Gearbreakers (July 2023) Buddy Read Discussion - Bopeep & Edith

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the Gearbreakers Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on July 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 07/01
July 1st: chapters 1-5
July 2nd: chapters 6-10

Week of 07/03
July 3rd: chapters 11-18
July 4th: chapters 19-23
July 5th: chapters 24-28
July 6th: chapters 29-33
July 7th: chapters 34-41

PARTICIPANTS
~ Bopeep
~ Edith

[Edith, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

So, I haven't really read much honestly. I got halfway into chapter 2, but had to stop because life happened haha.

Anyway, so far I'm really enjoying the writing style of this book--it reminds a lot of Iron Widow for some reason. Storyline and characters are different, I know, but I just can't shake the feeling.

(view spoiler)[ I'm loving the code name for every pilot and the fact that Sona gets to be called Valkyrie seems so badass to me! Colonel Tether seems like a terrible person so far, so I hope he isn't a protagonist going forward in the book. Excited for Jonathon though! He seems like a fun character. (hide spoiler)]

[Bopeep]

I've read two chapters too.
I'm still getting used to the world and writing style but it seems sooo interesting! 👀
I think it's the mechas that remind you of Iron widow... and the sense of vengeance Sona has hahaha I'm so curious about the other side, those Godslayers...
Is Jonathon the one who connects Sona to the Valkyrie? It's called Lucindo in Spanish lol

[Edith, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Yes! Lucindo is his last name, but I couldn't remember it when I was typing out that last comment lol. Now that I've read a little more, I didn't realize the whole unit was called Valkyrie, I got kind of confused haha.

I agree, it's sooo interesting. I want to devour it in one sitting but I haven't been home much these past few days

[Bopeep]

Chapter 8

I think there's too much happening and we still are entering this world, and it confuses me. So we have Sona who wants to destroy the mechas from the inside (and help the rebels) and Eris who's a captured rebel. They hadn't yet talked but they will soon, won't they? I don't think how Sona could free Eris though...


BTW, yesterday I was reading until late and I've dreamed of mechas and pilots lol I was a little soldier, everyone was against me, and I think I stole a flying mecha for myself hahaha like the one that's mentioned at the end of the chapter

[Bopeep]

Chapter 23

I'm not sure why, but the first chapters, (before they escaped) were fast like... The author didn't really want to write them and fast-forwarded to the point she wanted? After that it all made more sense.

But I like the worldbuilding, it's so cruel for the big city to punish the others that I can see it in a far away future...

[Edith, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Not quite to Ch. 23 yet haha but I’m liking the story so far. I’m still towards the very beginning, but so far I’m liking Eris and her band of misfit crews. Excited to see what the future holds for them.

Hahaha, I love when books mesh into your subconscious 😂 One time I had a dream while reading Crooked Kingdom where I was hired by Pekka to spy on Kaz but I was stopped by Inej and the White Blade. Apparently I was an inferni though but I wouldn’t use my powers against them bc it was against my religion? It was so confusing to me. When I woke up I couldn’t stop thinking about how weird it was to me both assassins had teamed up lol.

Not too sure of the chapter’s context where you’re at, but I totally agree with you. The world is so messed up, that to me, things in books just seem sorta/maybe predictions most of the time. Like the Handmaid’s Tale.

[Bopeep]

Yees, I like Eris and her crew a lot! They are all misfit but somehow they fit together. I like the relationship with Nova and Theo I think?

Oooh what a nice dream! Well, maybe stressing, but I would love to read that as a fanfic lol

I really hope the Handmaid's tale won't be real because omg. I prefer an apocalypse than that

[Abigail]

I just finally got a copy of the book so I hope y'all don't mind me joining late 😅

I've made it to chapter 8 and so far I'm really enjoying it. I also got the Iron Widow vibes from the Mechas

[Edith, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Yes! The more the merrier :D And don’t you worry, I’m roughly around there as well, so if anything you’ll still have me as a buddy haha

@Bopeep, ME TOO. I’d take an apocalypse over that 😭
(I should’ve written my dream down, huh?)

[Bopeep]

I finished yesterday~

I felt kinda so-so with this book? Though I liked some parts, I didn't felt that I liked liked it. Eris disfunctional family was the best part!
And I couldn't make any theories because it was so straight-forward...

@Abigail Welcome! I will read your comments here as you read, I'm curious about what you two think about the story~

[Edith, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Okay, so I’m back with an update. I kept tying to read this but I couldn’t make myself continue? I tried so hard. I was disappointed by the way the storyline was going and I think overall, Eris was just not doing it for me in the character department. Which is sad because I had high hopes for this book 😭

[Bopeep]

Aww! But I agree with you, something happened with this book, I didn't have the motivation to pick it up either... And it was kind of predictable :/

[Abigail]

Thanks for the welcome!

Most of this was from when I started typing a reply after chapter 28 and didn't get around to posting it but I'm up to chapter 36 now: so far my very mature notes were about how much it felt like Sona and Eris were flirting the whole time they were fighting in the jail cell and I was very much enjoying that and looking forward to seeing how it develops (and honestly still am cuz nothing much has happened between them). Nothing has happened was my note in chapter 28 but like it's still kinda relevant like I feel like they've been getting closer and then tearing themselves apart a lot and it's getting old.

@bopeep I agree that the beginning was hard to follow but I thought it was just me cuz a lot of the time I struggle to keep up with scifi books and their lore but it did seem fast compared to what's going on now

@edith I'm sorry you're having trouble picking the book back up but I get it because if I didn't have it as an audiobook idk if I would finish it. I just kind of stopped caring about the story and characters a couple chapters ago

(view spoiler)[
I know I don't really care about the characters the way I thought I did because one of Eris's group died and I was like 🤷 (and also that I don't even remember their name)
(hide spoiler)]

[Bopeep]

Eris and Sona's bickering was kind of fun? But I don't like insta-love and it was like that with Sona *sigh*
I think most of scifi and fantasy books have that problem, that they drop you in the middle of a world you have no idea about and it's confusing. But you're right, it was fast compared with the middle of the book where it's too chill.

Oooh Eris gang was the best part for me! And I remember him because he was (kind of) sweet. His name was Xander, btw hahaha

[Abigail]

Yeah the insta love was kinda weird and sudden. Thanks for telling me his name! I enjoyed the vibes of Eris's gang I just also wasn't super invested in the book by the time they rolled around.

I just finished the book so (view spoiler)[ oh my fucking God 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 of course it was a conspiracy with the leader of the rebels and the government like that's the most basic turn this book could have taken (hide spoiler)]

[Bopeep]

I knew it was him the time Eris' sister said there was a spy there... And if that was supposed to surprise me, it didn't lol