Spoiler Alert: What did you think of the ending of Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper?

Use this forum to discuss the August 2024 Book of the Month, "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.
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Ciera Cioroch
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Re: Spoiler Alert: What did you think of the ending of Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper?

Post by Ciera Cioroch »

I thought the ending of this book felt very rushed. I was disappointed that we never learn the story behind Tod carrying the sickle cell trait and I felt as if this was a very interesting twist that could have offered even more insight into American history. I was also a bit disappointed that Vanessa simply fell back into the arms of a man she hadn't even spoken to in 10+ years after such a traumatic ordeal.
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Yasmine ZM
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Post by Yasmine ZM »

The end felt abrupt, and we were left hanging and wondering about Trisha.
It was also inconclusive whether Vanessa's family-in-law would escape justice or if they will have what they deserved.
On the topic of Barry and Vanessa, it felt like they were meant to be together; they always kept feelings for each other. However Barry did hurt Vanessa when they were younger, and there should have been some kind of penance from him. How easy was it to go back to that relationship?
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Daysi Calle
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Post by Daysi Calle »

The ending seemed open to me because there was a lot to know. They said that Trisha was between life and death and it is not known if she lived or not. The others were arrested but with their power having great people, I don't think they will be locked up like they should. I didn't see my complete happy ending, it felt very rushed and wasn't enjoyed as it should be.
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Hannah Vance 3
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Post by Hannah Vance 3 »

I really quite enjoyed the ending. I felt like the whole thing was a wild ride and it finally all came together somewhat. But I think it's more than just a romance.
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Post by Qwerty Writes »

I was shocked when I read the last sentence. I tried clicking several times on my keyboard to go to the next page and it didn't budge. Until I looked at the bottom and it said 100%. I just didn't feel the ending as it was. It didn't move me just left me with a few misconceptions.
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Josephine Carnes 1
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Post by Josephine Carnes 1 »

I gelt like the ending was inevitable but also rushed. I would’ve appreciated more. I’m not sure what, but it’s missing just that “more-ness”.
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Nicolás Trujillo Duque
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Post by Nicolás Trujillo Duque »

I feel like it's a very terrible ending: considering how rushed in general the book feels at times, it is not weird to find that the end was so anticlimatic: we discover that Tod and his family are a bunch of racists that will go to the lengths of killing Vanessa just for having black ancestry, although she looks white, and from that point onwars, the story transformed from being a drama into Die Hard. It is flabbergasting!: all the action in the last four chapters feels rushed, it is not described very well, it's like the author wanted to reach the end, like she was tired of writing.

It feels not logical at all: why Vanessa returns to Barry, even after promising herself not to be again with him? The ending leaves so many questions in the air, that it is truly jarring to me. It was another nail in the coffin for this book: the end needed more development to be truly shocking and conclusive. It's like the book needed more chapters to truly close the story.
Paula Bayer
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Post by Paula Bayer »

I agree with some of the participations in this forum. I beilieve the ending was rushed and it left a lot of questions as to what happened; we know she ends up with Barry but before this point she had a very succesfull carrer, Does she leaves it anyway or does she goes back to it? (I recall she did not want to give it up but was forced by her husband). Alos, Trisha was a character developed at some point of the book, but in the ending we dont know what happens with her!!
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Post by Loretta Morris 1 »

Hi!

I loved the ending of the book. Vanessa and Barry experienced twists and turns in their lives that kept them apart for many years. It was nice to see them back together in the end of the book.
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Post by Shiru Elizabeth »

She just went back to where she started, thus in my opinion, the excursion we were on was unnecessary. I also did not enjoy the idea that she returned to Barry. Additionally, it supported the cliché of the male savior.
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Jennifer Bells
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Post by Jennifer Bells »

The ending fits well with the rest of the book as it opens other hidden possibility about the characters.
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Post by Novagrace01 »

cindyk56 wrote: 28 Aug 2024, 19:52 I was astounded that it ended with her missing and having to be found. Her life ended up as it began
I hadn't viewed it like this! I really like this connection.
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Post by Novagrace01 »

I thought the ending was messy and confusing and I really wish we had resolution about Trisha. I feel like Barry was missing from the whole book and I didn't really care that they ended up together.
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Post by Jason Felixx »

The ending kind of concluded and helped with the bad plot holes. In the end, it was satisfying.
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Post by Lisa Thompson 13 »

I felt the ending was rushed and could have used an epilogue to really tie up the loose ends. I felt there were too many questions left unanswered to really give a satisfying ending.
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