Meatworks Buddy Read (EE, Elena, Tara, Maya, Heidi, and Mel) Jan 23 2015

[Mel]

discuss ahead, my friends

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

Yay!!

I'm looking forward to this, PsyCop is a fav series so this is exciting!

[Mel]

It's my first by JCP. I'm excited because I've heard great things about her books...

[Maya]

Thanks again for the invite, Mel.

It will be my first JCP too and I have high hopes :)

[Mel]

You're so welcome, Maya :-)

[E.E.]

I'm really excited for this and a little nervous. I heard JCP read part of it back in September and it was fabulous. But JCP also said she was surprised so many people liked it because she wrote it without much hope it would appeal to anyone. Which makes me think its' going to be different from her other books (which I love)

::bites nails::

[Mel]

@EE: :-) I'm sure it'll be great, too! I'm already at 12% and really liking it so far!

[Ellie]

I hope to start it tomorrow on my way to work (which is basically the only time I have to read these days ;)

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

Oh now I'm very intrigued!!

I'm going to read a short Sterek right now and then I think I might read a few sneaky chapters, I really should wait until tomorrow (pay day) but I don't think I have the will power.

Just one chapter! :)

[Mel]

The first chapter started really strong. I couldn't stop grinning the whole time!

[Ellie]

I started this morning and manage to get to the middle of Chapter 2. I do like Desmond's voice a lot so far.

[Mel]

'Tis so good, I can hardly pace myself ;-) I'm already at 30%. 'Tis the best motivation, too. I learn some vocabularies and get to read a chapter after... #brilliantlearningmethods

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

Really like what the word 'Meatworks' means.

Clever.

[Mel]

Tara ♥'s Hooch & Kendras wrote: "Really like what the word 'Meatworks' means.

Clever."

True! Although I kinda find it disturbing, too.

[Maya]

Mel lives in Prosperityverse wrote: "True! Although I kinda find it disturbing, too."

I find it disturbing too but it seems to fit robots dominated world.

I'm 5 chapters in and I like Desmond a lot. He's kind of a self-destructing rebel :)

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

Mel lives in Prosperityverse wrote: "Tara ♥'s Hooch & Kendras wrote: "Really like what the word 'Meatworks' means.

Clever."

True! Although I kinda find it disturbing, too."

Hehe I'm a fan of the macabre. :D

[Ellie]

I 50% done and Desmond has grown on me.
I find the story rather gritty and more depressing than I expected but very engaging.

[Heidi]

im a little bit behind, but certainly enjoying it. I feel sad for Desmond but loving Corey

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

I'm way, way behind, will get lots done tomorrow. Dedicating the day to walking and reading. That's it. Not even speaking to the Boy tomorrow, just reading!

[Heidi]

Tara ♥'s Hooch & Kendras wrote: "I'm way, way behind, will get lots done tomorrow. Dedicating the day to walking and reading. That's it. Not even speaking to the Boy tomorrow, just reading!"

Reading & walking definitely a good plan! You can count me in this BR I'm definitely hooked!

[Mel]

YAY :-) I'll scratch the lurking ;-)

[Heidi]

Gah! I don't want to stop reading, but someone's got to cook dinner!

[Mel]

Same here... Still need to study :-( I'm at 65% now. Love this book!

[Heidi]

Can't wait for all your thoughts on this one girls. I had a good run after dinner and finished it. I had to 'put pen to page' so to speak and, do my review or else it goes out of my brain! So don't look at my review until you're done reading!

[Mel]

Heidi, I always have to write my reviews at once or else I'll forget everything, too.

[Ellie]

I am done as well. I had a rough time at the beginning but ended loving it

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

I'm way, way behind. All plans went out the window today and sleep won out!

I'm only half way but really enjoying it, it's beautifully written!!

[Mel]

I'm at 85% and I think I'll finish tonight...

[Mel]

I am done :-) Wrote a review, too :-)

Loved it!!!

How are the rest of you doing?

[Maya]

Mel lives in Prosperityverse wrote: "I am done :-) Wrote a review, too :-)

Loved it!!!

How are the rest of you doing?"

30 pages left to finish and I don't want it to end, it's so good.

Will read your review when I'm done.

[Ellie]

I will review it some time next week. \

I wanted to ask if anyone else that the women (all 2 of them) presented rather negative and just because Desmond saw them that way but I got the impression his opinion was justified by their behaviour.

Another point I'd like to raise - I wish there was some revenge of Biggie, for the sake of justice.

And final one, I kind of fell for Jim and I'd love to read his story.

[Mel]

Good questions :-D

Both women were awful, yes. I especially hated that phobia chick. For some reason I didn't think it was about gender, though. For me it was about the system. I dunno. Maybe it was intentional that these were women, maybe not?

Biggie... It wouldn't have fit into the story, in my opinion. It would have been too fairytale-like, and if there is one book that is so not a fairytale, it is Meatworks.

Jim... I was annoyed by him at first, but I saw that he meant well. (view spoiler)[But he and Desmond just didn't work together. They were not good for each other. That's what I thought from the very beginning. I am glad that they parted in a good way. I even could understand their kiss in the end, a goodbye, fitting for them. (hide spoiler)]

[Tara♥ {MindforBooks}]

I'm all done, I really liked the writing, JCP is just such a fabulous writer.

I love her PsyCop series and this was so different from that but just as good. It felt desperate and hopeless most of the time but seeing Des start on a road to acceptance was really cool and his story is definitely going to stay with me for a long time!

[Ellie]

@Tara, I also felt it was really gloomy and bleak. The writing is so strong that it creates a powerful picture of a rather desperate future.

@Mel, I did feel that the women were portrayed negatively on purpose and it annoyed me a bit.

You are right about the revenge on Biggie - it would be too fairytale like, but it I thought a sort of karmic payback would be fitting.

Have you read Glitterland? I felt there a lot of similarities between the stories though the style and setting is completely different. I felt bad about Niall in Glitterland, though I realized he was no the right person for Ahs. It was the same for me here - I realize Jim and Desmond are not good together but I really liked Jim and I'm curious about his story.

[Mel]

OF COURSE I HAVE READ GLITTERLAND!!!! :-))))))

You are right, there are similarities here between Niall and Jim. I could have killed Niall when he (view spoiler)[showed Ash up in front of Darian (hide spoiler)]. I felt bad for him, too, and I even could forgive him a bit...
Jim is too tame for my taste, at least most of the time. Mebbe not when he met Desmond ;-) It could be interesting when he loses the stick in his ass...?

I didn't have a problem with the mood or vibe at all. I get why you felt that way, though. For me, though, it was always accompanied by a smile or a smirk. I found so many things so funny and lovely. Like, for example, when Des goes to the post office, he is so annoyed and all, but the moment the robot opens it's mouth, I lay laughing on the floor. If you want to [insert any kind of nonsense], say yes, now. Hilarious. So for me it was really well balanced.

[Mel]

I think it's really unusual to read a romance with an anti-hero as a protagonist. I mean, until the end (view spoiler)[he isn't really honest, he drinks, earns his living behind taxes. (hide spoiler)] He's really not your standard romance type of a man.

I found that absolutely great for a change! And I think JCP did an amazing job creating such a loveable ass and loser.

[Maya]

Finished. Loved it too. Made me want to re-read Glitterland :)

Re the 2 female characters: I think I took it in a similar way as Mel so I wasn't annoyed TBH. One represented Desmond's hate for the system, the other - for the attitude towards people like him. And there weren't many things that Desmond didn't hate so ...


Loved the afterword with the photos too. I think JCP nailed it with the atmosphere she created in the book.

[Mel]

Can't re-read Glitterland enough :-)

And yes to the afterword!!!