Book Log: How It Ends

[penmage]

Comments

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I felt like she should've started with Hanna already with Seth instead of Helen getting too sick and being replaced by the audiobook.

I liked the one or two glimpses of Hanna intuitively knowing the book was about Helen instead of it being "OMG SHOCK!" at the end. It was just like, "Yeah, I knew that."

There were like one or two lines of editorializing about the en, re: the reaction of the community that put me off. The ending did feel expected so arguing the point was unnecessary... does that make sense?

[penmage]

All of this is exactly correct. From the cover copy, I expected an abusive boyfriend book, but this was much more a journey of self-discovery for Hanna than that.

I agree that I liked Hanna figuring out the it was about Helen--it was obvious to the reader because we were inside Helen's head, but I would have been really irritated with Hanna had she really been too slow to put any of the pieces together.

I agree on the ending, too. The community reaction felt a little forced and unecessary.

Also, I know the robbery stuff was supposed to be integral to the plot and Hanna's character development and stuff, but it kind of felt shoehorned in there. Did you get that sense, too?

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Also, I know the robbery stuff was supposed to be integral to the plot and Hanna's character development and stuff, but it kind of felt shoehorned in there. Did you get that sense, too?
YES! I was like, "What did that have to do with anything?" I thought it would come up later... but it didn't.

ALSO. We haven't discussed the most SHOCKING aspect of this book and that is the fact that both Helen and Hanna's mothers were normal. What's up with that? You're slipping, Laura Wiess.

[penmage]

Clearly! Have you seen the rest of Laura Wiess's covers? I love them, I think they're so simple and gorgeous and perfect. Such a Pretty Girl has a dried rosebud, and Leftover (which is my favorite of her books) has what I think is a pair of dried dandelions.