Astrid

[Amanda]

I didn't understand the "Astrid" story line, other than that Astrid was Messed Up. Was she nuts? Was Christophe actually a Bad Dude, was he oblivious to Astrid's problems, or was he an ineffective but generally OK guy? Did Astrid not understand how poorly she treated Madeline? Was there any coherence to Astrid's behaviour, or was "rich and out-of-control" the point?

[Bonnie Lynn]

I also Wondered about Astrid's escalating instability. Initially I'd believed her impulsive decisions and attitude to be the result of a self-indulgent 'party' lifestyle. However, more probable was that mental illness (schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) existed all along; undiagnosed, it went untreated. In either scenario, self-reflection wasn't going to be high on Astrid's priority list. Whatever the reason for her actions, I found it sad to watch this young, bright, enthusiastic woman unravel.

[Tory]

I kept worrying that astrid was a parallel to the invisible boy, and to pagan's history with the stepfather. That she was being abused and we weren't recognizing it?

[Tory]

What are people's thoughts on the final chapter with the mom in the 70s? What did we learn from that?