Hellobee Boards

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that? M I'm fortunate that I've never lost a parent but witnessing Cree's mom's bench talks is heartbreaking to me. She just can't let go, or doesn't want too.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead?
I'm not superstitious, however I do believe some people can communicate to those who have passed. I'm a Christian and never believed in it, however when I was pregnant I went with a friend to a pyschic and she knew the day I was going to deliver...and got it right. I was sold right there and she knew my DH's grandma's name, it was incredible.

Do you remember your first kiss?
Yes, I remember my first kiss. 9th grade New Year's Eve with my crush (who is now a great friend and it makes me laugh to think I kissed him in high school.) My heart breaks for Val, she wants to be accepted so bad, and I think HS me can relate to that, she wants to fit in. However, I think she has some OCD issues she's dealing with too, I'm interested to see if those come out more in the following chapters.

What are your thoughts on him and the "street art" he creates?
When he was first introduced I did not like him, but now that we have gotten to know him more, I feel sad for him. I feel like he knows more...I think he's our missing connection to June right now, he's in the shadows a lot, and I think that will be something down the road. Street art, I'm not sure the connection to the story, he seems like a lost soul.

Do you believe wino?
Yes I do, I think even though he may be a drunk, he knows something!

Hey, how do you bold?

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that?

No, I haven't lost a parent. I'm estranged from my father and stepmother, but I imagine when they die it will still be hard. The image of Cree's mother sitting on that bench all of the time talking to his dad makes me sad.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead?

I used to, but not so much anymore. I think as my faith faded so did my belief in the supernatural. I do think that I believe that some people have a little bit something extra working in their brains that allow them to see/sense a little bit something extra, though, I'm just not sure what that something extra is, however.

When I was 19 and living in New Orleans my BFF and I had been out clubbing. We walked through Jackson Square to get a cab. JS was lined with tables...mostly psychics and caricature artists. One guy yelled at me as we passed his table, begging me to come let him tell my fortune. I declined, as I had no money and was skeptical. He insisted, got up and grabbed my arm and told me he had a feeling it was very important to talk to me. I told him I only had money for a cab and he said he would read me for free.

So I did, and he told me that within a few weeks my life would be upended, and I would move away from New Orleans to somewhere cold. He said it would be one of the hardest things I did, but I would soon meet the love of my life there within a year.

I drunkenly laughed and stumbled away with BFF. 9 days later Hurricane Katrina hit, I moved to PA, and two weeks shy of a year later I met DH...

Do you remember your first kiss?

Yes. I was 14 and we were playing Truth or Dare. The guy--Chris--was 16 and lived down the street. I agree with @IRunForFun: I think Val was desperate to connect with someone, especially someone that had seen June. I found it very sad, and imagine she was crying (in my head anyway, I can't remember if she did in the book, and am too lazy to find it).

What are your thoughts on him and the "street art" he creates?

He sounded like a little punk when he was first introduced, but the more I see him the more my opinion is changing. I think he's going to be very important. I've seen some great street art, and I imagine that's what he's doing. The (drawing?) that he showed Fadi sounded amazing, and I wish I could see it!

Do you believe wino?

No. I think he's just hoping to somehow get a reward.

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Are you liking it more or less? Any other points you want to discuss?

I'm not positive I'm really enjoying it yet, but I'm definitely interested to see what happens.

So I finished the book. Anyone else? Anyone want to discuss it with me on my wall?

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that?
My dad died a few years ago, but he wasn't apart of my life. Last time I saw him was my high school graduation. I was sad about it, and my mom was upset about it, but it didn't affect our daily life.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead?
not superstitious. I don't believe in ghosts or people who can communicate with the dead. It's an interesting element to the book though.

Do you remember your first kiss?
Yes, I was a sophomore in high school and he was my first boyfriend. We kissed in front on my house one night. I remember it was amazing and I was so happy to finally have my first kiss out of the way!

I feel so sad for Val. She feels so alone and isolated. The kiss was her desperate attempt to feel close to someone.

What are your thoughts on him and the "street art" he creates?
Ahhhh I don't think I can comment on this since I've read the whole book. But I remember thinking he was going to have some significance on the story, and I thought he knew something about what happened to June.

Do you believe wino?
Yes, I believe he knows something.

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Are you liking it more or less? Any other points you want to discuss?
This book took me awhile to get into. I think finally by chapter 10 it was getting good then once I got to around chapter 18, I couldn't stop myself from reading it.

@TemperanceBrennan: i couldn't agree more about your opinion of the book! as a lover of mystery books, i feel a bit let down so far. The book is way more about the neighborhood's reaction to tragedy than it is about what happened to June, and i'm finding that less interesting. I am hoping it picks up!

Have you ever lost a parent? Thankfully no, and i have no idea how i would cope. I don't want to think about it!

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead? I am skeptical, and I'm not at all a spiritual person. I also think @TemperanceBrennan's comment about being haunted by your emotions is spot on. I actually had a hard time with Val's actions in these chapters, and how she let every single moment of her life be dictated by her mantra "if i ____, June will come back." I get that she was being superstitious and hopeful, but to me it felt a little like she was making excuses for her actions. Of course, she's still a kid, so it makes sense.

Do you remember your first kiss? Yup! 6th grade. and I hated that she had her first kiss at that moment, because i think she will regret it as time progresses. Even if she were to end up dating Cree, the fact that her first kiss was linked to trying to bring June back is something i think will haunt her in the future.

What are your thoughts on Ren and the "street art" he creates? He seems like an interesting character, and i think there's a reason he has returned to the neighborhood at this time. I'm interested to see how he is connected to June.

Do you believe the wino? I wouldn't say i believe the wino, but i wouldn't be surprised if he saw something in a drunken stupor that night.

@mrskc: I only have a few chapters left. I just need to know how it all goes and couldn't stop reading.

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that? Yes, we lost my dad a few years ago. It has changed everyone in some way and brought us closer to our step mom.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead? I don't not believe. But I'm not really sure.

Do you remember your first kiss? No

What are your thoughts on Ren and the "street art" he creates? Ren is an interesting character. But from reading further I know more about him, so I won't comment more.

Do you believe the wino? Not sure

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Are you liking it more or less? Any other points you want to discuss? I think this was a good choice. I couldn't stop at chapter 11 and kept going. I look forward to finishing it and finding out what happens.

@mrskc: @IRunForFun: Yep I'm at 18 and want to finish it! It took me awhile to get to this point too, but now I just want to know what happens!

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that?

I haven't lost a parent. It something I have thought about, especially when my mom had cancer. When I was young I used to think it was worse that my dad was not in my life on purpose but when I grew up I realized how dumb I had been. I have a relationship with him now and that's something I could never have if he had died.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead? I do believe that there are people who can communicate with spirits. I've had one spooky experience with a child saying something she couldn't have known (my younger cousin) after a death in the family. And there's that reddit thread about kids and ghosts that made me even more of a believer! I have been to psychics in the past, too.

Do you remember your first kiss? I do. It wasn't bad, but it's not the best memory.

We start to learn more about this mysterious character called Run Down. What are your thoughts on him and the "street art" he creates? My first instinct was: something's not right with this guy!

Do you believe wino? I believe there is some truth to wino's story.

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Are you liking it more or less? Any other points you want to discuss? I LIKE IT. I finished it ages ago it seems!

@mrskc: I finished the book, too. I had to be careful not to post any spoilers. Ha, maybe next time I won't read ahead!

Sorry, I think I said Cree when I meant Ren in my earlier post. I am confusing the character's names! My excuse is it has been a week since I read!!

Have you ever lost a parent? How did your mom or dad come back from that?

I have not lost a parent but it is something I think about quite frequently. I know I am going to be a complete mess when my mother dies. I can't imagine my life without her.

Are you superstitious? Do you believe there are those amongst us who can communicate with the dead?

I wouldn't say I'm superstitious but I do believe that some people have experiences with those who have passed. I have heard too many stories from people I know to not believe there is something to it.

Do you remember your first kiss?

Yes, and I remember being slightly mortified by how awful and sloppy it was. Haha. Reading this book definitely brought me back to some of those "first" experiences and how I felt.

What are your thoughts on him and the "street art" he creates?

To be honest, I'm a little afraid of Ren. I don't like that he's always lurking around and showing up when Cree least expects it. I do feel somewhat sorry for him as he seems like a lost soul, but there is something about him that is unsettling to me.

Fadi and the wino.

I really like Fadi. He;'s my favorite character so far because of how much he tries to bring the neighborhood together. I do believe the wino knows something.

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Are you liking it more or less? Any other points you want to discuss?

I do like the book. I'm not sure I would be flying through it any faster than a chapter at a time like I am now though. It hasn't really drawn me in yet.

Did anyone laugh to yourself about the name Dawn Perignon? Like the drink Dom Perignon? Funny. There's another funny name in the next set of chapters. Waiting for the next post so I can read the end!

Is there a week 3 thread somewhere that I can't find?

@ALV91711: @808love: i thought i must have missed the week 3 discussion? i went ahead and finished it, as well.