Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge → Start Date: October 23rd, 2016

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Anna and I!
Please join us if you can!

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

I haven't done a buddy read in a while, and now I'm so excited to be doing a couple of them this month! :)

[Vicki]

Okay, you talked me into it. I'm in! LOL

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Yay! I'm glad we're giving these a shot!

seriously though, the baby doll cover creeps me out! I can't wait to read it!
I like the other cover -
but it's not disturbing like this one!

lol! where did you spot this one?

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

I found it at Barnes & Noble last year, but I didn't get to read it! So now I'm excited to finally get to. :)

[Vicki]

I agree with you, Trisha. The cover we're reading or that we have at the top of this thread is creepy! I ordered mine from the library and they show the cover at top. They have it in stock, too!

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

I have the creepy cover, and it's right next to my bed (so I wake up to it every morning!). I actually like the creepy cover more though, so it's okay. :)

[Vicki]

LOL That's too funny, Anna. I don't think I'd want it right next to my bed. No thank you!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

OMG I could never sleep with that cover next to me!!
lol

You are a brave soul, Anna!

[Vicki]

I'm with you, Trisha! Lol

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

I just finished my other book, so I'm all set to start reading (after I actually sleep for a couple of hours, lol).

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

This should be an interesting horror read because it apparently isn't so much scary as it is psychologically creepy. :)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

omg the cover still creeps me out! LOL

I'm starting now (since it's almost 11:30 at night for me!)

fingers crossed we love it!

it looks like we have 43 chapters so plan to come back every 10 :)

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

Awesome! I didn't have a lot of time to read today, so I only got to chapter three. I can already tell that this is a book that I'll want to read at a slower pace though. :)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

lol and it's a book I want to read all in one sitting! I promise not to go that fast though :)

I can't quite tell what the(view spoiler)[ twist is yet, though. I mean, what is going on with this girl? She's eating EVERYTHING - even rotting food! - but not getting sick and is losing weight
and she's....turning into leaves/dirt. doesn't that sound like she's the one that is dead? (hide spoiler)]

Pen(view spoiler)[ I don't think Pen is the bad guy here. Pen sees/knows something about what....got to her sister by the Grimmer. I wonder what she saw (hide spoiler)]

Parents(view spoiler)[ clearly have favorites. that's awful (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

20 chapters

okay, so this one took a really odd turn

Triss(view spoiler)[ or, better known as "not Triss" but I couldn't put that outside of spoilers! LOL
This almost feels like a metaphor - for growing up. It's like Pen has gone from being a little girl - the one her parents dote on - to hitting pre-teens and suddenly getting an attitude, telling lies and talking back. lol
but I guess - in this case- she is NOT Triss. I wonder what happened to the real one. I wonder if she is still alive. It seems like this is the first time she's talked back to her parents but been up front about NOT wanting them to blame Pen
also it's probably the nicest she's ever been to Pen (hide spoiler)]

Pen(view spoiler)[ Poor kid. I wonder why she isn't their parents' favorite. I mean, she seems angry but it seems just as likely that she's angry that her parents treat her this way - not that she started angry. Maybe she was just a more willful child and that made her parents mad? I don't know, but they don't treat her well (hide spoiler)]

Bird(view spoiler)[ okay, so the letters being delivered. that's weird, right?
I mean, the bird thing and the architect. what is going on here?
(hide spoiler)]

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

10 Chapters

Triss (view spoiler)[Is really weird! I have no clue what's going on with her, and it's making it hard for me to get into the book. (hide spoiler)]

Pen (view spoiler)[Seems really cool! I agree with you, Trisha. I think that Pen is going to be a good person. (hide spoiler)]

The letters (view spoiler)[are really interesting to me! I want to know more about them, and his her brother alive? Or is he writing them from hell? (hide spoiler)]

What is that door? (view spoiler)[ I'm thinking that Pen might be a part of a secret society/origination along with Mr. Grace. Maybe Triss will join them? (hide spoiler)]

I do agree with you about the parents, Trisha. (view spoiler)[Maybe there's something more going on there (besides the letters)? (hide spoiler)]

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

I forgot to say that (view spoiler)[THE DOLLS CREEP ME OUT. I CAN HANDLE HER TURNING INTO DIRT AND LEAVES, BUT NO MORE TALKING DOLLS WITH TENDENCIES TO STAB. Also, was I the only one who got grossed out when she ate that doll? *shudders* (hide spoiler)]

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

20 Chapters

Pen (view spoiler)[I have no clue where she is on the good-bad scale. For a while it seemed like she hated Triss (I still think that she does), but I think that they're going to work together now. I was so happy when Pen saved not Triss! (hide spoiler)]

I don't know how Violet (view spoiler)[ is going to play into this story. Maybe she will help not Triss and Pen find the real Triss (and maybe Sebastian)? (hide spoiler)]

I thought that (view spoiler)[the movie scene was cool! I thought that it was really creative that Pen get pulled in. But I didn't like that Pen payed someone to get rid of Triss. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

30 Chapters

Ooooh, this got really good really fast.

Violet (view spoiler)[was so amazing in these ten chapters! She is so cool and bad-ass, and I want her to be my friend. I hope that Violet is the one who saves the day, and maybe gets reunited with Sebastian. (hide spoiler)]

Pen (view spoiler)[has grown so much in this book! I remember when she was this bratty little kid who would do anything to have her parent's positive attention. It was so sweet when she wanted The Architect to make it so that Trista wouldn't die! She loves her! (hide spoiler)]

Here is what I think about the watch (view spoiler)[I think that they are going to have to wind it up, so that it's no longer stuck. This will either cause Sebastian to come back (maybe if they turn the watch back) or it will finally cause him to fully die. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd) wrote: "I forgot to say that [spoilers removed]"

OMG no it's not just you(view spoiler)[ ugh. the doll talking and then her eating it?! that was so awful and creepy! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

okay, I'm back to this one tomorrow!! I can't wait to read your ch 30 update! :)

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

Yay! I'm about to start reading in a little bit. :)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

30 chapters (finally lol)

Violet(view spoiler)[ I agree. she really is bad ass. I like how she protected them and talked back to that guy. I'm so sad for her loss - betrothed and lost him to the war :( It makes the parents denying her access to his things even worse. they wouldn't even let her grieve with them or try to understand her (hide spoiler)]

Pen(view spoiler)[ I agree! She really was just wrapped up in her anger and hatred and wanted her parents all to herself
but she and Triss are really working together now. (hide spoiler)]

Triss(view spoiler)[ I love the new name Trista. (hide spoiler)]

The Watch(view spoiler)[ I agree, they need to wind that watch - to get it going again. My guess is that they will lose sebastian for good...but that's unfortunately how it's supposed to be
the bigger question is whether they get to keep the leaves and thorns Triss or if the old Triss will come back

I still think this whole book is a metaphor for growing up/teenage years. lol (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm done!

wow, that didn't go how I thought it would(view spoiler)[ I love that the clock ultimately saved her
but she's right, what did it do to Violet. I hate that the clock originally had held Violet locked into her misery and loss and didn't let her let go of Sebastian (hide spoiler)]

Triss(view spoiler)[ I love that she wants to write her
I loved the two sides - the two girls - and how Pen had to realize that Triss could be different just like she could
I loved that whole part and that Triss wants to stay connected to Trista (hide spoiler)]

Tailor(view spoiler)[ I like how everyone was kind of gray - some things were scary but weren't necessarily bad and some things were supposed to be helpful/helping and they did the most damage/were scarier than the actual "beasts"
I liked the twist. I didn't except him to be so violent (hide spoiler)]

of course, Violet(view spoiler)[ was the most badass part of the whole story. what an amazing character she was (hide spoiler)]
I can't wait to see what you think of the ending!

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

40 Chapters

I'm really sad that (view spoiler)[Violet is gone! I wanted her to help Trista fight! (hide spoiler)]

Pen (view spoiler)[is not going to complete her part of the mission! I think that she will try to talk to her dad, but that he will ignore her. (hide spoiler)]

Mr. Grace (view spoiler)[actually made it onto the train! That really surprised me... (hide spoiler)]

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

Finished! I went into this book with high expectations, and was ultimately disappointed.

I think that I should have read this book faster. (view spoiler)[I think that if I had, I would have been a lot more excited about certain events and characters. (hide spoiler)]

I do agree with you about Violet, (view spoiler)[she was ultimately my favorite character, with Pen right behind her. I'm glad that Trista gets to stay with Violet, and I'm glad that all of the sisters are going to write each other. (hide spoiler)]

The watch ultimately disappointed me and was good all at the same time. (view spoiler)[The watch idea was good because it was well thought out, and there were clues through out the book. That being said, I saw it coming. Too many clues. (hide spoiler)]

So, while this book isn't one that would be considered a favorite, it wasn't terrible either. 2.5 Stars.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Oh man, I completely agree with you!

but I don't know(view spoiler)[ that going any faster would have helped. The book just seemed.....it didn't drag necessarily, but I was never excited to pick it up. Maybe it was heavy - the doll and the eating and creepy but the underlying theme of loss and grief and hate and anger was just.....it wasn't a "fun" book to read by any means. I don't know...but I completely agree. I bumped mine up to 3 just because we don't have half stars! lol (hide spoiler)]

Yay!! I'm so glad you finished it and didn't hate it!! :D

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

Ya, (view spoiler)[this was just a slow paced book, with not a lot of exciting twists and turns. I can see some people really enjoying this one though! :) (hide spoiler)]

I'm glad that we didn't hate it either. :)

[Vicki]

Sorry girls but I've decided to forego this one since I have SO many books to catch up on and this one isn't at the top of my list. I hope you understand.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Yeah, no worries Vicki!!

[Vicki]

Thanks! At this point I need to pick and choose because of my library being closed until Dec. 8. The other library isn't too far away but I really don't want to be owing books to three different places, you know?

[Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd)]

It's totally fine, Vicki! Desperate times call for desperate measures. :)

[Vicki]

Haha that's right, Anna. Lol