Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion
Previous BOMs - Authors; I - L
>
Luckiest Girl Alive, By Jessica Knoll (Anything Goes BOM) Start Date 2 February, 2016
Mod
At NRBC we use a more structured approach to our BOMs. We have a discussion leader and a reading date is set to start the book. A reading schedule is posted prior to the start date and discussion questions are posted each day regarding that section of the book.
More info under spoiler
(view spoiler)
Mod
Date Chapters Pages PPQDs
Feb 2 1-3 1-66 Karen
Feb 3 4-6 67-127 RachelvlehcaR
Feb 4 7-9 128-181 Karrie
**BREAK DAY**
Feb 6 10-12 182-245 Imke
Feb 7 13-14 246-330 Imke
Feb 8 15-17 331-394 (end) Melissa
Mod
RachelvlehcaR
Imke
Karrie
I'm in and volunteer to write a set of DQs
I'm in :) Sounds like it'll be interesting.
Cant wait to read it, just bought it on my kindle!
I'm having some difficulty getting my hands on this book, short of buying the book. I'm on a waiting list at my library, but I'm not sure if I'll get the book in time :/
Mod
I've done that. Apparently they're out of digital copies??? I didn't even know that was possible. That's the wait list that I'm on. There's 6 physical copies of the book at my library and they're all checked out. I didn't realize this book was so wanted :/
I just thought to put myself on the waiting list for the physical copies. It says one of the books is due to be back on the 30th, so maybe if I'm at the top of the list I might get it in time?
Mod
Good luck. I hope that one comes back on the 30th :)
I'm in! Should have it from the library by Wednesday.
Congrats! I'm still waiting in anticipation for mine.
urgh, isn't that frustrating Samantha? Why must they take so long!!!
It definitely is frustrating. Hopefully it'll be coming in the next couple of days
The thing I hate is when there is such a long wait, that the BOM is over and finally you get the book. :(
Ya, that's not fun at all. Plus I made this intricate reading schedule because I'm reading so many books. Hopefully it won't be thrown off too much
I will join and could do questions if you still need someone. I got this from the library today.
Mod
the 6th or the 7th please. If needed I can write questions for both days.
Mod
Once TT is officially over everyone disappears. Those crickets are really loud. LOL
Mod
Mod
I just got an email this is available for me at the library! I'm super excited I can start on time lol :):)
I'll volunteer for DQ's since I'll have the book now.
Mod
Thanks! I'll put you as the final day
Mod
February 2
Chapters 1-3
Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage
I got the book! It became available just today :) So lucky! Dare I say, the luckiest girl alive? :P
Mod
Great news :)
February 2
Chapters 1-3
Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?
That is a funny coincidence. The only one I've read is Gone Girl, only to see what the hype was all about. Some just told me The Girl on the Train is good, so I have that on hold now as well. Funny thing is Gone Girl is not about a girl, it's about a woman. I don't think there are any girls in it, actually. But I guess Gone Girl sounds more catchy than Gone Woman. This book that we're reading, I had never heard of. So I'm only reading it because it's the BOTM and it was available at the library. But so far I am not liking this main character. Talk about shallow! I'm hoping this gets better because this is going to be torture living with her for 17 chapters!
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
I haven't read The Catcher in the Rye (well, I haven't gotten past the first few chapters), so I just sped over that reference. But now that you mention it, Ani (or Tiff or TiffAni or whatever she wants to call herself -- so annoying!) seems shallow and phony as well. Recognizing herself in that book, methinks.
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
I don't like her at all. It's hard for me to like a book when I don't like the narrator, so I'm hoping something changes here. I assume there are really people like her in the world, and that's unfortunate. Trying to impress--who? For what?
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
The writing style is okay, but I don't like being teased about whatever happened at Ani's high school. Just tell me, narrator! Spill it!
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage.
No guesses here, but so far that's the only intriguing thing about this book. The rest is just a day in the life of a superficial, shallow person - not very interesting. Fingers crossed that it gets better!
Chapters 1-3
Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?
That is a funny coincidence. The only one I've read is Gone Girl, only to see what the hype was all about. Some just told me The Girl on the Train is good, so I have that on hold now as well. Funny thing is Gone Girl is not about a girl, it's about a woman. I don't think there are any girls in it, actually. But I guess Gone Girl sounds more catchy than Gone Woman. This book that we're reading, I had never heard of. So I'm only reading it because it's the BOTM and it was available at the library. But so far I am not liking this main character. Talk about shallow! I'm hoping this gets better because this is going to be torture living with her for 17 chapters!
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
I haven't read The Catcher in the Rye (well, I haven't gotten past the first few chapters), so I just sped over that reference. But now that you mention it, Ani (or Tiff or TiffAni or whatever she wants to call herself -- so annoying!) seems shallow and phony as well. Recognizing herself in that book, methinks.
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
I don't like her at all. It's hard for me to like a book when I don't like the narrator, so I'm hoping something changes here. I assume there are really people like her in the world, and that's unfortunate. Trying to impress--who? For what?
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
The writing style is okay, but I don't like being teased about whatever happened at Ani's high school. Just tell me, narrator! Spill it!
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage.
No guesses here, but so far that's the only intriguing thing about this book. The rest is just a day in the life of a superficial, shallow person - not very interesting. Fingers crossed that it gets better!
February 2Chapters 1-3
Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?
I actually havent read any of them .. Gone girl and The girl on the train are books that interest me and I plan on reading soon! I dont think anything in particular intrigues me because of the title, I just liked the stories and did not really pay attention to the fact that they are all "girl" books. As for this book, I decided to read it when I saw that it was going to be the book of the month and the plot seemed interesting.
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
I have never read the Catcher of the Rye so I didnt really notice anything, but now that I went back and looked at it, it really seems like a description of what we see of Ani so far!
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
I just find her annoying right now. I want to know what happened in her past that turned her into this person she is now. I hope we find it out soon so maybe I can start liking the character more.. or not.
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
Yeah, I really do like it. I dont like the character haha but the point of view is fine.
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage
Yeah, i thought something to do with a gun for sure.Im guessing its nothing criminal since it doesnt seem like she got punishment for it and they are doing that documentary..but who knows? Maybe something that has to do with night-time as well, that could relate to her sleeping problems.
Chapters 1-3Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?
I have read all of the above and enjoyed them all. I think I enjoy the intrigue and the mystery behind them. The not knowing where the book is going. I read this book because it was chosen as the BOM and it sounded like something I would enjoy.
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
It probably is a foretelling of the narrator being unreliable.
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
Not sure how much I like Ani. Obviously she has some major mental issues. I think parts of her are in all of us. She is strange tho, the way she speaks about herself.
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
The style is alright. It seems to bounce around a lot and I find myself confused at times. It is difficult at times to know if Ani is remembering something that happened or if it is actually happening at the moment. It is not so hard to make me not want to keep reading but it is a little strange.
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage
Not sure - she has a lot of strange memories in her past. Something that makes her afraid to sleep when everyone else is asleep. I am intrigued. I also think she is bulimic.
I was just thinking.. Luckiest girl ALIVE...maybe the title could be a clue that she is alive while others arent..maybe she is a survivor of something?? Im curious to see what happens as the story progresses!
Mod
Nice one. Maybe it was a school shooting or something? Everyone thinks she was the survivor but the truth is she was a part of it?
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book?The only "girl" book I've read is Gone Girl and I liked that book because of the plot twists. I didn't see it coming at all, which usually doesn't happen. I decided to read this book because I wanted to join in on the BOTM. I'm always trying to broaden my horizon.
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable?
First of all, I hate Catcher in the Rye. I just couldn't stand the character, but that's a completely different thing. I think the author is trying to reveal a nod that Ani is a Holden. I'm already starting to see it with Ani putting SO much emphasis on looks and money, while behind closed doors (a.k.a. her head), she's a completely different person. I'm not sure about unreliable, but just not aware.
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her?
I started to go into this a little bit above, but it's almost off-putting. I don't identify with her, AT ALL. The first page threw me for a complete loop, which was probably the intent because Gone Girl did it, but you can tell she's off. It seems clear to me that she loves to criticize others for their image and yet she cares just as much about image as they do. It's bizarre to say the least.
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV?
I think this style of writing was probably necessary for the writer to tell the story the way she is. I don't necessarily like how she's already revealing how different her outward appearance is to what she really thinks. In Gone Girl, it was a really clever twist. Here, it's all laid out within the first page that she's hiding behind a facade.
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage.
I have a feeling she was involved in a school shooting. She described the kids she was sitting with, which seem to be the outcast kids in such a preppy school. I think the number 5 was thrown out there at the end of the 3rd chapter and she described 4 people at that table she at lunch with, then include herself = 5. I'm guessing the tale was spun a certain way that not much of the blame was put on her, but I'm guessing she had a lot more to do with it than she let on. We'll see how it goes, I may be wrong.
Mod
I agree, Ani is very unlikeable! I like having someone to care about in books so I'm hoping a nice character is introduced soon :o
@Romina
Ah yes I forgot about her sleeping. Maybe it does have something to do with night time
@Melissa
I agree, she is bulimic, or at least has some kind of eating disorder the way that she hides her eating and binge eats on certain days.
Mod
re: #5
That is where my mind was going after Romina commented on the title having 'alive'. How that all happens will likely be the twist
I hadnt even thought about that possibily of a school-shooting but now that you both mention it..It could be! Whats certain is that something happened and it disturbed her very much whatever it was!And as far as eating disorders, I think she has something as well..How she thinks of her body and then works out before coming home to junk food gives that away I think.
Karen wrote: "Would you like to switch?"Oh no. That's fine. He's turning 22 and works nights, so I won't see him 'till the weekend.
Chapters 1-3Comments and Questions
1. There are so many "girl" books at the moment. (The Good Girl, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc.) Have you read these books? What appeals to you about them? Why did you decide to read this book? I read Gone Girl and loved it. The story was tightly written and very suspenseful, I also read Girl on the Train and liked it, but not as much. I like the suspense, it keeps the pages turning. I read this one because it was a BOM.
2. On page 39 of my copy (overdrive ebook), in chapter 2, they are discussing The Catcher in the Rye;
"Could Holden be any less self-aware? Here he is calling everyone a phony, when he's the biggest phony of them all"
Is this a clue about our narrator being unreliable? Oh, maybe. Good catch.
3. Ani seems very.... complex? I'm not even sure how to describe her. The antithesis of a narcassist? She seeks approval and compliments despite her apparant self loathing ; wanting to be 'perfect' and yet recognising how futile that is. What are your thoughts on her? I'm not sure about her yet. I don't get all this alluding about the "thing" or "incident". Right now she seems kind of fake and hostile. I don't really like her.
4. How are you finding the style? Do you like the first person POV? Yeah, it's ok.
5. Any guesses about the event from TifAni's past? Seems to be something to do with a gun, but I'm guessing it can't be too awful or her future mother-in-law would not have approved of the marriage
It happened at her high school, but that's about all I can speculate.
reply | flag *
Mod
Oh no. That's fine. He's turning 22 and works nights, so I won't see him 'till the weekend."
No probs :)
Nothing But Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Pretty Girls (other topics)The Wild Girl (other topics)
Speak (other topics)
Speak (other topics)
The Good Girl (other topics)
More...
This thread is to discuss Luckiest Girl Alive, By Jessica Knoll. Be prepared for spoilers!
Synopsis:
HER PERFECT LIFE
IS A PERFECT LIE.
As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ani has a secret.
There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.
With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.
The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?