The Girl in Red (January 2022) Buddy Read Discussion - Jen K & HeatherH

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the The Girl in Red Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on January 1st and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 01/01
January 1: Ch 1-3
January 2: Ch 4-7

Week of 01/03
January 3: Ch 8-10
January 4: Ch 11-13
January 5: Ch 14-end

PARTICIPANTS
~ Jen K
~ HeatherH

[Jen K]

Read the first 3 chapters today. Startling to consider that this was published in 2019 and yet does the airborne pandemic quite will along with CDC recommendations for masks. Thankfully Covid didn't get this bad but eerie.

I really like Red as a character so far. I get her and her survivalist skills from dystopian books. She is overly practical and it's a shame that her family wasn't quite as on board.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

:O Wait, wait, this is dystopian and has a pandemic? Yesterday I saw that I have the book as an ebook, and was thinking if maybe I should join the BR, now I'm intrigued.

[Jen K]

Give it a try!! Red is walking to Grandma's after an airborne pandemic took out most of the population that she calls the Crisis. She is trying to survive the illness and the "wolves" and her survival skills are based on dystopian novels she read before the Crisis.

Just finished Chapter 7, she flashbacks between the start of her trek to Grandma's and her current status on the trek. I know that this is the definition of a retelling but it is fun to have such a modern MC in such an old story and that Red carries an axe, tent and dehydrated food rather than a basket of cookies.

[j2yde]

i suppose i'll be joining this buddyread if you guys don't mind!

[Jen K]

Jayden wrote: "i suppose i'll be joining this buddyread if you guys don't mind!"

You are more than welcome!

[HeatherH]

Hey ya'll, I'm running behind but starting soon!

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I read the first 3 chapters, still don't know how I feel about it. I like the post pandemic world, and I'm looking forward to more of that, but I'm still not fully hooked. I like that Red is not a teenager, but actually has 20 years, that's a tad refreshing.

[Jen K]

Interested to see how you find it and if you don't finish, at least you can get it off your ereader!

I have to say that while I like knowing both the before and the after parts of the story, it is disruptive in my staying engaged. Still enjoying enough. I have a low bar after poor Woven in Moonlight.

[j2yde]

i am...definitely very behind but i will catch up after i take a shower:)

so far (i'm not even a full chapter in) i really like Red. thas all for now

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Yes, that's my plan 😄 Since atm I'm not working I want to go through my books too see what is going to stay and what not, and I also love deleting stuff so there's fun too.

I think that the Before and After is the reason I'm not fully invested yet. Like I said, I like the post-world and I want to know more about it and the Before is getting in the way 😂 but also it can be interesting to see how everything goes to hell... it's just too early.

If nothing else the book is short, and what I read/listened to went by fast.

[Jen K]

It is a very quick read and hard to pace myself. I had to start another book yesterday to not finish it. :)

In the before, there is at least the relationship with Adam and I presume we will find out what happened to him.

Ch 8-10 (view spoiler)[ In the After, I'm glad that Red found Riley and Sam. She really needed company and they need support though it will make the trek even more difficult. In the Before, Red and Adam really lose focus of the situation in their bickering. I'm going to guess that Adam sacrifices himself for Red with the militia guys? Why is it that at the slightest hint of chaos, men (based on most dystopia) suddenly feel they have the right to take, harm and own what or whoever they want? (hide spoiler)]

[j2yde]

surprisingly, i actually really like the story so far!! adam is admittedly a bit annoying, and the before and after slightly triggers me but not as much as other books so that's great:)

i'm sooo curious as to what happened to adam. it's so hard to pace myself with the book

[j2yde]

Jen K wrote: "It is a very quick read and hard to pace myself. I had to start another book yesterday to not finish it. :)

In the before, there is at least the relationship with Adam and I presume we will find o..."

(view spoiler)[ i'm also glad she met them! although the way she was interacting with them was, not gonna lie, a bit sus. and yeah, those men realllyyyy piss me off. but if you really think about it, what they're doing *can* be deemed as smart or something. i mean, the Cough is going to have humanity start from scratch so they better try to get high rankings while they still can yk? (big recipe for disaster though, ugh) (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Gosh, after 7 chapters I still don't know how I feel about it, and that may something to do with the narration. I don't know if it's only because of the audio but.. It all sounds somehow flat to me. If all characters were present in the Before and After I'm pretty sure I would have a problem distinguishing which is which.

(view spoiler)[I get that knowing what people do in books and movies in these cases gives Red an advantage, but for some reason it's annoying me a bit *shrugs* I guess I'm used to everyone being and idiot and figuring it out as they go 😂

I'm curious as to what happened to Adam, did he give up on Red's plan to go to Grandma's or did he go to one of the facilities since that's what he wanted to do from the start. (hide spoiler)]

[j2yde]

oo i actually really liked the narration - it moved things along smoothly imo. although it does kinda of lack emotion. Red doesn't seem as affected as she should be with everything going on, and it's kinda scary. like i understand being calm on the journey and stuff, but how about when the Cough first appeared?? or when her parents were taken? yes, she did show emotion but the narration lacked it. does that make sense-

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Yes! that. it makes sense.. the lack of emotion that, that's what I'm talking about 😂 I only didn't know how to put it into words.

I just stated chapter 9, but might have to make a pause.. BUT chapter 8 got interesting. Like what happened to the guy in the shop?? If stuff like this keeps appearing this book may get interesting for me.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Caught up to today's chapters and I'm interested in the story now. (view spoiler)[I'm also glad Red found Riley and Sam, and I'm hoping nothing bad happens to them.. but then I think this is dystopia and things already went to shit so... (hide spoiler)]

[Jen K]

Ha ha, I'm not sure that I have all my hopes set on a happy ending but we will see. Glad it is getting more interesting! I held off reading today but may finish tomorrow if work isn't too crazy. It's too to the end and what is really going on?

I'm not listening to the audio so I don't think I'm having the same issue. It is always so fascinating how a narrator can make or break a book.

[j2yde]

not gonna lie, i'm excited to see how the author ends the book since it's not part of a series (i don't think?). so much is going on and i wonder how they'll see fit to stop the chaos

[Jen K]

Jayden wrote: "not gonna lie, i'm excited to see how the author ends the book since it's not part of a series (i don't think?). so much is going on and i wonder how they'll see fit to stop the chaos"

Not a series! It's definitely going in some interesting directions. Gave in and read through Chapter 13.

(view spoiler)[So there is a second pandemic of a murderous parasite in addition to the Cough? And it was developed by the government? What are the militia trying to do with it? Terrifying all around. Poor Adam. I was really hoping that he would just be taken to a quarantine camp.

I really like DJ and I wonder if the kids should just stay with him. Though it does seem as if they blew their cover with the local patrols. I'm not looking forward to the showdown when they come back. DJ sounds awesome but not sure he would manage or agree to leave his house. Love that Riley is a mini chef and loves bibimbap.

How is this all going to wrap up in just 3 more chapters and so few pages???? (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Finally got started last night, only two chapters in but definitely intrigued and excited to get more of it read today!

[j2yde]

chapter 13 -
(view spoiler)[ wahh what happened to adam physically hurt :( BUT, again, narration lacked emotion and it made the scene very bland unfortunately.

i'm also so curious as to how the story is gonna end since it's almost done. although, i have a bit of an educated guess (cant remember if this happened in chap 13 but red was talking about how she WASN'T going to be a hero so maybe the author will stick to that and not have Red save the world? (hide spoiler)]

[j2yde]

i'm gonna try to wrap up the book today as i have other buddyreads starting soonnn

[j2yde]

i'm on the last chapter omg

(view spoiler)[ there's still SO MUCH happening & the last chapter is short so i'm afraid we won't get a satisfying ending...fingers crossed though (hide spoiler)]

[j2yde]

OH TURNS OUT I WASN'T ON THE LAST CHAPTER- oops!

ending spoilers!!!!
(view spoiler)[ okay, not gonna lie, SLIGHTLY satisfied with the ending. but it was basically a cliff hanger and i have so many questions :,(

i know some authors do that type of ending on purpose so readers can imagine what happens next but i personally don't like them that much, especially when i have a lot of questions about what happens next. i feel like red's story isn't over, even though the actual book is. sadly we don't know how her story ends though (unless another book is coming out??? :o) (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Ok ya'll, I finished this today..

(view spoiler)[ I agree with Jayden that the bland narration took away some of the emotional punch that Adam's death had/should have had.
I adored the addition of Riley and Sam. And DJ was a great character too - even though I suspected him so much at first. It was nice for Red to come along other good people along her journey.
I'm annoyed with the whole government created creature thing honestly.. this was working just fine as a pandemic, didn't need a more sci-fi type of element added imo.
And the ending definitely did not provide me with enough closure on anything.. Sad day. The writing worked for me, I was intrigued and enjoyed the story mostly. Just feel shorted on the ending. (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I sat down, and I'm going to finish the book. Since everyone is done I can comment without the spoiler tag.

Firstly, I want to say I love Red's brain. Knowing random shit is so cool, and I wish I had a vast interest in things and good memory to actually remember said things.

Second, I love how it's presenting at least a part of today's situation.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Finished it.

I suspected D.J. too 😂 and was "is this where he betrays them?" on several occasions.

The narration was a bit bland, which made it a tad less enjoyable. But I was intrigued with the alien/parasite. I can see that it was too much since we already had a pandemic.. and now that I finished I see that none of it was nicely tied at the end and it annoys me.

On one hand it can be a "to be seen" kind of scenario, but still it was lacking things. Okay, we have a government made creature and we have the military that can't give classified information to the public but we didn't get much on it. What about the militia? They had some plan, they were doing something, but we didn't find anything more about it. I just feel like the book should've been a bit longer, or if it had been written with a bit more information, a bit more developed from the beginning.

[Jen K]

Finished earlier this week but has been a hectic one.

I agree with Red's brain. I love how seriously she tries to do everything right in the pandemic/ trek. I kind of took her lack of emotion as due to so much analytic thinking. I'm glad I didn't do the audiobook as it sounds like the narration wasn't good.

I agree with Heather that the government monster parasite was a bit unnecessary. There was plenty going on without but it did make a really nice way for Red to show off her knowledge and to pit the real army against the militia and without masks on. On the one hand, it would have been interesting to learn more about how the monster got created and why and how it got loose but I'm not sure that I needed to know how it would be conquered. I was happy to just hang out with Grandma in the woods but will Red be satisfied? I find it hard to believe that she won't want to follow up on the monster parasites.

DJ kept freaking me out too. The author did a good job in keeping us on the edge. I was for sure he was going to sell them to the militia that night. I'm glad that he turned out to be a good one.