All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin - GBR - Starting April 1st 2019

[Sarah Elizabeth]

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin will be our 2nd GBR for April 2019.

Please read at your own pace, and hide any spoilers ☺ You are welcome to join at any time during the month ☺

Happy Reading Everybody!

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Pre-Reading Questions -

Anybody got any thoughts on this one before we start?

Has anyone read anything similar to this before?

Anybody read anything else by this author previously?

[Karen]

Interesting idea. Sounds like quite an early one.

[Krystal]

Signing up for this one.

[Karen]

Opening chapter tells us about the world. Very different, and not one that would be good to live in.

[Karen]

Up to ch8. First few chapters felt a little slow. Now, with Anya in trouble, it seems as if things will have to move on in some way.

[Karen]

Up to ch11. Intro to Win’s father was interesting, and there’s certainly more going on behind the scenes.

[Karen]

Up to ch15. Though the relationships seem to be the focus at the moment I’m curious to know more about the family/bigger picture.

[Karen]

Up to ch18. Approaching the end, and I’m half-expecting something awful. It’s picking up an awful feeling of something about to go horribly wrong.

[Karen]

Finished. Really weird read that I thought sounded great, but really didn’t feel it delivered. Shame, as I remember being so excited when I read Elsewhere some years ago. Review on home page.

[Krystal]

Only up to page 4 but already super interested in things (view spoiler)[ like coffee and phones with cameras being illegal. (hide spoiler)]

[Krystal]

Up to page 138. I’m liking the crime boss/family plot pretty interesting. I agree that things were slow at first but picking up super fast.

[Krystal]

Up to page 270. While I like this book, it’s missing something... I can’t put my finger on it.

[Krystal]

Up to page 303. (view spoiler)[ such a tender moment between Annie and Leo. I really hope nothing happens to him. (hide spoiler)]

[Krystal]

Finished.

[Jennifer]

Ch 6 - (view spoiler)[ Ugh, I hate Gable. What a sleezeball! (hide spoiler)]
Ch 11 - (view spoiler)[ I think Anya's worries regarding Winn's father's power to interfere with their home situation are correct. What I can't quite seem to get over is how everyone is expecting her to rationalize like an adult and has no problem heaping on more responsibility onto her shoulders - she just 16! (hide spoiler)]
Ch 15 - (view spoiler)[ I don't understand what this book is supposed to be about. Is it just a coming of age story about Annie and her first love with Winn, or is she supposed to be figuring out who is trying to kill off her family, or is it a dystopian political story, or what? I feel like we've been given some little tidbits here and there about the "family business" and who her enemies within it might be, but she really doesn't seem to be interested in it or in finding out who might be trying to harm them. So I'm wondering what those elements of the story are doing there. (hide spoiler)]
Finished - (view spoiler)[ Gah, I don't know what I think about this book. Parts of it were interesting, but other parts seemed out of place. I liked the story about Winn and Annie - the star-crossed aspect was ok, and I especially like that he figured everything out at the end and wasn't willing to give her up. The problems within the family business ?...?.. I was interested in this plotline, but I think the author could have done a better job stirring up more intrigue about her father's death and the players within the family. Even with her cousin behind bars at the end, I still didn't get a sense what his true motivations were for orchestrating the things he did. It was never really laid out what would have happened if her family was taken out completely. Perhaps it will be spelled out in the next book, but I would have liked to have been told in this book in order to make sense of things. It is clear that in the future Annie will be asked to take a more prominent role in the business which will likely strain things with Winn's dad further. It wouldn't surprise me if the next book pitted her against him with poor Winn stuck in the middle. (hide spoiler)]

[Jamie]

Ch 4 (view spoiler)[I like her brother. I don't trust Jacks and feel something very bad will happen to Leo due to him... (hide spoiler)]

[Jamie]

Karen wrote: "Up to ch11. Intro to Win’s father was interesting, and there’s certainly more going on behind the scenes."

Agreed (view spoiler)[But I am glad he got her out. Nasty "headmistress" (hide spoiler)]

[Jamie]

Jennifer wrote: "Ch 6 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 11 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 15 - [spoilers removed]
Finished - [spoilers removed]"


Ch.6 -He is! Ugh! Hate him.
General character thoughts(view spoiler)[I can't even feel sorry for him after the poisoning. (hide spoiler)]

[Jamie]

Karen wrote: "Up to ch18. Approaching the end, and I’m half-expecting something awful. It’s picking up an awful feeling of something about to go horribly wrong."

Finished the book (view spoiler)[I was expecting worse that what happened though. Like Leo being killed, etc. (hide spoiler)]