Erin's Response to Chapters 21-35

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?

I can't think of anyone else that it could be, so I've just always assumed it was Tim. I don't know if Tim was the one that gave her the $5,000, but I can't think of anyone else that it would be either. It seems out of character for Tim to care enough to send money now that we've found out about so many of his lies. Why send money? But I do think it's him.

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?

Where do I start? I wouldn't have helped Tim, I would have taken Genevieve to a hospital, I would have turned the baby over to the authorities, and I'm just not sure about the way she's raising Cory. CeeCee/Eve is obviously a loving mother to Cory, but she smothers her and I feel like we're heading toward a place where we see Cory continue to struggle through her whole life.

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?

Jack seems to love Eve unconditionally. I like his sense of humor and his ability to have a good time and want to be a little less serious. But he is very serious about his family. He has a lot of passion and still manages to be light-hearted. I think he's a good match for Eve and does everything he can to get her to lighten up.

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?

Tim controlled CeeCee like a little puppet even though she didn't know it. She was willing to do anything for him-- including cleaning his house after one of their first dates. The relationship between Eve and Jack is one of equality and it's a partnership. They seem to work together well and they make each other happy rather than one of them always trying to please the other.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specifically, to help Cory feel like less of an outsider?

It's clear that she is smothering her. Now that we know that Cory has only spent 2 or 3 nights away from home in her entire life, we know that Eve keeps her close. Eve is afraid that something will happen to Cory, so Cory just feeds off of that fear. In their own family, Eve needs to treat Cory and Dru the same way so Cory doesn't feel like she is fussed over and babied. I believe that Eve loves both of her daughters equally, but I imagine that the daughters don't see it that way.

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?

I think Eve did her best and the answers were about as good as they were going to get without telling the truth. And at this point, the lie is so big that there doesn't seem to be a way to come clean. I think that Cory will have more questions about her father as she gets older because the physical differences are so strong between Cory and Dru. And I think Cory just feels different and like she doesn't belong. She's going to be eager to search for something to make her feel normal, and finding her father may be a huge part of that.

Rachel's Response to Chapters 21-35

Didn't the book make a big change in these last 15 chapters? I felt like we were reading a very different book than we were two weeks ago!

I'm still really enjoying the book and I am anxious to see how it all works out. We obviously know that Eve comes forward based on what happened in Chapter 1, but now I am so anxious to see how it happens. It's difficult reading the books in pieces like this!

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?
Definitely. And all along I said Tim wasn't all bad. I liked him in the beginning. Did he seem a little odd? Yes, but I still trusted him. I hope this is him doing a piece of "good" for Cory and Eve since he pretty much destroyed their lives.

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?
SO many things! Early on, I would have come forward with the truth and confessed. I also would have found a way to tell Jack that I didn't have Cory. Her sneaking away to doctor's appointments alone was weird. And risky.

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?
I like that he is madly in love with both Eve and Cory. I like that he seems genuine. And I like that he is passionate about his career. The one thing that bugs me about him is willingness to rely on his parents for his whole life.

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?
Eve is a mature young woman. After all she'd been through before Jack, she was at a secure and confident place in her life when she met him. This alone makes their relationship better. I think CeeCee was in lust and head over heels for Tim if he looked at her a certain way, but Eve is madly in love with Jack because he's proven to her that he's worthy of her love. That's something Tim never did.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specifically, to help Cory feel like less of an outsider?
Definitely. I think she is very protective of Cory and when Cory was young, she needed to let Cory fall down and get her. She needed to leave her with babysitters. I understand how hard that was for Eve after all that she and Cory had been through, but in the long run, she was hurting Cory more than she was protecting her.

To help her feel like less of an outsider, I think she did the right thing by enrolling her in a private school. It's a smaller environment and she'll be around more kids who are like her.

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?
I think she answered it the best she could. It's only natural for Cory to search for more answers as she grows older. I think that she will continue to wonder where her looks and features come from, as she looks nothing like her mom.

I am also curious to see if she ever sees a picture of the governor or his daughter and if she ever questions her heritage. That might be a little too far fetched, but I think it could happen.

Discussion Questions for Chapters 21-35

It seems like a lot of you liked having the questions posted on Sunday last week, so it looks like that will be the new plan. Questions will be posted on Sunday and will put the Linky up sometime on Monday morning.

Here are this week's questions. And again, feel free to add in your own thoughts and post your own questions for other readers on your blog. Don't feel limited by our questions!

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specifically, to help Cory feel like less of an outsider?

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?

Erin's Response to Chapters 11-20

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?

I honestly have no idea. I can only assume they're up to no good and CeeCee isn't even a thought in Tim's selfish mind.

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?

I was dying inside! I kept screaming, "Get out of there! Hurry to the hospital. She told you she didn't feel well and you didn't believe her!" I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, but I felt like I was barreling toward something awful and I knew that something bad was going to happen to Genevieve. CeeCee is too young to have to go through something like this, but I still got so angry with her that she got herself into this mess in the first place.

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with her baby if you had been in CeeCee's shoes?

I would have had to confess and turn the baby in. I would have felt so guilty every time I looked into the baby's eyes. I couldn't raise her like she was my own. I think CeeCee is just looking for love where ever she can find it and babies love unconditionally.

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?

Because she's young, immature, and Tim's love is the first love she has ever experienced from a man. She didn't have a father or a father figure and I just think all she wants is to be loved in return. She thought that by doing this for Tim he would love her more and she's still waiting for that to be true. I'm hopeful that something happens soon that causes her to snap out of it and get on with her life.

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?

I think she'll pick up and work. She'll have a life and people around her that want to support her and Cory and will make sure that she feels welcomed. This will help build up her self-worth and she'll see that she doesn't need to settle.

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?

I have loved reading everyone's responses to these types of questions about CeeCee because we all have different opinions. But I want to shake some sense into CeeCee. I'm still upset with her for agreeing to go through with this and now the consequences make me so sad. As a mother, I can't believe she is raising someone else's child and that she hasn't even confessed that the child's mother is dead. And she watched her die! I know that CeeCee is immature and maybe I'm being too hard on her, but I was always taught that if you're going to make grown up decisions, you need to act like a grown up.

I'm so sad for CeeCee that the letters are gone, but I think that now that the letters are gone she will be forced to grow up. Without her mother's voice, CeeCee will have to think like an adult more than she has been.

And like everyone else, I was just shaking my head when CeeCee thought that Cory cut her hand on CeeCee's hair. I wonder if that was just poor writing. Maybe Chamberlain wanted CeeCee/Eve to cut her hair and this seemed like the only reason that a 16 year old would cut her hair that she loved so much? I don't know, but her immaturity really showed itself in that part of the book.

Rachel's Response to Chapters 11-20

Hi guys! I loved reading all the responses last week. I can't wait to check out your blogs again this week! If only we could all sit down together and discuss this over a cup of coffee. For now, the internet will have to do!

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?
Honestly, who knows. I kind of think they may have gone into hiding, but then a piece of me thinks they may be plotting something else that will only get them into more trouble.

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?
"OH MY GOODNESS, CEECEE HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHE IS DOING!!"...that was what was really rolling through my mind. I was definitely flipping through the pages fast here. I knew something would go wrong, because I didn't envision CeeCee hurting Genevieve, but it still had me feeling anxious. I know my heart rate must have gone up when I read that chapter! But I do have to say, that my heart was going out to CeeCee here. I know Genevieve was the one dying, but poor CeeCee. This is not at all what she thought she was getting into.

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with her baby if you had been in CeeCee's shoes?
Honestly, I'd fess up to the cops. I don't hold secrets well, and I'd go forward and turn the baby and myself in. The consequences wouldn't be great, but I couldn't live with that secret all to myself like she will.

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?
Because she is SIXTEEN! This is her first love, and like so many of you said last week, she is naive and in love/lust. She really believes that Tim is her soul mate and it will all work out. There is so much she still has to learn.

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?
I think she's going to put herself on her feet and move on, but that will take some time and she will always hold Tim and this secret in the back of her mind. If she falls in love with someone else and starts a family, the idea of Tim and what happened with Genevieve will always haunt her, no matter how great her new life may be.

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?
The more I read, the more I like her. She is definitely a young girl who is not making some great choices (ie, trying to drop the baby off at the Governor's mansion and get away...), but I find her to be likable. She is lost, and every person she cares for has been stripped from her life. This baby (Cory) is her shot at starting over. Oh! But I will say, it bugged me when she said the baby cut her finger on her hair. What? That was just a little too silly for me. With the exception of that scene, I have loved to read about CeeCee!

And one last thing, not related to the questions...was anyone else sad to see Eve lose all her letters? Broke my heart to pieces. I knew she wasn't going to go back to her apartment at the end of everything, but seeing her lose that last piece of her mom had me so upset. Anyone else?

Discussion Questions for Chapters 11-20

Rachel and I decided to go ahead and post the questions over the weekend per the request of a few of you. Please wait until Monday to post. I'll set up the Linky again on Monday morning so you can all link to your posts.

Please also remember that you are not limited to answering these questions. The questions are just there to prompt your discussion and give you some talking points. Feel free to not use the questions at all and write freely or use all of the questions. It is completely up to you!

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with her baby if you had been in CeeCee's shoes?

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?

Rachel's Response to Chapters 1-10

Like Erin said, let us know how you feel about how we're going about posting and answering questions! We want your feedback!

1. What was your first impression of Tim?
He seems likable, funny, maybe even charming. He seems like he has CeeCee's best interest at heart, although he does seem to care more about his family than CeeCee. I don't think he's trying to use here. But then again I'm one to give people the benefit of the doubt.

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?
No. No way in the world would I be involved with him in this plot. But then again, I’m one who avoids putting myself into dangerous situations. I suppose I’m not a risk taker. And from the way I see it, CeeCee is risking a lot to help out Tim and his family. But then again, if I were CeeCee I wouldn’t be sixteen years old dating a graduate student.

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?
Let’s be honest, she’s just sixteen! Sixteen year old girls seem to have a need to please the men in their life. They do stupid stuff if it means they’ll be loved. CeeCee may be mature, but she still wants to find love!

4. Who do you think has it harder? Tim or CeeCee?

CeeCee. She has no one. No family at all, where as Tim still has his father and Marty. While I do feel bad for the place he’s in, my sympathy falls to CeeCee before Tim

5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most to you in these first ten chapters?

In one word, I’d say her courage. We’ve seen it displayed a few times in the story already, and I don’t think this will be the end of that

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?

She’s lost her one and only parent and she’s spent the last four years taking care of herself in foster homes. I think this makes someone grow up fast. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that she really is just sixteen. She’s very young to be in her position.

Erin's Response to Chapters 1-10

This is how I chose to approach the book club discussion this time, but feel free to do it however you want to! And let me know what you think.

1. What was your first impression of Tim?
I was a little bit skeptical of Tim in the beginning because I couldn't really understand why a guy his age would be paying so much attention to a girl CeeCee's age. Sure, she was smart and different from most girls her age, but it still seemed a bit inappropriate to me.

After she receives the money and (we think) it's from Tim, I began to wonder how in the world he had that kind of money and why he'd just give it to her.

Now that I've read up to the end of Chapter 10, I'm wondering if Tim has been using CeeCee the whole time to gain her trust and manipulate her into helping him with his "project."

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?
I absolutely wouldn't do it. I know that 16 year old girls are willing to do a lot of things to make their boyfriend happy, but breaking the law shouldn't be one of them. And it's not something I would do, especially as he becomes more and more distracted with their "project" and less interested in his relationship with CeeCee.

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?
Going to be a little bit like Freud here, but this is really the first relationship she has had with a man, and her relationship with her mother was cut too short. She has a lot of love to give and finally has someone to give it to. I think CeeCee doesn't want this to end so she wants to do whatever she can to keep him happy even when the little voice inside her is telling her that things aren't right.

4. Who do you think has it harder? Tim or CeeCee?
They're both orphans and they're both alone for the most part. But I think CeeCee has it harder. Tim has a chance. His parents left him with something and he's on the path to getting a great education. But CeeCee has been picking up her life since she was a young girl and now she's about to risk it all. Tim's risking it all, too, but he doesn't have to.

CeeCee has been kept in the dark a lot on this plan and is going into it with complete faith in Tim- even though she seems to know that it's not a smart idea.


5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most to you in these first ten chapters?

I notice her loyalty, her compassion, her patience, and her intelligence. She's about to do something pretty stupid and even though she is naive, she is smart.

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?

CeeCee has been on her own for a while, but she doesn't know much. She's wrapped all of her emotion and her life into Tim and that is typical of a 16 year old girl, which is another reason I think he targeted her because of her age. Mature women don't drop everything for a guy and risk everything for a guy with a bad plan. There's no doubt that CeeCee can take care of herself, but she isn't making the best choices.

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-10

Rachel and I came up with six questions for you to discuss. Feel free to post on these questions or to write about other things that you found interesting in the first ten chapters.

Reminder: Please remember not to post spoilers. I know many of you couldn't put the book down, but some people haven't finished yet. If you think you may be posting a spoiler, go ahead and put up a red "SPOILER ALERT" in that part of your post.

1. What was your first impression of Tim?

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?

4. Who do you think has it harder? Tim or CeeCee?

5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most to you in these first ten chapters?

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?

I'm adding the Linky tool to this post, so please put the link to your post in so we can all read each other's posts.

Rachel and I will each post on Monday! Can't wait to read everyone's posts.

Book Schedule

Hey there Book Clubbers! Erin and I are shocked by the response we've gotten with this book club, but we are also so excited that so many of you want to join us.

Here is the schedule that we've come up with for the book. Each week is about 100 pages.

Aug 16: Chapters 1-10
Aug 23: Chapters 11-20
Aug 30: Chapters 21-35
Sep 6: Chapters 36-50
Sep 13: Chapters 50-71

Come back next Monday (August 16) to discuss the first ten chapters. We'll have a post up here with our thoughts and some questions, but we'd love for you to respond on your own blog with your own thoughts on this chunk of the book. Just make sure you don't discuss anything that happens after chapter 10 if you've read ahead, we don't want you to spoil it for others who aren't there yet!

Also, if you haven't bought the book yet, here are some links to it.

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Target

I got mine at Target last week, and I know a lot of girls have borrowed a copy from their library. Just make sure you've got it and read the first ten chapters by next Monday so you can join in!

See you next Monday!