Spoiler Alert - How did you feel about the ending of the book?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2018 Book of the Month, "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.
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revna01
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Re: Spoiler Alert - How did you feel about the ending of the book?

Post by revna01 »

I think the author was touching upon many points with Amanda's ending. I believe it was intended to be thought-provoking; no matter how "put together" someone may appear, we never truly know how it feels to walk in their shoes. Amanda had reached the end of the proverbial rope and something had to give. She left without thinking better of it, never imagining the consequences. I don't believe she acted out of character. The very nature of having a character like Amanda is to showcase how complex and multi-faceted people really are.
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Post by jamertin2963 »

SABRADLEY wrote: 18 Mar 2018, 06:44 I think the author was touching upon many points with Amanda's ending. I believe it was intended to be thought-provoking; no matter how "put together" someone may appear, we never truly know how it feels to walk in their shoes. Amanda had reached the end of the proverbial rope and something had to give. She left without thinking better of it, never imagining the consequences. I don't believe she acted out of character. The very nature of having a character like Amanda is to showcase how complex and multi-faceted people really are.
I agree; this is well-stated!
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Post by revna01 »

Thank you for saying so! People (and characters) tend to be boxed-in/limited by others' expectations of how they should be acting in any given situation. The characters I find most interesting in books are the ones I have difficulty pinning down-it keeps everything interesting :)
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Post by Gerry_9 »

It was quite surprising and unexpected but I have to say that stress and anger can make anyone do something unexpected or even stupid. Many of us actually do that when we are stressed out to avoid a fight and cool down but in this book Amanda drove straight to her death. It was quite unlike her because previously in the book she had shown control and calmness.
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Post by Rameen Shahid »

Amanda storming away like that is her trying to breathe some air that she couldn't otherwise. Had she been "in character" like people thought of her, she wouldn't be feeling trapped and wouldn't be wanting to run away from it to breathe properly, but face it and fought it.
There is no such thing as "acting out of character" for what the world knows about you is just so infinitesimal as compared to what you know about yourself (well, obviously).
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Post by michmc3 »

For the record, I had a really hard time deciding the fate of each character at the end of the book. I actually remember the exact spot I was standing when I decided Amanda's fate. I knew what the final scene in the river was, I just had to decide which characters would be present. It was like a bad game of eeny, meenie, miney mo! ~Michelle Cummings
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Post by Snowflake »

michmc3 wrote: 06 Apr 2018, 15:22 For the record, I had a really hard time deciding the fate of each character at the end of the book. I actually remember the exact spot I was standing when I decided Amanda's fate. I knew what the final scene in the river was, I just had to decide which characters would be present. It was like a bad game of eeny, meenie, miney mo! ~Michelle Cummings
Thanks for giving us your thoughts Michelle! and for the great book!
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Post by Jamasenu »

Snowflake wrote: 05 Feb 2018, 12:05 Do you think Amanda was acting in character at the very end of the book?
I was truly surprised that death was the outcome. When dealing with Soldiers coming back from war, you must never assume that they will come back without some form of PTSD. It's hard on a family but with the proper help, they can be a family again.

Amanda was frustrated and hurt that he choose to go back to Afghanistan instead of stay with his family. Amanda is reacting like any married woman. She's hurt, angry and confused.
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Post by kwame1977 »

It was more than a shock to me when a book I reviewed was rejected when a spoiler was detected. This was my first time and was a big lesson to me. Reviewers let's be alert not to become victims of spoilers.
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Post by Alex Hughes »

I felt like she was acting a bit out of
character but thats normal sometimes we tend to over react.
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Post by Amondi Oluoch »

She was acting our of character, given her husband was out for most part of the book.
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Post by nikkyteewhy »

Sometimes the best way to deal with stress is to leave that environment. The storm going on inside her was greater than the one going on outside that's why she could go into the storm for a diaper. It was necessary to her.
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Post by liftedbooks »

Yes it is out of character for Amanda, but she had her reasons. Like most, I was dissatisfied with the ending but I can understand and relate (to some degree) with Amanda"s decision.
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Post by bobbiebryner »

I think it would seem as though she is out of character, but I know from experience that it is not always the case. My husband served in the army for several years. He was deployed to Iraq at the beginning of the war. During that time, I had our second son. When his unit was returning stateside, they asked for volunteers to remain in country during the transition between those that led the assault and those that would be occupying the area. My husband volunteered to stay behind. I was devastated. How could he not want to come home and see his son? Although on the outside I was the strong and caring wife and mother, I was falling apart inside. After he came home, he was different. His PTSD was so terrible, we all walked on eggshells around him. I remember he could make me so angry, and I would respond in ways I that I could not even imagine before. During one argument, I stormed out of the house leaving him and my children and walked several miles before I realized I had forgotten shoes. When you have to be strong for so long, it is dramatic when you finally break. I can see how and why this character responded the way she did. Of course, since I could empathize so much, I hated the ending.
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Post by bobbiebryner »

Jamasenu wrote: 14 Apr 2018, 21:56
Snowflake wrote: 05 Feb 2018, 12:05 Do you think Amanda was acting in character at the very end of the book?
I was truly surprised that death was the outcome. When dealing with Soldiers coming back from war, you must never assume that they will come back without some form of PTSD. It's hard on a family but with the proper help, they can be a family again.

Amanda was frustrated and hurt that he choose to go back to Afghanistan instead of stay with his family. Amanda is reacting like any married woman. She's hurt, angry and confused.
True words! I always thought that the hardest job was to be a military spouse. And then I became a veteran's spouse. It has taken us a long time, a lot of patience, a lot of healing, a ton of forgiveness, and a lot of loving support to persevere and remain a family.
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