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The Wicked Deep
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The Wicked Deep
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Erika, Dream Thief
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May 01, 2020 07:00AM
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Hey you guys!!!I'll be the discussion leader for this month. I'm super excited.
I'll be reading about 5-6 chapters a day and will discuss my thoughts out here at the end of the day and I'll also be asking a question or two to get to know your theories.
Please be mindful of spoilers though
I'll be pretty active out here,so everyone is welcome to drop any questions for me.
I just got his book and am super excited to start reading today!
Super excited to see you discuss this book.
I want start it right now! Super excited!
Hi everyone! I am excited to be a part of this discussion. :)
Can’t wait to start reading! It sounds amazing!
This has been on my TBR for so long. Can't wait to start!
I just finished this last week, looking forward to chatting about it!
Smol Porg wrote: "I wanted to read today but then I had to do school all day so I’m only on page 11. :("Once I started reading it, I was so wrapped up in the haunting atmosphere that I finished it in one day :)
I loved this book! I wish I could fit it into my TBR and reread it with you guys 😞
I just finished the chapter 5...I loved it, it is great!
Hey you guys, I'm super excited to be reading this book with you... I'll be posting a chapter update and questions in an hour or two
So chapter 1-5 updates(don't read ahead if you've not read those chapters),We're in a town called Sparrow near Oregon.2 centuries ago,the Swan sisters arrived at Sparrow. They were beautiful, charming and so perfect that all of the men(even the married) in town fell head over heels for them. So the townspeople did what anyone would have done,they drowned the Swan sisters after accusing them of witchcraft. Every year since,during the month of June,the sisters came back to inhabit 3 local girls in order to exact revenge by drowning a boy or two.
Back to the present,a little background.Our protagonist Penny is a (awkward) high-schooler who lives in the Lumiere Island with her mother.Her dad disappeared a few years back out of the blue, causing her mother to go down a spiral and withdraw from everyone. Before this event,her dad used to be an architect and her mom used to read fortunes in tea leaves.Penny's future was told to be that of a boy,heartbroken etc etc.
Um anyways,it was the last day of school before summer and the students had a tradition of having a swan party where everyone became drunk near a water body because why not.We get to know that this was a tribute to the Swan sisters who were drowned.Penny's best friend Rose convinces her to attend the party. While heading back home from school on a boat,Penny meets a stranger.
Now at the party, everyone's drunk as expected and there's a dare to go into the water and risk the wrath of the sisters.Rose goes through this challenge.Penny,pretty much drunk ,starts heading back when a douche bag forces her to enter the water when the stranger appears and saves the day.We here learn that his name is Bo and he's come here to search for work.Penny offers him a place to stay and work at her island.Fast forward to the next day,Penny gives Bo a tour of the island,when suddenly the singing stops,which is an indication of the fact that the sisters have found bodies to inhabit.
Well now my theories I guess, Firstly,I think Rose might get possessed by a sister.
Secondly,I'm not sure about Bo,he is too much of a question mark.
I haven't read the blurb yet so I'm honestly not sure which direction the story might go towards
Questions for today are:-Q1. Do you have any lore or myths from where you hail?If so,do you believe them
Q2.What do you think of Bo?Is he as clueless as he appears to be
Q3.Who do you think might be possessed or killed?
I'm liking the books so far.. it's got a dark,eerie tone which I'm huge fan of.The writing style itself was incredibly detailed and picturesque, I could vividly see what was happening in the book.I did like the small off-chapter descriptions.
The characters themselves were not perfect,so that's a good sign,but they still feel a bit bland right now.
And the school year descriptions,**internal shudder**,I was incredibly awkward during my freshman year and that year was not one I want to re-live...
The town setting and the background were interesting as well..
Bonus Question- How were your high school years and did you have any special traditions as such?
I loved the book too. It definitely has some awesome descriptions of its environment. Penny and the Townpeople definitely are complicated people. And so are their myths. I once heard of a myth:
Valmiki once witnessed a hunter shoot down a bird. Its partner, due to her sorrow died after this. An angry and grieved Valmiki cursed the Hunter in a poetic manner. And that made him the First Poet, also known as Adi Kavi. Brahma later presented himself and asked him to write the story of Ramayana in this poetic manner and that is how the epic Ramayana came to be.
About Bo, he might be clueless. People do not trust Foreigners and Bo is no exception. Penny does not think that he is clueless too and noone gives him a job either. But here is me and my opinion. I would definitely give him a chance. He deserves it. Really surprised to see someone as Bo, a traveler with no destination but his Destiny awaits.
About who could be possessed: Do you really believe that the Swan sisters are real. They might be but they also might be myth. What if there is a scientific phenomenon that explains the singing. We don't know right now. But, have you heard about the natural phenomenon: "Will-o-the-wisps"?
Spoiler alert: Nothing that I said above contains any spoilers. This was all discussed before Chapter 5.
My high school years **Vietnam war backgrounds Bombers dropping bombs Soldiers shooting and dying and a cute pup just simply in the front as a translucent foreground** I may not want to talk about that. Others I would definitely encourage to.
@Kevin I'd give Bo a chance, I'd even go on a limb and say he could be the one in Penny's prophecy,but he could also backstab her,so I'm not entirely sure there..And being a science student, I don't believe in any myths or lores,maybe that's why I love fantasy and magic in books so much..
There is a definite possibility that the Swan sisters and the whole thing is false.It could have been orchestrated by someone and the lore was to cover up the killings or the killings are just drunk people drowning because they don't know better but I'd like to believe otherwise (2 centuries is a hefty lot of time)
If you liked the book you could check out The House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin Craig,it kind of reminds me of this book
1- There is a myth near where I live, and that is if you drive through that area at night you can see a woman dressed as a bride crossing the road. This woman is said to have escaped her wedding and was subsequently run over. There are those who say they saw it, they even had photos that were deleted. I don't believe any of that, but I find it interesting.2- I think Bo is as innocent as he seems, not clueless, although I don't think the reason for being in Sparrow is that it was the last stop on the bus tour. Still, I would give it a try. I also think it's Bo the boy in Penny's tea leaves
3- I also think that Rose can be possessed, or maybe Penny. And I have no idea who can be killed, we don't know many characters at the moment, except for Bo, and I don't think he ends up being killed.
@JoMarch I love that you've got a myth around your place,it makes for some interesting instances,not for the bride though...love your thoughts!!!
@Smol Porg (since I can't use an emoji) my stomach hurts from laughing so hard.. I've always loved Horror and scary stuff since childhood(I was NOT an emo goth kid though).I made it a point to read The Shining only at night,just so I could get an appropriate setting. That aside,I can't wait for you to read the book
Smol Porg This is not a horror book. This is something you should definitely read at night.
@Smol Porg as @Kevin has mentioned this is not a horror book..it just has dark and eerie vibes like hauntings..You can read it an night to get the feel of the book better but you can also read it in the morning. The Plague Doctor Mask is quite a bit creepy to be honest,I can't imagine people seeing that mask during their last breath.
Hey you guys, I'll limit today's questions till Chapter 6..So today's question are:
Q. Do you think the ship in which the Swan sisters arrived(and the name of the ship) is essential to the plot?
Q.And how do you think the Swan sisters choose the boys they murder?
Q.Do you think Bo's brother was one of the boys who were killed by the Swan sisters,and maybe that is the reason Bo is in town?
1- no, I don't think the ship name will be important2- In my opinion, the Swan sisters chose the nicest and the weakest boys.
3- I didn't think that before. Yes, it's a possibility.
I'll correct myself with the first question,I meant to ask whether the ship's ruins might come into play like with The Swan Sisters being attached to them
I'd love to hear all your theories about why Penny can see the Sisters?
The ship, I don't know, I do not even remember its name. This is one of the things that I like about this book. The slow introduction of characters and things and places that I have to remember. Now, I do not have to turn 50 pages just to see the name of a person. As for the ship, who knows. I know I don't.
2 I have to agree with Smol Porg here. There does not seem to be any specific criteria so far. But I do think it is possible that they still might have one: the meanest boys. It is also possible that they are a myth.
3 Could it be an actual accident? Or could it be that the people who were responsible for this myth and the killing were actually found out by him and we will find him alive and captured and tortured and the one who Bo might have to go against. Wow
What if Penny is in on this. What if she is lying to protect Bo from what is an actual unkind possible future.
Or maybe she really can see, not because she is in on this but because her mother can read tea leaves.
Also here is a spoiler I know you guys can totally live with and thus I am not going to hide it: Do you know the full name of Bo?
This shows just how awesome this is. Side point: This is not at all important. I really am telling the truth here. I do think his full name was used only once in this book and even then no one cared about it. Really this just shows the awesomeness I was talking about. Slow introduction of characters. I do not have to turn 50 pages just to see a name.
@Smol Porg I'm so sorry you feel that way.. I probably haven't reached that far in the book but those tropes are absolutely horrible... I'll just say give it a chance maybe
Yes, perhaps the ship in the ruins can relate to the Swan sisters.Also, Bo's full name is a good theory. And I don't think that the introduction of the characters is slow, nor that the romance is forced.
On the other hand, did anyone think of the disappearance of Penny's father? I think that may be related to her power to see the sisters. What's more, I think that "power" is because Penny doesn't completely disagree with the sisters' revenge, since when her father disappeared, no one in the town helped search for him because he was a stranger. Like the sisters.
@JoMarch I definitely had the disappearance of Penny's father in mind, I'm just not sure where it fits in....as to why Penny can see the ghosts,I first thought she was a descendant but then that theory would have been absurd and impossible,so maybe she's a descendant of someone who was kind to the sisters or was the most mean to them..I don't know right now I'm just pulling at loose threads...I definitely like your theory as well
@Smol Porg I'm so glad that the book got better for you,and since I'm still stuck at chapter 10, I'm sorry but I won't be able to discuss it with you for a few days..
Wow, that is an awesome theory. Penny : Descendant of the kind.And maybe JoMarch's theory deserves credit too.
Maybe her father sacrificed himself to save them from Marine Monsters and maybe the Swan sisters were just the first of them. Maybe the world is going down. Maybe this is the end. And Maybe Rose is acting weird, maybe it also points towards her being someone from the Swan family.
I just finished the chapter 16. There is something that changes everything. It's like WHAAATTT?? I won't say you when it happened, but it's completely unexpected.
Am I the only one in this readalong who's not caught up with the chapters (crying)...??I hope you guys are enjoying though!!
For today I'm going to let you guys provide me with 2 questions each(it can be about the plot(not spoilery though), characters or even the writing style) and your theories as to where the plot or the characters are going. I'm so excited to hear what everyone has to say!!!
Now that many are aware of Lumiere Islands and its awesome scenery and locations, I would want to know:Do you want to invite anyone over? It could be anyone: Your family, Your friends, Your loves, etc.
And when you are there, do you feel the urge to ask Penny's mom to tell you about tea leaves?
If you do decide to do that: She tells you that she does not do this anymore and you have to coax her.
If you do not: Then you can just maybe, get captured by the Swan sisters because you decided to ignore the destiny you were supposed to accept: Getting to know her mom.
Haha, for the comment aboveAs for the story: This is getting so exciting. Does anyone know about SpaceX? I just cannot believe that this is even possible. How is Shea Ernshaw going to pull the ending? What will happen? This is not a question that anyone is supposed to answer btw. But wow, this is so so much more than what I expected.
@Kevin I'm not entirely sure I understand what you just posted but I'm so excited to see you excited and see a familiar face(or handle lol) out here!!
Just finished this book and....wow! So many twists it’s hard to keep up. Very happy that this was in the BOTM as it’s not something I would normally read, but I absolutely loved it. The ending was so shocking and sad I was in tears! My only problem was (view spoiler) other than that I thought it was incredible, it was beautifully written, and hints to who’s bodies the sisters were occupying were woven into the story.
I've finished too. It was fantastic, amazing. I had some problems, but I really loved it. I was crying at the end, too.
I am so happy you guys loved the book and read it completely...I on the other hand am still stuck (cry cry cry)....
I do consider myself lucky.
My lover died a century ago,Her dear heart stricken by my sland'rous breath,
Wherefore the Gods forbade that I should know
The peace of death.
Men pass my grave, and say, "'Twere well to sleep,
Like such an one, amid the uncaring dead!"
How should they know the vigils that I keep,
The tears I shed?
Upon the grave, I count with lifeless breath,
Each night, each year, the flowers that bloom and die,
Deeming the leaves, that fall to dreamless death,
More blest than I.
'Twas just last year -- I heard two lovers pass
So near, I caught the tender words he said:
To-night the rain-drenched breezes sway the grass
Above his head.
That night full envious of his life was I,
That youth and love should stand at his behest;
To-night, I envy him, that he should lie
At utter rest.
~ John Mcrae
At this point, many could see the similarity. I consider myself lucky because I still remember this after having heard about it years ago and that too, in a school competition.
And now, Is anyone interested in going to Sparrow High. Describe what you feel when you go there, and the things that you do and the people that you meet.
Tell us how you think Rose and Lon or even Gigi, Bo and many other characters could enthrall you in their day to day lives of school.
You could also consider yourself as a foreigner and describe the difficulties you face.
