The Vines 100%

[Kate]

Hi everyone,

The Vines won the poll for our May month read.
The read will start on the 3rd May.

Who's up for reading it? :)

[Justin]

I'm in.

[Maxine Marsh]

I'm in too.

[REMEMBER UKRAINE NOW ReadingReindeer]

I'vevread it, so will just chime in with comments occasionally:)

[Addy]

I'm in! My sister got it signed for me. She lives in New Orleans:)

[Maxine Marsh]

Addy wrote: "I'm in! My sister got it signed for me. She lives in New Orleans:)"

Nice, Addy! I guess Christopher Rice is staying local :)

[Tom]

I have it signed too. Anne and Christopher came to our book fest and I went and heard them speak. They were great chatters.

[Kate]

Okay, spoilers are now changed to 25% for this week. Enjoy. :)

[Maxine Marsh]

Anyone started this yet? I'm at about 20% pretty quickly. Not sure if I like the present tense with Rice's writing style, it is kind of off-putting. Otherwise the plot seems interesting and I like the Blake and Nova characters.

[Addy]

I plan on starting tomorrow or Wednesday. I've been reading reviews of rice's work and ppl either hate him or love him. I hope I'm of the later:)

[Kate]

This was up on NG and I did think about picking it up but I saw some of the reviews and decided not to. I won't be joining you for this one but I'll be interested in what you guys think of it.
Enjoy :)

[Addy]

So far it reminds me of The Ruins minus the isolation.

[Justin]

Yea but is that just because there are so few novels about killer vines that you can't help but compare them?

[Justin]

Maxine wrote: "Anyone started this yet? I'm at about 20% pretty quickly. Not sure if I like the present tense with Rice's writing style, it is kind of off-putting. Otherwise the plot seems interesting and I like ..."

I'm at 25% and yea it went pretty quick for me also. It took me a bit too warm up to the writing style but I like it though, makes me think of a old time crime novel or something. Pretty good story so far I think.

[Addy]

Well yeah, probably. I guess Im not a big fan of nature gone awry but I'm willing to be open minded. The Ruins was pretty awesome so I guess I have high standards for whomever wants to go that route. So far so good. I plan to get to 25% tonight.

[Justin]

So far I think it has more going for it than the ruins did. I loved the ruins don't get me wrong, but it was just an intelligent carnivorous plant this is more of a ghost story with spirits inhibiting the vines. Or at least that's what it appears to be from the first 25%

[Addy]

Yes, I agree. There is definitely some history waiting to be unveiled. Didn't we have a group read about a house that held slaves? It was good just can't remember the title. I really like the history aspect so I hope there's more of that in this book.

[Maxine Marsh]

Yeah, so far I'm thinking 20% (view spoiler)[that the vines somehow embody the spirit of the slave woman who was in the flashback that the woman had (hide spoiler)].

[RachelvlehcaR]

Maxine I'm with you on that. I think you might be on the right track.

I've also found it first odd wording and sentence structure to get into. Very descriptive and wordy with lots of commas. After the second chapter I was use to it and able to just be sucked into the story.

I'm enjoying the story a lot.

[RachelvlehcaR]

I'm at the 30% because I was caught up in the story and didn't realize I passed the 25% mark. I'm going to have a difficult time in stopping. I don't want to stop! I want to finish the book tonight!

[Kate]

Spoilers now changed to 50%.
Sounds like you guys are enjoying this one. :)

[RachelvlehcaR]

I could help myself. I finished the book on the day I started.

[Addy]

Just started back on this one. It's a delicious read. So I'm trying to take my time:) I've got 2 other rice books I need to read.

[Maxine Marsh]

Addy wrote: "Just started back on this one. It's a delicious read. So I'm trying to take my time:) I've got 2 other rice books I need to read."

I'll read The Heaven's Rise novel with you later if you want Addy!

I'm about 67%, had to make myself stop. The book is an easy read. I'm liking the characters a lot more now that we have a bit of backstory. The vine situation is interesting, still not sure (view spoiler)[ what the vine wants exactly. I was surprised about the backstory of the real criminals who killed Blake's boyfriend. Very sad. I really like the parts with the flashbacks to the slave days. I wish there was more of that in the story! (hide spoiler)].

[Addy]

I don't have that one. I have A Density of Souls and Snow Garden.

[Justin]

I stopped at 49% it is a very fast read. pretty good so far.

[Addy]

This is really interesting. I wish there was an illustration of the painting at Spring House with the vine stopping the slave master. It sounds like a neat painting. I stopped at ch21. In ch20 it talked about how the bugs were inside the house but previously Caitlin said they were gathering outside the window. A little confused by that. Anyone else notice that?

[Justin]

They broke the glass after she left. I don't know why though, maybe to get the flower and take it outside so it can touch dirt because in the house it is grounded and can't travel anywhere?

[Justin]

Do you guys think that she can make the vines do what she wants now, or is it the slave lady from the past controlling them, or something else? The first lady said she couldn't controller them she just asked them to do what she wanted and could make them listen, my theory are either that after dyeing she took complete control of the vines or that the vines have a mind of their own for whatever reason and are using both woman the same way. Doing what they want but it is at a price we don't know yet, the first lady said it hurt to control them, and we know it ended badly with her after her trade but don't know why. I think history will repeat itself, or she is controlling them completely after dyeing and about to get her revenge.

[Maxine Marsh]

Addy wrote: "This is really interesting. I wish there was an illustration of the painting at Spring House with the vine stopping the slave master. It sounds like a neat painting. I stopped at ch21. In ch20 it t..."

Yeah, the bugs broke the window and got into the solarium. Its kind of a weird passage that is confusing because its written from those guys' point of view through the spy cameras.

[Addy]

Yeah, I have no idea. I think the reason she helped Caitlin is because she has unfinished business. Maybe she is trying to send her a message through the visions. Not sure yet.

[Maxine Marsh]

Addy wrote: "Yeah, I have no idea. I think the reason she helped Caitlin is because she has unfinished business. Maybe she is trying to send her a message through the visions. Not sure yet."

I am glad this part is still a mystery. I want to keep reading to figure out the slave woman's story and how it ended and all that, and now that I'm thinking about it (view spoiler)[I wonder if this has something to do with Nova? Distant relation to the slave woman? Hmmmm.... (hide spoiler)].

[Addy]

Dang! Wish this app allowed spoilers to be read!

[Justin]

I'm sure nova will play a larger part than just the fact that she is studying the history of slavery and able to uncover the past. I don't know if there is a relation to any of the slaves but if the spirit of a slave that wants revenge gives her the power to control the vines she seams like she would probably be on board with it. She hates the current lady of the house for the whole thing about giving her dad the house to keep him there and then paying him less and seams bitter about the way her and her dad are looked at and treated.

[Kate]

75% spoilers from here.

[Maxine Marsh]

I went ahead and finished the book since it was such a fast read. Waiting to hear what others think.

[Addy]

I really hope there is more to the vines than what has been revealed so far.

[Justin]

I'm almost to 75%. Lots of action in this quarter.

[Addy]

So I stopped at 74% though I might be tempted to just finish. Like I said, it's not that I mind the bugs and I think it was hilarious that they went after the cheaters but I was a bit more interested in the vines. I'm curious as to how this will end. Anyone have any theories on what the deal is with the bugs?

[Kate]

Spoilers to 100%. :)

[Addy]

Well, I'm just about done. A few more chapters to go!

[Addy]

Hmm. Not sure what to think of this book. It was good, but went in a direction that was surprising. I was a little confused at the end. I'll have to go back and re read.

[Justin]

I'm stuck a little before 75% it started out alright but it has completely lost me

[Maxine Marsh]

It was definitely confusing. (view spoiler)[I'm not sure what was going on at the end with Nova chaining herself up? I had no clue. I feel let down that there were so many great plot ideas and none of them panned out. No explanation about the slave woman, none! (hide spoiler)]

[Addy]

Yes, I agree. I didn't really understand her role after that. The last sentence was interesting. Left it for a possible sequel. I don't know. The thing about the cycle and how someone can just be devoured into nothing was just weird. I'm debating if I should give this a 3 instead.