Saturday, June 23, 2012

Andrew Smith Saturdays! Discussion: In The Path of Falling Objects: Part Four #readAlong

Welcome to Andrew Smith Saturdays!

Today we'll be discussing the fourth part of IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS. Feel free to jump in with any questions or other topics you might want to discuss from this section or the previous three parts of the book.

In the Path of Falling Objects:
Part Four: Pages 196-267 Discussion

1. Okay guys. I have to say that this has been the most difficult section of the book for me to read. Maybe because I am a mother. Maybe because I've been in several of the same situations. I honestly think it's because I'm human, and have a heart and I feel compassion for other people. Honestly, I think every single page I read broke my heart more and more. Do you guys have any of the same feelings?

Photo credit: Andrew Smith

2. Let's talk about Matthew. I am seriously broken apart by this boy. I could feel his pain in his letters and I can not fathom going through those situations. I know men and women do it every day. It is just really breaking my heart to see him fall apart letter after letter. His mental stability is questionable at best. Still he urges Jonah to hold on to Simon, to realize what they have in each other. To really love one another.

"Knock Knock. You say, who's there? Matt. Matt who? Matthew whose dad is a junkie and whose mom is a tramp for any guy that buys her a meal, that's who. Matthew who killed a little kid yesterday."

I felt the pain from that deep down in my soul. Especially after his best friend is killed so brutally. I can only imagine these things that are happening that he says he won't tell Jonah. Thoughts on any of this and Matthew?

3. It seems to me that Simon has matured several years in this section. He has stopped sulking and is now finally doing the right thing. Even if that is something no one, especially a boy his age should have to experience. I'm really glad that Simon and Jonah each realized how childish they were being and also how much they do love and mean to each other. It is a damn shame that it took an adventure straight through hell for them to get to this point.

4. What do you think it would be like to live in the desert, out in the middle of nothing, literally? Do you think that Simon and Jonah will go back to live with Dalton and his family?

5. I wonder what conditions Mitch is actually suffering from. He is absolutely terrifying yet almost interesting at the same time. Everything he does is so beyond anything close to normal, I'm on the edge waiting to see what he will do next. I also wonder what his fascination is with calling himself "Black Simon".

"The ash and dried blood, the lines he's cut, the tattoo of a cartoon skeleton on his flesh.."

6. Lilly is gone. For the first time in this novel I feel so many feelings for and about her. I'm an emotional wreck. It must be how Jonah feels. Well, maybe not, but still... I don't exactly know yet how I feel about this. I'm terribly sad-of course. I think that Lilly was a good person, as good as she knew how to be. I think that she did manipulate people to get what she wanted. I also think that she deep down had a good heart and her feelings for the boys were real. If anything I think maybe she fell for Jonah because he was probably the only male she'd ever known that was respectful to her and treated her right.

"I knew what I was doing all along, making Mitch crazy. But I needed him to get me out of Texas. I'm sorry for what I did to you and your brother."

***

Okay. Let's talk!

If there is something else you want to bring up and discuss, please do so. I would love to hear what you think. Our last discussion is next Saturday where we will be talking about Part Five.
Ciao Bella!

Schedule

June: In the Path of Falling Objects (Hosted by Lady Reader’s Bookstuff)

6/2: Part One: Pages 2-62
6/9: Part Two: Pages 63-129
6/16: Part Three: Pages 130-195
6/23: Part Four: Pages 196-267
6/30: Part Five: Pages 268-323

July: Stick (Hosted by Roof Beam Reader)

7/7: First (Part 1): Pages 2-59
7/14: First (Part 2): Pages 60-103
7/21: Next (Part 1): Pages 107-216
7/28: Next (Part 2): Pages 216-292

August: Ghost Medicine (Hosted by Not Now...I’m Reading)

8/4: Chapter 1 - 8
8/11: Chapter 9 - 15
8/18: Chapter 16 - 22
8/25: Chapter 23 - 29

September: The Marbury Lens (Hosted by Smash Attack Reads)

9/8: Part One: The Amethyst Hour, Chapters 1-17
9/15: Part Two: The Strange Boys, Chapters 18-30
9/22: Part Three: Blackpool, Chapters 21-42
9/29: Part Four: Chapters 43-48
10/6: Part Five: Seth, Chapters 49-59

Registration

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Where to buy

Friday, June 22, 2012

#FREE Kindle Edition - Skid Out Today Only (6/23)

Sharing The Love & Congrats to the SKID OUT Blog Tour winners!

Skid Out (Heavy Influence Trilogy, #0.5)

A novella prequel to the edgy Heavy Influence Trilogy about young, intense and reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse. Follow their journey through temptation, deception & forbidden love.

17 year old high school senior, Jake Masters, front man of a rising rock band, finds new interest in his younger freshman next door neighbor Alyssa Montgomery. Their relationship breaks hearts; stirs jealousy and band infighting. When they’re brought to new found awareness of body and soul, will rightful boundaries be crossed? Will the right decisions and choices, which are detrimental to the band and its future, be made through the haze of infatuation? Will Jake’s absences on the road lead to another filling his shoes? Jake and Alyssa’s lifelong friendships are strained and tested; secrets are kept, admitted and shared. Family bonds are broken, as others grow stronger. Who knew a first love could cause so many problems? Then again, in their eyes, there are no problems as long as they’re together. In the end, will his new found muse bring down everything he’s worked so hard to achieve or will she inspire positive creative change; that will carry him and his band to stardom.

*Included free today only this novella comes with an original song as printed on the pages of the book. To receive your Mp3 download of "Transpose" by Bad Suns, please email your order receipt number to: heavyinfluencetrilogy@gmail.com and it will be promptly sent!

Check it. All day today, Saturday, June 23nd SKID OUT (Heavy Influence Trilogy, #0.5) by Anne Marie Frohoff will be offered on Amazon.com FREE for the Kindle Edition. Bonus! The song Transpose by Bad Suns is included free as well. HUZZAH! So, go ahead and check it out. You've watched the teaser trailer (which by the way is badass, right?!) Don't tell me that you're not interested in what Jake and Alyssa are gettin' in to. The FREE Kindle version is available at Amazon HERE! Don't miss out y'all. It's one day only.

SKID OUT
Kindle Edition

Available on Amazon

Includes the song TRANSPOSE by Bad Suns
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Review - Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous

A riveting first-person tale of addiction, in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal.

The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Santa Monica with her mom, dad, and Berkeley-bound older brother. She was a good girl, living a good life...but one party changed everything. One party, where she took one taste—and liked it. Really liked it. Social drinking and drugging lead to more, faster, harder... She convinced herself that she was no different from anyone else who liked to party. But the evidence indicates otherwise: Soon she was she hanging out with an edgy crowd, blowing off school and everything she used to care about, all to find her next high. But what goes up must come down, and everything—from her first swig, to her last breath—is chronicled in the diary she left behind.

My Thoughts:

I want to say upfront that I do not compare books to one another. I don't think that is a fair thing to do. Not for the author nor the novel. However, Lucy in the Sky has been compared to Go Ask Alice by basically saying that it is just a modern day version. That being said, I am going to voice my opinions based on the two books and their similarities.

I really like the message in this book. I always will. I will always stand up for it. I'm not sure I care for how it was delivered. Then again, I am old school. I don't care for text speak and every other word in all capital letters. I felt the MC was a bit over the top in trying to make her point in almost everything she does. This may be typical for, say, an average teen girl. I just didn't buy it. I was annoyed with her and the repetitiveness of her actions that were not relevant to the story.

I ~~think~~ know I would have been happy with the original version of Go Ask Alice. It did not need to be updated for me to understand the message. It is still the same [and always will be] however you rearrange the setting. However, maybe kids these days did/do need it updated so it's more on their level and they can relate better?

It is a shame that children/teens and even adults turn to a substance so that they can feel better about themselves. Maybe even like or believe in him or herself.

There will always be drugs. There will always be peer pressure. There will always be temptation. There will always be curiosity. There needs to be more education, the use of common sense, and willpower, and self-esteem, and the courage to say NO.

I read every single page of this book. Even though I was irritated at ~~some~~ several points. My rating is not deferred by what I did not like because that is my opinion. My rating is based on the message of the book and how it was portrayed and because the situation is not only extremely sad but also one that's very true and a serious reoccurring problem.

I still feel that no matter how it is worded this type of scenario happens every day and my original review for Go Ask Alice will suffice for this book as well. That review can be found here.

*Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads: Here
Purchase the book: Here

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Andrew Smith Saturdays! Discussion: In The Path of Falling Objects: Part Three #readAlong

Welcome to Andrew Smith Saturdays! Today we'll be discussing the third part of IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS. Feel free to jump in with any questions or other topics you might want to discuss from this section of the book.

In the Path of Falling Objects:
Part Three: Pages 130-195 Discussion

1. What do you guys think of Dalton? Seems nice enough, right? Has a decent family, or so it seems. Do you think that Dalton has only good intentions?

2. Also, how would you feel if you were in Jonah's place currently? He is terrified for his brother, Lilly and himself. He obviously had no idea what any of them are thinking. I think he's being more brave than any 16 year old boy I've ever known.

3. I have to ask once again, What are your thoughts on Lilly? We've gotten some background between her and Mitch. I do think that Lilly was/is using Mitch to get to California and also knowing she could easily control him because of his feelings for her, however messed up they might be. All of this aside, is Lilly a bad person? Or do you think she was just grasping at straws and doing things the only way she knew how?

4. Was it just me or did you guys think Mitch was going to kill Walker right then and there when he showed up? Did you think it was kind of strange that this old man just happened to run into Simon and Lilly? Once again, I find myself wondering, is this a man we can trust? I'm certainly hoping so with everything in me because Simon and Lilly do not have a chance of escaping Mitch now without some help.

5. If there were any doubts at all of Mitch and his insanity I think we have that covered. What did you guys think of what happened right before this section ended? Mitch has lost it in every way capable, I think. And he's only out for vengeance.

6. The letters from Matthew are becoming more clear to me as the journey with the boys go on further. It saddens me to no end to read how Matthew's state of mind is disintegrating more and more every day that he's in the battle field. And it does appear to me that he is trying as hard as he can to keep the little family that they do have, together. Sometimes the most important things to you don't seem so significant until you no longer have them.

***

Okay. Let's talk!

There is a lot going on at this point in the book and I have absolutely no idea where things are headed.

Seriously, things could go in so many directions and I am full of questions. If there is something else you want to bring up and discuss, please do so. I would love to hear what you think. We will discuss Part Four next Saturday.