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Logic
Posted: 05 Apr 2020, 17:40
by AlexisLib
Some of the events and the character thoughts and reactions did not seem logical to me. For example, it did not make sense to me that Hillary and her family felt like they were in danger just because their friend was killed. They weren't involved in any way with the theme park development. And why would Sarah be killed? None of them knew anything.
When Hillary gets Bridget's packet, why would that be a big deal? All along it was just supposed to include research into Hillary's family, so why would anyone want to steal it, burn it, why would it put them in danger?
Playing hide and seek at night in an alley with your seven-year-old in not your own neighborhood? And with a man Hillary doesn't know she can trust? After there have been murders? I winced; I can't imagine parents allowing that so blithely.
I actually enjoyed reading the book, but these kinds of things made me feel like the author was forcing the characters to do these things just to make the plot work, which took me out of the story. They could have been fixed with more development.
Did anyone else feel like some things didn't make sense?
Re: Logic
Posted: 14 Apr 2020, 15:49
by Mandy Males Cole
If you think back to the beginning, Roger (Hillary's publisher I believe) warned them at dinner about what an unscrupulous guy Bridget was dealing with. Also, you can infer that whatever Bridget was digging up was interesting to her killer. I think the characters' reactions were justified.
Re: Logic
Posted: 14 Apr 2020, 19:14
by rjohnston815
I actually thought Hillary was in danger simply because she would have been a resource for Bridget. She could have been seen as someone who would strengthen Bridget's cause regarding the amusement park. I think all of the danger was simply because they were friends. Also, once Bridget was killed and Sarah was poking around, she became a problem which was what got Sarah killed. That all said, I felt the same way about hide and seek! I was wondering what she was thinking! But I also thought the ending was rushed and did not fit well with the way the rest of the story was told...
Re: Logic
Posted: 15 Apr 2020, 13:54
by ErikaP13
AlexisLib wrote: ↑05 Apr 2020, 17:40
Some of the events and the character thoughts and reactions did not seem logical to me. For example, it did not make sense to me that Hillary and her family felt like they were in danger just because their friend was killed. They weren't involved in any way with the theme park development. And why would Sarah be killed? None of them knew anything.
When Hillary gets Bridget's packet, why would that be a big deal? All along it was just supposed to include research into Hillary's family, so why would anyone want to steal it, burn it, why would it put them in danger?
Playing hide and seek at night in an alley with your seven-year-old in not your own neighborhood? And with a man Hillary doesn't know she can trust? After there have been murders? I winced; I can't imagine parents allowing that so blithely.
I actually enjoyed reading the book, but these kinds of things made me feel like the author was forcing the characters to do these things just to make the plot work, which took me out of the story. They could have been fixed with more development.
Did anyone else feel like some things didn't make sense?
It's honestly sad to me how often authors fall back on convenience in their stories simply to avoid having to think things through. I agree with you that the whole hide-and-seek thing was a major miscalculation on the author's part.
Re: Logic
Posted: 16 Apr 2020, 20:22
by hmorgan90
My thought about the packet is this: Hillary is the only "family" Bridgette has left. She knew she was dealing with someone dangerous. The bad guy who killed her probably thought that there was incriminating evidence in that packet. So it had to go. Seamus was not the greatest guy to be watching a child. At night. In a dangerous time. Hillary should not have let Claire out of her sight. The reader knows he's a bad guy but to Hillary and family, he seemed to be on the up and up.
Re: Logic
Posted: 18 Apr 2020, 19:05
by kdstrack
The connection between Hillary and Bridget explained her fear of being in danger. The author also explained why Sarah was killed (to create more fear for Hillary.) I didn't understand Hillary letting Sarah play with Seamus. She was so careful about everything else in her child's life. This seemed like an unnecessary danger. I also cringed at her cavalier handling of the documents she had been waiting for all along. Why didn't she put them in a "safe and protected" place as soon as she received them? This did not make sense to me.
Re: Logic
Posted: 21 Apr 2020, 05:19
by blessing_bona
rjohnston815 wrote: ↑14 Apr 2020, 19:14
I actually thought Hillary was in danger simply because she would have been a resource for Bridget. She could have been seen as someone who would strengthen Bridget's cause regarding the amusement park. I think all of the danger was simply because they were friends. Also, once Bridget was killed and Sarah was poking around, she became a problem which was what got Sarah killed.
Exactly. Being friends with the one on the project was enough danger. Even if she knew nothing
Re: Logic
Posted: 24 Apr 2020, 08:42
by Snowflake
I am never a fan of author's, or t.v. show writer's for that matter, creating scenes of convenience that don't really seem to fit with the character's personalities or typical reason.
Re: Logic
Posted: 25 Apr 2020, 21:10
by ayoomisope
Snowflake wrote: ↑24 Apr 2020, 08:42
I am never a fan of author's, or t.v. show writer's for that matter, creating scenes of convenience that don't really seem to fit with the character's personalities or typical reason.
This bugs me as well, especially when the scenes are dwelled upon. Have you ever felt like "fast-forwarding" such scenes in a book? I surely have.
Re: Logic
Posted: 26 Apr 2020, 21:20
by Maconstewart
ayoomisope wrote: ↑25 Apr 2020, 21:10
Snowflake wrote: ↑24 Apr 2020, 08:42
This bugs me as well, especially when the scenes are dwelled upon. Have you ever felt like "fast-forwarding" such scenes in a book? I surely have.
I too have felt like doing the fast forward thing in books! When it starts feeling forced, or like it doesn't fit the story as a whole, it looses my attention fast.
Re: Logic
Posted: 14 May 2020, 11:36
by Jajachris
Oh well, I didn't pick these out while reading. Maybe I was just enjoying the book.
Re: Logic
Posted: 15 May 2020, 19:30
by Grace Bela
hmorgan90 wrote: ↑16 Apr 2020, 20:22
My thought about the packet is this: Hillary is the only "family" Bridgette has left. She knew she was dealing with someone dangerous. The bad guy who killed her probably thought that there was incriminating evidence in that packet. So it had to go. Seamus was not the greatest guy to be watching a child. At night. In a dangerous time. Hillary should not have let Claire out of her sight. The reader knows he's a bad guy but to Hillary and family, he seemed to be on the up and up.
I agree with hmorgan90's analysis. While I wouldn't have made the same decisions as Hillary if I were in her place, I still think they were fairly reasonable within the novel. It was hard for her to tell what Seamus is like from the outside, so I think we are biased as readers because we know things before Hillary does. I overall liked how Gillam displayed relationships within the novel based on heritage. As such, I enjoyed scenes with Claire and think that Gillam's plot is reasonable.
Re: Logic
Posted: 15 May 2020, 19:33
by Grace Bela
Jajachris wrote: ↑14 May 2020, 11:36
Oh well, I didn't pick these out while reading. Maybe I was just enjoying the book.
I definitely fall under this category! I usually have trouble finding things I dislike about the plot of books I read because I'm so focused on the story. I assume that it is always well thought out by the author. That was the case for this novel as well. While I may just be rationalizing on something that isn't the case, I found Gillam's depictions of Hillary in regards to Seamus and trustworthiness to make sense within the context of the novel.
Re: Logic
Posted: 15 May 2020, 23:42
by gracedivine
Some of the observations you raised at quite worrisome. For example, Hillary had no buisiness with the man at the alley let alone allowing clair play with him. Its a scary scenario.
Re: Logic
Posted: 17 May 2020, 22:52
by Mrunalpatki
I agree with you on the hide and go seek part, that was totally unconvincing. A new place, with a not very well known man, whose lover and your friend was just murdered, you allow this person to play with your daughter in the dark, gives me the creeps.