Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable?

Washboard · Post by **Washboard** » 11 Sep 2019, 20:00

Kro92813 wrote: ↑10 Sep 2019, 22:32
Washboard wrote: ↑03 Sep 2019, 00:56 I didn't understand why the Game Keeper was a part of the book at all. He didn't help develop the plot and was horrible to the animals and children. His killing the wolf pups really bothered me and seemed completely unnecessary, other than to make the reader dislike him.
I think the point of drowning the pups was because it was a mongrel pup and its echo (half echo half sound). This showed how half-breeds were viewed and disposed of in Echoland.

That would make sense. I guess I missed that detail when I listened to it the first time (audiobook version). I will have to listen to that part again, although I don't really want to. Haha!

Kro92813 · Post by **Kro92813** » 11 Sep 2019, 20:35

Washboard wrote: ↑11 Sep 2019, 20:00
Kro92813 wrote: ↑10 Sep 2019, 22:32
Washboard wrote: ↑03 Sep 2019, 00:56 I didn't understand why the Game Keeper was a part of the book at all. He didn't help develop the plot and was horrible to the animals and children. His killing the wolf pups really bothered me and seemed completely unnecessary, other than to make the reader dislike him.
I think the point of drowning the pups was because it was a mongrel pup and its echo (half echo half sound). This showed how half-breeds were viewed and disposed of in Echoland.
That would make sense. I guess I missed that detail when I listened to it the first time (audiobook version). I will have to listen to that part again, although I don't really want to. Haha!

I dont blame you! I ended up reading the book halfway through and starting over because I found it confusing. It made a lot more sense the second time through!

djr6090 · Post by **djr6090** » 18 Sep 2019, 08:55

I have to say that the creepiest things in the story were the flying eyeballs watching everything that is going on. Maybe this is a reflection of the security camera, and cell-phone-video oversight that our world wallows in. It certainly was unsettling.

Rachel Lea · Post by **Rachel Lea** » 18 Sep 2019, 09:16

B Creech wrote: ↑02 Sep 2019, 19:43 The drowning of the puppies was so cruel! That was a part that really bothered me!

This part of the book really bothered me, as well. I didn't see how it was necessary for the author to include this, especially in a book for children.

Rachel Lea · Post by **Rachel Lea** » 18 Sep 2019, 09:19

djr6090 wrote: ↑18 Sep 2019, 08:55 I have to say that the creepiest things in the story were the flying eyeballs watching everything that is going on. Maybe this is a reflection of the security camera, and cell-phone-video oversight that our world wallows in. It certainly was unsettling.

I didn't think of the flying eyeballs that way when I first read the book, but now that I think about it, you make a very interesting point. There definitely do seem to be some parallels with our world today.

Gathoni1991 · Post by **Gathoni1991** » 18 Sep 2019, 15:38

Drowning puppies???unbelievable!

katiesquilts · Post by **katiesquilts** » 18 Sep 2019, 17:10

B Creech wrote: ↑02 Sep 2019, 19:43 The drowning of the puppies was so cruel! That was a part that really bothered me!

Honestly I hardly blink twice when a character is killed off (so de-sensitized) but whenever animals are treated cruelly I bawl like a baby!

Kro92813 · Post by **Kro92813** » 18 Sep 2019, 20:39

Rachel Lea wrote: ↑18 Sep 2019, 09:16
B Creech wrote: ↑02 Sep 2019, 19:43 The drowning of the puppies was so cruel! That was a part that really bothered me!
This part of the book really bothered me, as well. I didn't see how it was necessary for the author to include this, especially in a book for children.

I think the purpose was to show how mongrels were treated (the half echo half sound), because i believe it was hinted at a few occasions that they were to be killed. So I guess the author figured it would be a little less traumatizing to kill mongrel wolf pups than half-breed people?

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 18 Sep 2019, 23:33

gali wrote: ↑31 Aug 2019, 23:06 Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable?

I was uncomfortable when the keeper gave will's wolf a salty water. I also didn't like the drowning of the puppies.

The level of animal cruelty exhibited by the Keeper and some echoes was a bit uncomfortable for me.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 18 Sep 2019, 23:35

KDJ wrote: ↑01 Sep 2019, 09:57
gali wrote: ↑31 Aug 2019, 23:06 Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable?

I was uncomfortable when the keeper gave will's wolf a salty water. I also didn't like the drowning of the puppies.
I agree those were the worst parts, but I was also uncomfortable with Emmy being taken to Shadowpain. That seemed unnecessarily cruel because of how young she was. And her PTSD seems to be unhandled, like she has not had counseling. Those were also uncomfortable for me.

That seemed exceptionally cruel considering that she was just a child. It was a key reason why Fate Sealers appeared to be the worst Villains in the story.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 18 Sep 2019, 23:37

Rachel Lea wrote: ↑18 Sep 2019, 09:16
B Creech wrote: ↑02 Sep 2019, 19:43 The drowning of the puppies was so cruel! That was a part that really bothered me!
This part of the book really bothered me, as well. I didn't see how it was necessary for the author to include this, especially in a book for children.

That was a very uncomfortable part in the book for me, and it changed my image of the book.

ReneeBrown · Post by **ReneeBrown** » 18 Sep 2019, 23:49

Kro92813 wrote: ↑10 Sep 2019, 22:32
Washboard wrote: ↑03 Sep 2019, 00:56 I didn't understand why the Game Keeper was a part of the book at all. He didn't help develop the plot and was horrible to the animals and children. His killing the wolf pups really bothered me and seemed completely unnecessary, other than to make the reader dislike him.
I think the point of drowning the pups was because it was a mongrel pup and its echo (half echo half sound). This showed how half-breeds were viewed and disposed of in Echoland.

Yeah, that's kind of the vibe I got from it too. I thought it was unnecessary for the puppies to be drowned, but it didn't show the discrimination and then violence against the half-breeds. Which makes the characters that are half-breeds more relatable.

Ferdinand_Otieno · Post by **Ferdinand_Otieno** » 18 Sep 2019, 23:51

reneelu1998 wrote: ↑18 Sep 2019, 23:49
Kro92813 wrote: ↑10 Sep 2019, 22:32
Washboard wrote: ↑03 Sep 2019, 00:56 I didn't understand why the Game Keeper was a part of the book at all. He didn't help develop the plot and was horrible to the animals and children. His killing the wolf pups really bothered me and seemed completely unnecessary, other than to make the reader dislike him.
I think the point of drowning the pups was because it was a mongrel pup and its echo (half echo half sound). This showed how half-breeds were viewed and disposed of in Echoland.
Yeah, that's kind of the vibe I got from it too. I thought it was unnecessary for the puppies to be drowned, but it didn't show the discrimination and then violence against the half-breeds. Which makes the characters that are half-breeds more relatable.

It did make half-breeds more relatable and likable in this book.

Corina Elena · Post by **Corina Elena** » 19 Sep 2019, 01:12

gali wrote: ↑31 Aug 2019, 23:06 Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable?

I was uncomfortable when the keeper gave will's wolf a salty water. I also didn't like the drowning of the puppies.

Yes! The drowning of the puppies was horrible. The thing is, I tended to look at this book through a younger reader's perspective and I don't know if all this cruelty was necessary. I love how somebody in the comments here mentioned Harry Potter, a book that also has cruelty and is dedicated to children. Unlike this book, I was actually young when I read Harry Potter and the cruelty only made me appreciate the protagonists' strengths even more. So I guess, even though I did feel uncomfortable, I am reassured by the fact that anyone reading this book can handle cruelty!

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 19 Sep 2019, 02:46

katiesquilts wrote: ↑18 Sep 2019, 17:10
B Creech wrote: ↑02 Sep 2019, 19:43 The drowning of the puppies was so cruel! That was a part that really bothered me!
Honestly I hardly blink twice when a character is killed off (so de-sensitized) but whenever animals are treated cruelly I bawl like a baby!

I know what you mean! I cry when I see those commercials on TV from the Humane Society!