Read: Chapter 19

[Karen]

Read to the end of Chapter 19 by 10/05/20.

Leave your insights and comments below.

[Karen]

The storytelling has tightened up now, and flows a lot swifter than the first quarter. There are new threads of history being brought in, which are helping to flesh out the span of Lexi’s world, and it is like you can see Schwab finding her handholds on the cogs of story composition. There is more thought on how time flows, and she is starting to loop threads around to connect some pieces together. What is still missing is an actual arc for Lexi and for the people she meets. Lexi hasn’t changed at all for the entirety of the first book, so I’m hoping to see a little evolution in her for the latter half. Currently it feels more like an orienteering game, where everyone is a variation on Nigel Billingsley from Jumanji, repeating their set lines and responses without thought.

The goal for you I’ll recite in verse; return the jewel and lift the curse. If you wish to leave the game, you must save Jumanji, and call out it’s name.

The goal for the book I’ll recite in verse; put the Near Witch to rest and lift the curse. If you wish to earn our respect, let the men do the work, and stay home baking bread.

Ok, so respect doesn’t rhyme with bread, but you get the idea.

[Sarah]

Got to the bit about the small child running wild, and the mother calling him indoors - they 'don't know how to stay inside when the sun is shining'. And realised how hard lockdown must be for kids when the narrative to 'stay in' is about the boogyman getting you o.O