Hellobee Boards

I just finished up the first 5 chapters last night (plus a couple more, whoops).

I'm a native NY State-er, but not NYC. But I did grow up with lots of relatives in the NYC area and I spent tons of time in Brooklyn with my grandparents. However, the areas were much more middle class. It seems pretty accurate of my impression of the lower income areas, but I don't have personal experience.

I find the relationship between Val and June to get more interesting with more details that they reveal. At first they seemed like shallow characters without depth, but it seems like the author is slowly showing who they are. I guess I identify the most with Val (kind of an outsider-ish, feeling like a side-kick sometimes rather than the main character.)

I don't think June's alive, I think something happened and Val will feel responsible, even though I don't think she was directly involved.

@mrskc: I once went swimming in the Mississippi River in NOLA in the middle of the night (on a night with a mood much like the one described) so I can definitely buy it, but mostly based on my own experiences.

I finally get to add to this thread. Native New Yorker. Native Brooklynite. (Go Brooklyn!) Red Hook has never been a place I've wanted to visit (but I've been there). It's only a couple of stops away from me on the train but it's not easy to get to, the walk from the train is super long and I hate taking buses...so yeah the description sounded realistic to me. It's interesting that people thought this was set way back in the past. I knew it was more recent because of some of the descriptions of the neighborhood.

I've never lived in the projects but have had friends who did. I always feel a little weird going to the projects--they are just so huge in NYC. Also, it's interesting to me that I have friends who live in condos/co-ops throughout the city that basically look like a project complex!

I did have a childhood BFF. I would have been Val and my friend would have been June. I was more the innocent type, I would've never taken a raft out but I wouldn't flirt with guys or want to hang out like that.

I think June is dead. I don't think we've met the culprit yet.

@locavore_mama: great job setting this up! This book is definitely outside of my usual genre (junk romances since they are an easy escape), but I'm definitely enjoying it! Very excited to get into chapter 6

The time period is interesting to me, the cell phones made me feel that it is very current, but it definitely has a much older vibe to me.

I've never been to NYC, I'm interested in the city itself, but not really interested in seeing Red Hook besides the brewery, which is what I think of every time I see the name (the brewery is actually out of Washington State). Mmmm, beer!

Around the age of Val and June, several of us changed bff friendships since we were going into high school, some were moving, and some people changed- I'm still in touch with each of them just some are closer than others. I can definitely relate more to Val than June being a late bloomer, but it sounds like we were much more innocent than they were!

The eternal optimist in me really hopes that June is still alive and I'm very interested to see how things develop with Cree's involvement. I'm definitely excited to get into the next chapters, it was hard to stop so I could catch up on this discussion.

@erinpye: I was wondering that myself!