Lanes Book Club discussion
February Verity
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Chapter 4
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Hey! I’m on chapter 12 (ugh this book is soooo good)1. I’m really gravitating towards Jeremy! I like him. He seems like a nice, down to earth guy. The fact that he literally offers the shirt off his back to a complete stranger is telling. Lowen, I feel like she is a bit of a lost soul. Their first encounter was more like fate than a coincidence. The fact he was the stranger that helped her in such a shocking and traumatic moment made taking this job easier. I think Jeremy will change her some way.
2. This is such a great question! I think the idea of “chronics” is the same of the belief that some people are just “lucky”. In some scenarios we attract what we get. That doesn’t necessarily mean if we wish hard enough we automatically get what we want. I think it’s the energy and time we spend focusing on parts of our lives. However, that being said the characters in this book didn’t “attract” their loss but instead I think they took on that identity and accepted it as part of who they are.
3. I would have taken the job if were Lowen because being a writer is who she is. Whether she wants the “fame” or not- hers words are her livelihood. Also, not to mention she would be screwed financially if she didn’t take the job.
4. At the bite marks part I wasn’t so sure if this a fun, sexy outcome OR if it was something much darker! I can’t imagine biting a headboard during sex...maybe a pillow! hahah I’m thinking either his wife or some other character.
Hey! This story is magnificent. I read the book already in January at the beginning and I'm glad to go through it again.1. My first impression that the two characters, Jeremy and Lowen, made me was that both of them were defective characters. Yes Jeremy indeed has a special style of being polite, and I really liked it, and his gesture of offering his shirt to a foreign person who just witnessed an accident seemed nice to me. Lowen is an introverted with an early agoraphobia, and that shows that he is at a difficult time in his life. The circumstances in which the two characters meet for the first time, the starting scene of the novel, show the two people's desire to hide from the world by complicating themselves with anonymity.
2. I don't even know what to answer to this question or whether I would take it right. I think our life often follows what attracts you, as long as you attract negativism that is exactly what you will receive, and if you attract optimism, you will have a happy life. There are many people who are not content with what they have and always complain about different things. I don't want to misunderstand me, I appreciate any desire to be a better version of you, but sometimes those disgruntled characters are so focused on them as a person that they refuse to look around at real problems of the world. And I think I can treat them as chronic persons. These people forget to enjoy the blessings of life given to you every day.
3. My answer is no, as I have read the book and I know what it involves. But by pushing that out, I think so, as long as you need the money to rebuild a new life.
4. I will not answer this question because I already know the answer and I agree with @Lyndsay on the part with "it was something much darker" and I can't imagine how someone who is in an amateur game can bite the headboard, or maybe you want to redecorate your bed - hahah :)
P.S. I'm sorry if I've been writing something and it's not quite understandable, but for me it's the first time I'm in a club book and it's the first time I've written so much in English.
So I’m trying to pace myself and only read up to the chapters you’ve stated 😅 so I just finished chap 4. 1. I like Lowen. She should be more confident in how badass she is but still finds her self unsure. Which I think some of us can relate to. I know I do.
I like Jeremy too. I get the feeling that he was an outgoing/life of the party kind of guy growing up but all the tragedy has matured him. I’m interested to see what lies ahead.
Side note-
I found it interesting that Lowen mentioned the NYC was an agoraphobic’s paradise bc everything you need could be bought online or delivered so you don’t have to leave home. Although I’m not an agoraphobic, thats def me living in California during this pandemic lol That thought stood out to be because of how relevant it is in our current lives.
2. I don’t know if I 100% believe in chronics maybe bc I’ve never experienced it personally (which I’m incredibly thankful for.) To me, once we have the mindset that “I just have bad luck” then bad luck and tragedy tends to find us. So I would hate going through life thinking that I’m a chronic because it would be a tough thought to shake. But there are ppl who have gone through tragedy time and time again so I would hate to devalue their experiences, so although i don’t believe 100% I’ll keep an open mind to a phenomenon that I may just have never experienced.
3. I would have accepted it the same way Lowen did. Say no first bc it sounds overwhelming but once I understood the reason why I was picked, then be more inclined even if though it stills sound overwhelming.
4. Originally thought Verity! But I see a few ppl saying it’s darker then imagined, so I’m intrigued!
So I've already read the book a couple of weeks ago but I am rereading in the pace set here it to freshen up my memory and join the discussions!1. My first impression of Jeremy was that he was a nice guy who seems to have matured because of what happened to him. It almost seems like he had a calmness to him, which, when I think about it now, is somewhat eerie, like the calmness could be either a good or a bad sign.
I absolutely agree that Lowen is a badass. In those first moments when we meet her she seems so disconnected from everything, but she isn't. The way Hoover set up her character in the beginning made me want to get to know her, maybe even identify with her, and gave me the sense of a strong woman.
2. I think the answer to that question is closely related to the way we think life works. Do we believe in fate? Coincidence? A higher power like a god? I can definitely see how someone might be described as a Chronic, but I don't think anyone is 'doomed' like that from the beginning. Some might describe me as a pessimist, but even as a pessimist I would say we are allowed and should be encouraged to seek help and try to recover from whatever tragedy oder tragedies we have lived through and get better. Just saying that you are a Chronic seems like giving in and when someone is at that point I would hope they have someone or something around them that can help get them back on track again. Oh wow - I only came to this conclusion while writing and that makes me excited to continue my reread and see how this might influence how I perceive the story.
3. Yes, I think I would have. It is the only possibility she has, since she needs the money. I probably would have tried to get out of living in the house, because it just seems strange and creepy. But to set off the story, Lowen needs to live there I guess.
4. Ah - the bite marks on the headboard. When I read about that I immediately thought it must've been Verity or Jeremy during sex. I think I was gravitating more towards Verity, but I definitely wasn't sure. The darker than imagine outcome really hasn't crossed my mind.
Am I the only one who thinks it's really weird that Jeremy doesn't even seem to think about the bite marks? Or that he just gives her his and his wife's former bedroom? Sure, she gets whatever room is most convenient. It's closer to the office and gives her some more privacy since Jeremy, Crew, and Verity are staying upstairs. But I think it really adds to that eerie feeling Lowen gets. Like her staying in the house, in the very bedroom where Jeremy and Verity loved and enjoyed each other, just makes it feel like an even bigger intrusion. I would love to hear your opinions on that!
Hello! I just finished Chapter 4 last night! “Here, I’m invisible. Unimportant. Manhattan is too crowded to give a shit about me, and I love her for it.”
I love this about her! I am the same way. She likes her solitude, which makes sense because I would say most writers do. Despite living in a grungy apartment and having no money she still pursues what she loves to do and I admire that. I don’t have a grasp on Jeremy yet. Despite how nice he appears to be, he seems mysterious to me and I have yet to understand some of his intentions. With that being said it must be a whirlwind of a time for him with everything that has happened in the family.
I do believe in the law of attraction and I think certain people are in a perpetual state of “bad things happen to me” or “I always get bad luck” and that mental state is a magnet for attracting unwanted situations. I also do believe though that the struggle can be part of ones path, ones destiny. Once you find its purpose it will begin its transformation from pain to empowerment. How you see and understand The Chronics in your own life is how it will continue to manifest.
Oh yes, I definitely would have taken the job! Your going to pay me a bunch of money for doing something I love, zero obligation of publicity AND I get to use a pen name? That is the dream of an introvert (me) right there! 😂
I have no idea who did the bite marks. It doesn’t make sense to me that anyone would lol! Going to let this one play out!
Wow everyone! I love reading your comments and your thoughts. I’m noticing now that my focus has gone to Jeremy’s character rather than Lowen, which is interesting since this story is told from her perspective. Now I’m wondering do Lowen and Verity mirror each other? Verity calls herself and her family “chronics” and Lowen’s character seems to be more “glass half empty”...do they share character traits and qualities?
My first impression on Jeremy and Lowen: kinda got a fifty shades vibe there. Anyone else?
I'm wondering if Lowen and Verity will have more in common than we might think?I haven't seen Fifty Shades but this does give me Shutter Island vibes.
Mod
I totally am getting Fifty shades vibes - even from the beginning when they're in the bathroom. I can feel their sexual tension lol
Dang! I started by just reading the sample chapters while waiting for my book to come in and ended up finding myself stalking my tracking info cuz I wanted more!1. I appreciate how straightforward and real Lowen seems to be and I too got 50 shades vibes from Jeremy and their bathroom meeting. They share darkness about them that’s still charming somehow!
2. I’m so conflicted about the concept of Chronics honestly. I feel like overall I believe in a higher power, fate to an extent, and that there are certain inevitabilities in life so the idea that some people are “meant” or “cursed” to endure chronic tragedy is something I can accept as a possibility. But at the same time I don’t want believing in that to also send the message that we have no power over our lives! I believe that while there may be a lot we cannot control, that shouldn’t take value away from what we can control or mean we can’t do something important or meaningful with the hand we are dealt no matter how seemingly “chronic”! Empowerment is important! 💪🏼
3. Yes I would’ve taken the job too! 🤷🏻♀️🙈
4. I think Verity made the bite marks on the headboard but I don’t know why. Haha maybe I’m just following the 50 shades vibes.
I already read the book 2 years ago, and it quickly became one of my favorites. But I don't remember everything, so it's great to revisit this in detail! :)1. Jeremy seems like a very nice, kind and helpful person, despite every tragedy that has happened to him. But some things are definitely coming soon out of the closet.
I feel very sad for Lowen. Her problem of sleepwalking, and as the result her being isolated from others, feeling guilt (what's even more heratbreaking, instilled by her own mother), having no real friends and having history of being in bad relationships - all of it combined makes it clear why she is the way that she is. Instead of getting support and kindness from her mother, she was fed only guilt since the early age!
2. Yes, I definitely believe in this idea. Just when you think life can't get any worse, something even more terrible can happen to you. And no one is safe from that!
As a result, some people tend to believe that what's happening is somehow their fault, which is even more traumatizing.
3. I guess I would take this job. But it seemed pretty strange to me that Lowen decided to sort through the notes first instead of reading the series. What's the point of trying to make sense of something if you don't know what you deal with in the first place?
4. I don't remember anything about the bite marks, so I'm intrigued all over again :D
But just judging by the whole spooky vibe of the book, something dark is sure to come out of it!
(1) I instantly loved Lowen because she's keeping it together even though her life seems to be falling apart when we meet her, and I love that she doesn't actually realise how much of a strong woman she is - she needs to give more credit to herself (but don't we all lmao) Jeremy comes across really mysterious - can't help but feel sorry for him with the loss of his daughters and Verity's accident etc. He does seem like a genuinely kind hearted person, who's trying to keep it together for his son. (2) I honestly don't know how I feel about the idea of chronics - I definitely think it's something you can compare to our reality, what I mean by that is some families have been really struck by numerous tragedies (just like Jeremy's) so I guess if you were in their position you may believe you just have the worst luck and you'll be prone to even more bad luck - but I'm not entirely sure if I believe this to be true!
(3) I think I would have taken the job - but probably would have constant anxiety about it because it's such a big weight on your shoulders with the huge success of Verity's past books - I would be worried about whether I would be able to live up to the standards she had already set!
(4) The bite marks on the headboard - I feel so conflicted about because at first it seemed obvious it would be either Jeremy or Verity, but then why on Earth would Jeremy tell Lowren that's where she'll be sleeping? Like AS IF he would forget about the fact there are bite marks and then allow a guest to sleep there. I definitely think there is a darker meaning behind the marks and I'm reluctant to find out what it is!
Hi there, I'm on chapter 6. I may be a little behind but I've had a few phone problems and I'm reading the kindle book.1. I like both Jeremy and Lowen on first impressions. Jeremy I like because he is so kind to iffer the shirt off his back when you first meet him. Lowen I like because I can really relate to the clumsily going through life waiting for a smack in the face, whether good or bad.
2. I don't grasp this concept because I've seen too many people work hard for their lives to make them better, whether personally knowing that person, knowing of them through friends or family, hearing about the underdog celebrity who comes from nothing but tragedy using their platform to turn that into positivity for themselves, their families, their fans, people not as well off as them or in similar positions to what they once were. I think tragedies will always happen and they make us stronger but I don't think anyone is in a position for being a 'chronic' or targeted by tragedies.
3. I love reading books, poetry... Etc, I also write my own poems for limited audiences. The spoken and written word to me is an art form, but that job for me I couldn't accept. It would be like J. K. Rowling asking me to write 3 new Harry Potter books, it would be waaaay too much pressure. Not saying I wouldn't deeply consider it, but ultimately I couldn't.
4. I'm not sure who left the bite marks, however personally Verity seems more of the adventurous one in the bedroom to me so I'm going with her.
Just finished chapter 4-To me, Lowen seemed like someone who has just “existed” lately. She likes to blend in, and I have a feeling Jeremy is going to push her out of her comfort zone. For some reason, Jeremy intrigues me more than Lowen.
-As people have said above, you attract the vibes you give out. If you are a negative person, you tend to only see the negative things in life. Of course, really bad things happen to really good people all the time, so there are exceptions. I think its all about your mindset.
-NOPE. That is all.
-I think the bite marks are going to be from Verity- and Lowen is going really step foot inside Verity’s shoes to get the full picture of who she is- no boundaries.
At this point don't read ahead if you haven't finished chapter 4 - no problem if you haven't got this far!
- What were your first impressions on Jeremy and Lowen?
- Do you believe in the idea of "Chronics?" (pg 31)
- Would you have taken on this new job?
- Which one of them do you think was the one to leave bite marks in the headboard? (pg 50)
Answer as much or as little as you'd like and don't forget to tell me what chapter you're on.
Thanks!