1. This book dealt with sexual assault. How did you think this was handled? Would you call this an "issue" book? I think it very narrowly avoided being an 'issue' book - because the sexual assault wasn't the main focus of the book - it was more about Jacqueline growing up?
2. What did you think of the college setting? We previously read Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund, which was also set in college. Is this "new adult" genre--not quite YA, not quite adult--something you'd like to see more of? YES LOVE. I need more New Adult in my life. I am also very aware that my love of this new adult style hit around the time I turned 21, so. I loved reading a book that I could absolutely relate to.
3. Both Lucas and Jacqueline, to some extent, chose their names. What do their choices say? I think Jacqueline shows her growth, like she wants be be recgonised as her own person, not as the name that her boyfriend chose for her (& also that she really wants to distance herself from him). Lucas is a bit more complicated: there's the obvious need to reinvent himself as well, be stronger/better than that 14 year old who was forced to be helpless when his mother was being murdered but I think the fact that he choses his middle name, her maiden name, rather than some random name is indicitive of how much he clearly loved her (Dr Heller's quote about her being the emotional heart of the family speaks to that)
4. Lucas and Jacqueline also hid things from each other. What did you think of that? Eh. To me it's not the worst trope & I think Easy handled it particularly well. I also think that because they were legitimate issues (like, the sort of thing you would understandably hide from someone in real life) it wasn't as frustrating
5. This book was self-published. Were you aware of that? Does it matter to you? I wasn't until after I read it. In general I have no issue with self-publishing, I have issues with self-published articles that haven't had enough editing, but this was brilliant
6. Anything else you want to discuss? I loved all the secondary characters, I don't think there was anyone (except maybe a few of the sorority girls/frat boys who we only see once) who wasn't fleshed out. also: Lucas is my new fictional crush, I assume we all agree with this 100%
I am also very aware that my love of this new adult style hit around the time I turned 21, so. I loved reading a book that I could absolutely relate to.
Oh interesting! Had you tried it before? Or was it something you hadn't encountered or looked for? YA was barely a thing when I was a teen, so I don't think I really read college fiction back then. Maybe a couple of sort of classics that were set in college, like Daddy Long Legs and Carney's House Party.
but I think the fact that he choses his middle name, her maiden name, rather than some random name is indicitive of how much he clearly loved her
I read it more as reclaiming for him, but I think you're absolutely right: It honors his mother, too.
Yeeeeah. Hiding things isn't my favorite trope, so I was uncomfortable, but I do think it was realistic and well done, so this isn't really a complaint.
In general I have no issue with self-publishing, I have issues with self-published articles that haven't had enough editing, but this was brilliant
No, I hadn't tried it before, not as it's own thing, but this year I'd been sort of over the traditional YA, 16 year old protagonists because they were really starting to not speak to me, especially when that was all I was reading & it was beginning to feel really false & unrealistic, so when I discovered NA around April it was ironic timing!
Oh yeah, there is definitely the reclaiming as well.
Yeah, because it wasn't stupid secrets they were hiding, like not just plot points, it didn't even really occur to me until I had pretty much finished the book.
GOOD timing! For me, YA just started to feel all the same. I guess it still kind of does, a lot of the time, but I've taken enough of a step back that I can at least appreciate the ones that ARE different/good. For a while there, I don't think I really COULD enjoy any YA.
Lucas/Landon maybe went on a LITTLE long for me? But it was revealed pretty much right as I was feeling that way, soooo maybe that means it was revealed at the right time after all?
I think it very narrowly avoided being an 'issue' book - because the sexual assault wasn't the main focus of the book - it was more about Jacqueline growing up?
2. What did you think of the college setting? We previously read Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund, which was also set in college. Is this "new adult" genre--not quite YA, not quite adult--something you'd like to see more of?
YES LOVE. I need more New Adult in my life. I am also very aware that my love of this new adult style hit around the time I turned 21, so. I loved reading a book that I could absolutely relate to.
3. Both Lucas and Jacqueline, to some extent, chose their names. What do their choices say?
I think Jacqueline shows her growth, like she wants be be recgonised as her own person, not as the name that her boyfriend chose for her (& also that she really wants to distance herself from him).
Lucas is a bit more complicated: there's the obvious need to reinvent himself as well, be stronger/better than that 14 year old who was forced to be helpless when his mother was being murdered but I think the fact that he choses his middle name, her maiden name, rather than some random name is indicitive of how much he clearly loved her (Dr Heller's quote about her being the emotional heart of the family speaks to that)
4. Lucas and Jacqueline also hid things from each other. What did you think of that?
Eh. To me it's not the worst trope & I think Easy handled it particularly well. I also think that because they were legitimate issues (like, the sort of thing you would understandably hide from someone in real life) it wasn't as frustrating
5. This book was self-published. Were you aware of that? Does it matter to you?
I wasn't until after I read it. In general I have no issue with self-publishing, I have issues with self-published articles that haven't had enough editing, but this was brilliant
6. Anything else you want to discuss?
I loved all the secondary characters, I don't think there was anyone (except maybe a few of the sorority girls/frat boys who we only see once) who wasn't fleshed out.
also: Lucas is my new fictional crush, I assume we all agree with this 100%
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Oh interesting! Had you tried it before? Or was it something you hadn't encountered or looked for? YA was barely a thing when I was a teen, so I don't think I really read college fiction back then. Maybe a couple of sort of classics that were set in college, like Daddy Long Legs and Carney's House Party.
but I think the fact that he choses his middle name, her maiden name, rather than some random name is indicitive of how much he clearly loved her
I read it more as reclaiming for him, but I think you're absolutely right: It honors his mother, too.
Yeeeeah. Hiding things isn't my favorite trope, so I was uncomfortable, but I do think it was realistic and well done, so this isn't really a complaint.
In general I have no issue with self-publishing, I have issues with self-published articles that haven't had enough editing, but this was brilliant
THIS! A million times this!
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Oh yeah, there is definitely the reclaiming as well.
Yeah, because it wasn't stupid secrets they were hiding, like not just plot points, it didn't even really occur to me until I had pretty much finished the book.
Reply
Lucas/Landon maybe went on a LITTLE long for me? But it was revealed pretty much right as I was feeling that way, soooo maybe that means it was revealed at the right time after all?
Reply
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