Part 3: The Tower

[Kristina]

This is the discussion thread for the third section of the book, "The Tower".

We made it! What did you think? What did you hope was different? What was perfect? What do you hope we see in the Epilogue?

*There will be spoilers before for the entire book

[Mat]

First? Ok weird - Im a slow reader! Finished it up and it was a cool ending! I really wish that this book was a series that slowly uncovered clues to the final mystery. I kind of had a hunch to what the "mysery" would be but all in all it was a really cool how concept of where the key was. Again I wish the character development was a little better and in more detail...

[Jack]

I found there was quite a bit of character development, especially for Clay. He always thought he was an average guy with no good skill. He could do things, but nothing amazing. Then he learns what he is good at, and how to use it for his advantage. He continually gained confidence throughout the book, to the point where he could fairly easily figure out how to go about finding something that had been lost for so long.

Mr Punumbra got development as well, though mostly through us learning about him. He did, however, embrace the knowledge he learned. I have a feeling that if at the very beginning of the book he had found out what the truth was he wouldn't have handled it nearly as well.

The others might have lacked development a bit. Though I feel Kat got some development, not as rich as I would have liked.

[Nicole]

I really liked this ending. I liked that there wasn't some huge secret or dramatic solution to the mystery, it was just some guy saying thanks to his best friend. It felt simple and sweet. This could have gotten really complicated and messed with some magical realism stuff and I'm glad it didn't. I'm also really glad the books that were the reason Clay got the job in the first place ended up helping him solve the mystery, it was a nice way to tie everything together.

[Annelie]

I liked the ending, it made up for some of the things before that really annoyed me.
And in the end I kind of have the feeling that Sloan meant to do just that, somehow...

[Amy]

I have to say I enjoyed the ending, I liked that Clay went on this great adventure, that it stopped being about technology and more about the people, the act of reading and knowledge. I still just don't know what I think about the book. I just wanted more...something. All the characters were very one dimensional, the mission never felt clear and the over all driving plot just seemed flat. I loved when Clay is listening to Moffat's he hears Penumbra and says that he is already in a way immortalized and does not even know it. I was about to give up on this book then I realized the cover glowed in the dark and I had to know if there was a reason behind it...sadly that was never a part in the book but I guess you could say I was glad I finished.

[Annelie]

Amy wrote: "I have to say I enjoyed the ending, I liked that Clay went on this great adventure, that it stopped being about technology and more about the people, the act of reading and knowledge. I still just..."
Thanks Amy, you just about summed up all the things that I didn't like as well. I don't think I would've finished this, if it weren't for this book club.

[Victoria]

Nicole wrote: "I really liked this ending. I liked that there wasn't some huge secret or dramatic solution to the mystery, it was just some guy saying thanks to his best friend. It felt simple and sweet. This cou..."


Yes! I was getting to nervous in the second section of the book thinking that we were going to get into culty stuff or a true search for immortality in a sci-fi way. I was soooo glad that I stuck with it and that Sloan went in the opposite direction!

[Victoria]

I really liked how the ending came about. I'm a sucker for endings that go back to the beginning!