Delicate Monsters (ARC) by Stephanie Kuehn - Starting April 3rd 2015

[Sarah Elizabeth]

From the Morris-Award winning author of Charm & Strange, comes a twisted and haunting tale about three teens uncovering dark secrets and even darker truths about themselves.

When nearly killing a classmate gets seventeen-year-old Sadie Su kicked out of her third boarding school in four years, she returns to her family’s California vineyard estate. Here, she’s meant to stay out of trouble. Here, she’s meant to do a lot of things. But it’s hard. She’s bored. And when Sadie’s bored, the only thing she likes is trouble.

Emerson Tate’s a poor boy living in a rich town, with his widowed mother and strange, haunted little brother. All he wants his senior year is to play basketball and make something happen with the girl of his dreams. That’s why Emerson’s not happy Sadie’s back. An old childhood friend, she knows his worst secrets. The things he longs to forget. The things she won’t ever let him.

Haunted is a good word for fifteen-year-old Miles Tate. Miles can see the future, after all. And he knows his vision of tragic violence at his school will come true, because his visions always do. That’s what he tells the new girl in town. The one who listens to him. The one who recognizes the darkness in his past.

But can Miles stop the violence? Or has the future already been written? Maybe tragedy is his destiny. Maybe it’s all of theirs.

[Rachmi]

Megan, sorry I started this book earlier than our schedule. It's holiday tomorrow in my country and I won't be able to read much a whole day. I'll post my progress, though. So we can still discuss it. Hope you don't mind :)

[Rachmi]

I don't like the font of the eARC. It's too small makes my eyes hurt :( How about yours?

[Rachmi]

Chapter 4, 11% (view spoiler)[I wonder what illness Miles has? (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

Chapter 5, 14% (view spoiler)[I thought the time setting is now, this year or sometime in 2000s but the way they talk about May and race is like it happens in 1950s. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

Chapter 6, 15% (view spoiler)[I think Sadie is Miles's fencing sparring partner. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

Chapter 13, 29% (view spoiler)[why Miles doesn't feel his vision when he is in the hospital? (hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

Rachmi wrote: "Megan, sorry I started this book earlier than our schedule. It's holiday tomorrow in my country and I won't be able to read much a whole day. I'll post my progress, though. So we can still discuss ..."

No problem, completely understand! :) I just started it today (it's the 4th for me) - sorry for being a day late!

[Megan]

Rachmi wrote: "I don't like the font of the eARC. It's too small makes my eyes hurt :( How about yours?"

I used the send to Kindle option, so I'm able to adjust the font size and it's fine for me. Do you have a Kindle?

[Rachmi]

No problem Megan. It's already April 6th here :)

I use Samsung Galaxy Tab but yes, I use the Kindle app to read all of ARC I get from NetGalley. My....I don't know that the font is adjustable. I only use Notes & Bookmark, never take a look to their other options, lol.

I've finished it but will try to change the font. Thanks so much, Megan. This is one of the reasons why I love buddy reading :D

[Megan]

Chapter 12 (27%) (view spoiler)[

I'm not too connected with either of the main characters yet, but hopefully that'll change :)

I too wonder what illness Miles has.

It does feel like it's between two different eras. The talk of smartphones and other modern conveniences makes it seem like the setting is now, but the way that Emerson and Sadie think about race seems so backwards.

I think you're right! Now I'm wondering what this will mean.

(hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

You're welcome, Rachmi! I have a Kindle, and only use that, so I don't know what the app is like, but I do hope it is adjustable in the app. I've had ARCs in PDF format that wouldn't convert that had tiny text and it was miserable to read, so I feel your pain.

[Rachmi]

Megan wrote: "You're welcome, Rachmi! I have a Kindle, and only use that, so I don't know what the app is like, but I do hope it is adjustable in the app. I've had ARCs in PDF format that wouldn't convert that h..."

It works, Megan! I'm reading another ARC now and I can adjust it easily. Thanks to you :D

[Rachmi]

Megan wrote: "Chapter 12 (27%)

I'm not too connected with either of the main characters yet, but hopefully that'll change :)

I too wonder what illness Miles has.

It does feel like it's between two different..."

How's the book? have you finished it yet? I love it and really enjoy reading it. I guess Stephanie Kuehn cannot go wrong for me :)

[Megan]

So glad that it does work on the app! :)

[Megan]

Finished chapter 27 (59%) (view spoiler)[

I'm really not getting this book and am not liking it all that much.

Both main characters seem like terrible people, or at the very least extremely messed up, and I'm just not connecting with them at all. I don't know if this is because of the way it's written, flipping between three different perspectives, or if I'd feel this way no matter what because of how they behave...though I've read books where I've hated the main character(s) and still loved the book, so that's probably not the reason.

It is strange that Miles didn't get his visions while in the hospital. I wonder if it's because his food intake is monitored better and so he doesn't get sick while in there. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

Megan wrote: "Finished chapter 27 (59%)

I'm really not getting this book and am not liking it all that much.

Both main characters seem like terrible people, or at the very least extremely messed up, and I'm j..."

You'll get the answer about Miles later. As for you aren't liking it, all I can say that sorry it doesn't work for you. I love it, though the characters are indeed terrible and messed up. It reminds me of Gone Girl which I also love.

And this is my second book from Stephanie Kuehn so I think I'm not surprise with her writing anymore.

[Megan]

Finished (view spoiler)[

I'm certainly glad that you enjoyed the book, but it definitely wasn't one I enjoyed. I'm not going to bash the book, because I know it just wasn't for me and others have loved it (including you), but at the same time I don't think I can give it more than a 1 star...which I always feel bad about doing, since I know authors put a lot of work into writing their books. I know that if I hadn't committed to buddy reading it, I more than likely wouldn't have finish it since it just didn't appeal to me.

The ending was definitely one of things that I really didn't get. Why didn't Sadie just surrender, if she wanted to take the blame or give Miles time to get away, instead of charging out with the rifle in her hands which is going to make the cops shoot her? Did she want to die?

I did think it was absolutely terrible what Emerson admitted to doing to Miles over the years. However, that information didn't do much for the story (to me) because all he does is leave and didn't apologize to Miles or try to make it up to him. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

I think (view spoiler)[it's okay if you gave it 1 star. You didn't like it after all, so don't feel bad about it. I do give 1 star too for books I didn't like at all.

As for the characters my thoughts are 1) Sadie, it is just the way she is. She loves to torture people and herself, I think. She likes complicating everything. When she took the gun, a part of her did it for Miles but the biggest part was for herself. It's kind of to show herself that she can finally do a good thing but then she also cannot help to not torture herself. Does it make sense for you?

2) Emerson, I see him as a coward boy. He cannot accept his dad's death, that's why he erase those memories, the one when his mom told him about his dad's suicide. That lead him to torture Miles. And the fact that he didn't tell anyone about what he did to Miles (except to May which likely won't tell anyone) shows that he doesn't have any intention to tell the world about it, much more apologize to Miles.

Hope you understand what I mean :) (hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

Thanks (view spoiler)[ for explaining! It helped me to see the characters a little bit better. And also thanks for budding this book with me. Even though I didn't like it, I enjoyed being able to discuss it with you and hearing someone else's opinion about it. :) (hide spoiler)]

[Rachmi]

I enjoyed buddy reading it with you too! I think it's one of good things of buddy reading, we can discuss the book we read and see it differently because everyone has his/her own opinion, right? :)