Still Missing - Discussion 4

And the end of the month is upon us! Welcome back to the final discussion of the creepy, yet addictive novel, Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. (Every time I want to write Chevy Chase..)

I sped read through this last part because I WANTED TO KNOW like now.  Defintiely, props to the writer for keeping me in suspense and wanting to keep going, even when I was disgusted by the content. 

I do have one complaint.  The character of Luke seemed to be well-written and a good guy.  But then we get to this section and he goes from caring guy to a guy who barely cares and says some REALLY stupid stuff.  I get that she was trying to move Annie away from Luke and towards Gary, but it was almost a complete character change and some of the things Luke said just didn't seem like things he would say, ya get me? Also, the same thing with Christina.  I get that Annie needed to kind of push them to the sides to find the truth and what not, but sometimes the things they said really made me think, 'really???"

Was I also, the only one who was like NOOO DON'T DRIVE HOME IN THE DARK BY YOURSELF!!!! when Annie drove back from visiting Gary at the motel in Eagle Glen?  It's like when you are watching a scary movie and they do something that you know is dangerious.

"But I didn't know he was a killer, I never wanted her hurt -- I'm a good mother, don't you understand?" Her voice cracked on the last word. pg. 320

Seriously? You hired someone TO KIDNAP YOUR DAUGHTER.  You didn't know he was a killer? Who signs up to KIDNAP PEOPLE????

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read another novel by her.  I was quickly drawn into Annie's life and wanted to know the details.  Excellent book!

1. Did you agree with Gary's strategy of not giving out info to Annie and making her keep everything to herself? Also, did you think when she was telling her therapist, NO DON'T TELL HER, she's with the bad guys???

2. Do you think Annie will ever stop counting blocks? How do you think her life will be like now?

3. What was your overall impression of the book?

4. What did you think of the mother/daughter relationship with Annie before you knew what a twat her mother was and then afterwards?

5. Were you surprised by the ending? If so, what were you expecting?

6. Do you think the author was effective in her method of having this story a one sided narration to a psychologist?

Thanks for participating in September! Hope you come back and join us in October!

Still Missing - Discussion 3

TGIF! Let's start the weekend off discussing Sessions 16-22 from Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.

I swear, sometimes when Annie is talking to the therapist she almost sounds like a guy.  The voice of her sounds so rough/angry.  Very different from the voice other places in the book.

"But she didn't give her love for a year, and as far as I'm concerned that's just as damaging as physical blows.  Mom would never get that lack of affection is abuse." pg. 183  How interesting and what nice foreshadowing. Annie's mom should have gotten someone else to take care of her dog, since she pretty much ignored the poor thing for a year.

"It was better we found out early she was weak." pg. 185 OH NO HE DIDN'T.  When he said that I wanted to kill the mother-farker. I'm glad he gave her the opportunity and an extra kick in the pants to kill his sorry ass.

I felt so sorry for Annie after she killed him because it was like an instant relief and then a WTF DID I DO WHAT DO I DO NOW?HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP.

When Annie went to the police station it seemed odd to me at first, the whole first encounter with them, and then the second day played out more like I thought would happen.  It seemed like the first day people were like uhhh okay here you are and Annie was so messed up but was acting kind of normal and it just didn't seem right, but the second day when she broke down kind of seemed to me the response I was looking for from the start.

1. Was “The Freak” a believable and consistent character throughout? How could such a careful and controlling person have made the mistake that led to his undoing? (from shelfari)

2. How would you describe Annie's character...especially those qualities that enable her to survive her ordeal at the hands of The Freak? How well might you have fared? (from litlovers)

3. Pretend, you haven't finished the book yet.. what did you think she had named her baby?

4. What do you think of her current relationship with Luke?

5. What was your first impression of Gary?

Thanks for participating! Next week we will discuss the last section of the book. See you then!

Still Missing - Discussion 2

Welcome back to the second discussion of Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. This week we are covering Sessions 9-15. Fill free to jump on in, respond to each other in the comments and ask your own questions!

My stomach turned a lot turning this section. Especially when she plays nice with him trying to find out information and it just seems like he is able to twist everything back on her and make her feel crappy. He would win an award for making people feel like crap about themselves! I really could hardly even feel bad for him when he talked about his horrid childhood.

"Most people assume the guy had me at gunpoint the whole time, and I don't tell them different. How could I explain? How can I tell them that when he told me about places in the world like the Rock of Gilbraltor, where all those monkey's are, I found him interesting and articulate? And that sometimes when he rubbed my feet, they were so damn swollen, I liked it. Or that he could be so enthusastic and funny during book-reading time, or when he was cooking- he had this one stupid dance he did every time he fliipped an egg and he'd talk in different accents --I'd see the guy who first stopped at the open house. How could I ever tell anyone he made me laugh?" pg. 99

I think that this would be the hardest part of her 'after.' The trying to explain her survival to someone who had never been in that exact situation. No one KNOWS what they would do or would be capable of until they are there. It's easy to judge/second guess when you aren't there be raped/mind-farked and beat every day in a cabin in the moutains where you are locked in with no end in sight.

The whole time I was reading her labor part / right after with the baby I about had to skip it because I was so nervous/anxious with her every time he freaking got near the baby. And then after the poor baby was dead he tried to make it better by offering extra chocolate at dessert?? OMG. I would have probably gotten myself killed at that point.

1. Do you think The Freak needed Annie's help with the deer or that was part of his mind-farking?

2. Do you think The Freak's adopted mother was in a situation like Annie's where the man was abusing her or do you think she was just sexually liberal and a freak herself?

3. At some point during captivity, Annie begins to almost like The Freak. She goes to far as to admit that "sometimes he's kinda sweet." Although identifying with a captor is a known phenomenon—referred to as the "Stockholm Syndrome" in psychiatric parlance—how do those feelings develop in Annie? (from litlovers)

4. Chevy Stevens has written her book as a flashback, the present peering back into the past. We know at the outset, therefore, that Annie escapes her ordeal. Why might the author have structured her book in such a way? (from litlovers)

5. How did you react to the gruesome/sadistic scenes that were in this section?

Next week we will talk about Sessions 16 - 22!

Still Missing - Discussion 1

Still Missing is our September Group Read.  Feel free to join in in our first discussion over Sessions 1 - Sessions 8.  Next Friday, we will talk about Sessions 9 - 15.

Okay, so this book is freaky.  It gave me two nights of nightmares where I woke up sweating.  I blame this on Annie's pregnancy and how he treats her/the baby.  I can't imagine being in that situation.  How strong you must be to try to rationalize everything to stay somewhat sane yourself and at the same time not risk your life.  I also don't know how you wouldn't go INSANE in a house where you could never see outside. 

What a total mind-fark that guy played on her too... "But, what if The Freak wasn't lying?  What if they really weren't looking for me anymore? What if they'd all moved on?" pg. 86

The last sentence in this section got me too. "I hoped they put Bubbles to sleep before he finally figured out no one was coming for him." pg. 87. Yikes.

To me it also seems like Annie has almost a split personality when she is talking to the therapist she sounds super pissed off at the world, mean and angry, and who would blame her? In her every day life and her remembering of her time with The Freak, she sounds pretty normal, if not a little anxious and OCD.

1. Do you think it was a coincidence or a calculated move that The Freak told Annie his name was David? (the same name as her dad)

2. Why do you think The Freak is so rigid on the schedule and times for certain things?

3. Why do you think The Freak has Annie read to him?

4.  Are the early parts of the novel, the sex scenes, too lurid for your taste—do you consider them sensational. Or are they an integral part of the plot, necessary for us to grasp Annie's tormented state? (from litlovers)

5.  How do you think you would react if you were in Annie's position?

Thanks for participating! See you back next Friday to talk about Sessions 9-15!

September's Group Read is.....

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens!! We had a tie and the ever so helpful random.org generator helped make the decision!

Here is the blurb from goodreads..

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel.


Okay, I am super excited to read this.  I think this has been on my TBR list since it came out last summer.

Here is the run down of the discussions...

Discussion 1 Session 1- Session 8 September 9th

Discussion 2 Session 9 – Session 15 September 16th
Discussion 3 Session 16 – Session 22 September 23rd
Discussion 4 Session 23 – end September 30th

I hope you can join us this month! If you would like to write a guest post for one of the discussions let me know.

Who plans on joining us this month?

The Color Purple Discussion

I am not going to post a separate review for this book but I will share some of my thoughts.

I thought it was a well-written novel and discussed some very unpleasant subject matters and it pulled on your heart-strings. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to other people.

I enjoyed reading about Nettie's experiences in Africa and I liked the book more after Shug took an active role. The beginning parts kind of just blended together and I am having a hard time remembering how it began. Which may be why, it took me awhile to get my head wrapped around the 'true' story of Celie and Nettie's dad and how that all fit together and what not. It seemed a bit of a stretch but stranger things have happened. I think my favorite character was Shug, followed by Celie. Sofia was pretty darn funny and strong as well.

About: Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self. (From the publisher)

Questions
1. What is the effect of not knowing Albert’s last name? In early novels, it was not uncommon for authors to use a blank in place of a character’s name, to create the illusion that the character was someone the reader might know—someone whose identity had to be kept secret. What does it mean that Celie must call her husband Mr. ____? When does she at last begin calling him by his first name?

The leaving the last name blank, irritated me because I don't like blank lines in my reading. I would of course prefer a full name. So I made one up in my head. Mr. Asshat. ;) I think Celie used a blank because she didn't want to write down his real name in her letters to God and in case anyone found them. I believe she didn't call him by his first name until after she found out all the dirt on him and what a douchebag he was to her. Though, I will say reading this book was so hard for me because I could barely concentrate. It was a good book, but I am already having trouble recalling the beginning!

2. Why does Albert tell Harpo to begin beating his wife, Sofia? Why is it so important to Harpo that his wife have no will of her own? Is his relationship with Squeak (Mary Agnes) fulfilling? What do these scenes tell us about the nature of abusive cycles? Is cruelty something that is taught—something that is unnatural? In your opinion, what does it take for someone (male or female) to deserve true respect?

Albert wants him to beat Sofia so she knows she has to obey him. The conversations these guys have about having your wife obey you, make me just cringe and know that I'd kick their ass before I let a finger touch me. Go Sofia! Albert wants Sofia to be obedient and respect him just like he sees Celie doing to Albert. I think in Squeak he finds that person he can dominate and that makes it good for him. I think cruelty is taught, whether it is in person or more today, viewed through tv and video games. I think to have true respect you need to not be demanding, self-righteous and demanding of respect. To earn respect you must show it to other people. Do as you say.

3. Just as Celie grew up being told she was inferior, Shug Avery was always told she was evil. What are your impressions of Shug, from the photo Celie sees early on, to the end of the novel, when Celie and Albert have united in their devotion to Shug? What does Shug teach Celie about being loved, and about finding one’s true self? What price does Sofia pay for being her true self?

4. Why is it difficult for Shug to commit to the people who love her? In what ways does Shug bring both pleasure and heartache to them?

5. Nettie’s life with Corrine and Samuel gives her the first semblance of a healthy family life she has ever known, but Corrine’s jealousy taints this. Only the memory of that crucial early scene, when Celie lays eyes on her daughter at the store, absolves Nettie just before Corrine dies. The Color Purple brims with these intricate turns of plot. List the seemingly minor scenes that turn out to be pivotal in the lives of the characters.

Remember, those who participate and comment are entered to win a copy of the October Group Read which the voting (in the sidebar) will be finished tonight at 7pm. I will announce the winner of the copy of the book Wednesday to give everyone enough time to comment back and forth on here. (Every comment = an entry) If you would like to do a guest post about this book, contact me to win another entry. Thanks for particpating! I always enjoy talking books with you.

[Questions and about source]

The Color Purple Check In..

For those who don't know The Color Purple by Alice Walker is our September Group Read selection. If you want to join along you are more than welcome! Those who participate in discussions and/or guest post get the opportunity to be entered into a free copy of October's Group Selection!

Who has started? I just got my copy from the library today. ::hangs head::: Whoops. The cover of the copy I have is beautiful. I am going to start it later this afternoon.

Taken from SparkNotes :::shhh::: here is some context to think about as you read..

Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in the small rural town of Eatonton, Georgia. She was the eighth and last child of Willie Lee Walker and Minnie Tallulah Grant, two sharecroppers. Walker’s parents’ experiences with the oppressive sharecropping system and the racism of the American South deeply influenced Walker’s writing and life’s work. When Walker was eight, one of her brothers accidentally shot her, permanently blinding her in one eye. Ashamed of her facial disfigurement, Walker isolated herself from other children, reading and writing to pass the time.

I can't imagine having a sibling accidentally shoot me?? Yikes. The amount of guilt that her brother must have felt! And I can't imagine how it must have felt to have a facial disfigurement when you are already being singled out by the color of your skin!

In 1961, on a scholarship for disabled students, Walker enrolled in Spelman College in Atlanta, where she became active in the A-frican-American civil rights movement. Two years later, Walker transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in New York and eventually traveled to Uganda as an exchange student. When she returned for her senior year, Walker was shocked to learn that she was pregnant, and, afraid of her parents’ reaction, she considered suicide. However, a classmate helped Walker obtain a safe abortion, and she graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1965. At this time, Walker composed two early landmark pieces: “To Hell with Dying,” her first published short story, and Once: Poems, her first volume of poetry.

Who says SparkNotes is bad. I did not know this before. Wow, I can really feel for her. It's hard to imagine being single and pregnant in modern times but pre Roe v. Wade I really have no idea how hard that must have been. The thought that if the abortion wasn't safe that you could die or never be able to have children must have been terrifying.

Upon its publication, The Color Purple unleashed a storm of controversy. It instigated heated debates about black cultural representation, as a number of male African-American critics complained that the novel reaffirmed old racist stereotypes about pathology in black communities and of black men in particular. Critics also charged Walker with focusing heavily on sexism at the expense of addressing notions of racism in America. Nonetheless, The Color Purple also had its ardent supporters, especially among black women and others who praised the novel as a feminist fable. The heated disputes surrounding The Color Purple are a testimony to the resounding effects the work has had on cultural and racial discourse in the United States.

For those of you who have started, what do you think of the way black males are portrayed? Do you think it re affirms stereotypes or does it hold true?

Do you think some people claim some things are stereotypes but in reality they are unpleasant truths about a certain group?

Let me know your thoughts!