Puddle Jumping, by Amber L. Johnson → Start Date: January 10, 2015

[Vicki]

Sophie and I would love to have others join us for this short read.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm in! woohoo :)

[Vicki]

YES!!! Woo hoo! Yippee! and a Hip Hip Hurrah!!! Welcome, Trisha. :o)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

so I will be starting this one a little late tomorrow (I have a Girl Scout cookie rally to attend!)

I'll start in the evening.
I've seen some really good reviews. I can't wait!

[Mandiann]

I think I will be joining this!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

yay!!! Welcome Mandiann! I just bought it
I didn't realize it was so short.
I plan to read this in one day!

[Vicki]

Yay, Mandiann!!! And yes, nice and short!! :)

[Vicki]

Finished chapter 10 and I am just blown away!

My favorite line in the entire book so far is (view spoiler)["She's paint by number; you're a watercolor." (hide spoiler)] How beautiful is that!! It seems to me that Colton (view spoiler)[understands a bit more than literal statements, although he's mostly very literal. I think his relationship with Lilly is the sweetest most beautiful thing I've read about. (hide spoiler)]

One of the most endearing qualities about Lilly is that she (view spoiler)[truly could care less what others think. She loves Colton for who he IS, not for what she can make him become. What an exemplary love she has for him! (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

and I'm done! What a beautiful and amazing story. I am blown away still and again.

I'll post more tomorrow...tired and going to bed now. I hope you all love it, too.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

5 chapters

:(
I'm not liking it very much
(view spoiler)[ I don't like the style of writing
we're in her head waaaaay too much, with whole days just jumping by with a paragraph or two with little about the interactions or her life. It's hard to explain, but I'm not liking it so far.... (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

I'm so sorry, Trisha. As you can see I loved it! But I understand where you're coming from, too. At least it's a fast read!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

10 chapters

Lilly (view spoiler)[ I'm a little worried she's giving up everything she likes to do in order to be with colton
it's not healthy for her to lose herself in his world either (hide spoiler)]

Colton (view spoiler)[ i like how blunt and honest he is

and it was really nice of her mom to help her feel better about Talia. (hide spoiler)]

I'm so glad you liked this one Vicki. it is a quick read!

[Vicki]

You are right about your first spoiler! I'll have more to say about that when you are finished.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

and I'm done
ugh, I didn't end up liking it any more than I did at the start.....

I guess I never understood or got invested in either character or the outcome

[Mandiann]

I am about 6 chapters in so far. It's cute.

[Sophie]

I'm 5 chapters in so far. (view spoiler)[ I can see where Trisha is coming from. It's a little too short and vague with time moving really fast, and I wish there were more conversations. As you said, it's very inside her head. Yet at the same time I feel like there's not that much of her and I don't know her that well. Like, I know she occasionally likes to take risks so that she feels tough and interesting, but meh.

It's still pretty catchy, though. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Sorry Trisha. So weird how different two people can feel about a book. But thanks for reading it with me!

[Vicki]

I just loved knowing how he had (view spoiler)[a form of autism and people who have that are very literal. It's part of their symptoms. That's why she'd say things to him and he wouldn't understand. Also they don't tend to bond. I think what I loved so much was the way he loved her through his artwork. He couldn't really verbally express it, and I was just so touched by his paintings that told her through that medium how he felt about her. I was touched by that. (hide spoiler)]

[Sophie]

10 chapters in: (view spoiler)[ Still not really sure how I feel. There relationship can be really cute at times (like when he kissed her for the first time) and I like how she interacts with him in that she's very understanding without being condescending (like those girls during the cupcake scene) but at the same time I don't like how possessive and obsessive she is when it comes to him. It doesn't feel very healthy.

But I really liked the line she had about normal being in perspective. (hide spoiler)]

[Sophie]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[I love that this book actually talks about safe sex and different options, while also showing how awkward it can be for someone to pursue those options for the first time. Because I feel like that's something that usually is glossed over in books. (hide spoiler)]

[Sophie]

Finished!

Vicki, (view spoiler)[ I also loved how he showed his love of her through his artwork, and how he talked about her using art too. I loved seeing their relationship through his eyes, I just didn't always like seeing their relationship through her eyes if that makes sense. (hide spoiler)]

[Mandiann]

Sophie wrote: "Chapter 12: [spoilers removed]"

Yes, I love that you mentioned this. I feel this is an awkward topic that is often forgotten and I appreciate that this book shows this reality.

[Vicki]

Sophie, it makes perfect sense. I had some of those same feelings, but I think for me (view spoiler)[the beautiful parts I loved so much outweighed the rest. (hide spoiler)]