little too wierd", I thought. Maybe Jordan just needed a way for Hannah to get warm between her walk to Aiden's house and the train station and introduce her to another character who was outside of her rote religious upbringing. She was a woman of the church, whom Hannah would not have ever been exposed to before. She was nice, she enforced or backed up some of the other views of her God. (hide spoiler)].

@ Almeta and Janice (view spoiler)[ Mrs. Henley and Dolores Umbridge. I agree. She was evil. (hide spoiler)]

@ Almeta - Maybe the locked rooms and claustrophic events were Jordan's way of getting Hannah and the reader to "think about OUTSIDE the box".

[Cherie]

I read a book earlier this year that the whole Straight Path Center stuff broutht back to me. It is called Jesus Land. Similar religious upbringing and parents, but the situation that they ended up in was so much worse than what happened to Hannah.

[Cherie]

Reading and responding with the spoilers is hard. :(

[Cherie]

Rachel wrote: "Janice wrote: "I finished the book last night and gave it 4 stars. I felt the ending was rushed, under-developed, and that it seemed to switch genres.

Was this a retelling of The Scarlet Letter? ..."

I read The Scarlet Letter last year. I did not really see any real comparison between the two stories except that Hannah and the woman in TSL would never tell who the father of the baby was and some minor referrence to Aiden's "suffering" because he lived a lie.

You should read The Scarlet Letter. Just because it is considered a classic does not mean it is not a good story. I do not remember having a hard time getting through it. Don't you want to know what the scarlet letter IS? You will be surprised.

[Rachel]

Cherie wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Janice wrote: "I finished the book last night and gave it 4 stars. I felt the ending was rushed, under-developed, and that it seemed to switch genres.

Was this a retelling of The S..."

I respect the classics- unfortunately my eyes tend to glaze over when I try to read them lol- of course, there are exceptions- I really like Shakespeare for instance and really enjoyed to kill a mockingbird. I actually have several on my tbr and just might have to add the scarlet letter to my list ;)

[Almeta]

Fini

(view spoiler)[I just knew that the arrangement to meet Aidan was a trap. I never trusted in his love for Hannah and was very surprised that he revealed himself at the end. I just didn't expect such a person to jeapordize his power. Of course in real life such religious confessors have survied to continue their ministry, so maybe Aidan will be even more popular now for humanizing himself with his followers. (See I still have a hard time believing his sincerity!☻)

Glad Hannah made it to Canada. I had envisioned an entirely different fate for her.

I was sure that Kayla was a plant, manipulated by Paul to get Hannah to name the father of her baby. Revealing Aidan as a hypocrite would have been a major coup for Simone and The Feminists, it was, after all, their mission to do such things.

I also expected Kayla to be completely fragged by the time this book concluded. (hide spoiler)]

Now to go back and read everyone's comments!

[Almeta]

Lynn wrote: "Oh just wait until you get further, freaky situation she ends up in!
Page 111, 32% in - [spoilers removed]"

Marnie wrote: "Page 111, 32% in - [spoilers removed]"
I just got there...freaky...creepy...lots of adjectives work."


Sadistic!

[Almeta]

Lynn wrote: "Page 184, 53%
(view spoiler)[" (hide spoiler)]

That was a close call! (view spoiler)[If she had not had witnesses to "The Promise", she'd still be there. They definitely did not want to release her. I was really surprised that they gave her the things that they did when they sent her on her way. (hide spoiler)]

[Almeta]

Marnie wrote: "Ok I am at 79% and all I can say is hmmmmm. ....It doesn't even make sense to me.What am I missing? (hide spoiler)]

Lynn wrote: "Part 5, Page 287, 82% - finally one that didn't quite feel right. [spoilers removed]"

Cherie wrote: "...was not so much out of character as unexpected."

Janice wrote: "I also didn't care for (view spoiler)...., not because it seemed out of character, but that it wasn't developed properly...."




Response to message 47 and 57 and 66 and 72.

That did seem odd, (view spoiler)[ but look at all of the paradigms Hannah had to challenge. This one had to be addressed also. And although the theme wasn't really explored, Hannah was allowed to think on it and decide that homosexuality was not abhorrent. I think that she had a tenderness to express to someone to whom she was grateful, and in whom she saw wounded vulnerability, beneath the hard exterior. Probably a one-time thing, which she wasn’t inclined to continue and refused another approach a little later.

Being the aggressor didn't seem like something a first time experimenter would become though. (hide spoiler)]

[Almeta]

Lynn wrote: "Simone...If God is the Creator, if god (view spoiler)[ englobes every single thing in the universe, then God is everything, and everything is God. God is the earth and the sky, and the tree planted in the earth under the sky, and the bird in the tree, and the worm in the beak of the bird, and the dirt in the stomach of the worm. God is He and She, straight and gay, black and white and red-yes, even that, and green and blue and all the rest. And so, to despise me for loving women or you for being a Red who made love with a woman, would be to despise not only His own creations but also to hate Himself. My God is not so stupid as that>spoilers> Love it!" (hide spoiler)] Love it!"

[Almeta]

Response to messages 56.


Lynn wrote: "Almeta - Yes and Yes ... most definitely! Page 322, 93% (view spoiler)[Why oh why is she going to meet Aiden? Why is she not running to Canada? I'm pretty sure he's going to turn her in, I can't decide if on purpose or by doing something stupid so they get caught out (hide spoiler)]"

I sooo believed that same thing!☻

[Almeta]

Cherie wrote: (view spoiler)[I didn't think the church thing with Paster Easter was necessary (hide spoiler)]]"

Janice wrote: "I actually liked the bit with Pastor Easter. (view spoiler)[She helped Hannah come to terms with religion vs spirituality and gave her a way to believe in God.... (hide spoiler)]"

Response to part of Message 72 and 79.

Yeah, what's up with Pastor Easter. Did Jordan give up on developing a sub-plot? (view spoiler)[Easter felt destined to be there just at that time? What was that destiny? (hide spoiler)]

Janice, you saw something I did not.