Eerie Indiana Virtual Book Club: "Bone Gap" Discussion Post

[evilinsanemonkey]

First, I apologize profusely for forgetting to put this up on Saturday. But I figure I'll get it up today and we can spend the week just chatting about the book. Have it be a nice relaxed thing!

So without further ado, let's talk about Laura Ruby's Bone Gap!

Some questions to get you started:

General

+ Do you think Petey is right about why Finn likes her? Do you think it matters?

+ What do you think the place Roza was taken is?

+ How does this book handle family?

Eerie

+ In what ways does this book make you think of Eerie?

+ What do you think the characters of Eerie and the characters of Bone Gap would think of each other?

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Next book: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
Discussion: April 22

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Also we need a tie breaker! "May Bird and the Ever After" and "Lumberjanes" are tied, so let me know which one you'd like to read first!

Comments

[evilinsanemonkey]

To start with, I just want to say I absolutely loved the style of this book. It had such a lyrical feel to it and it was kind of gorgeous in its prose.

I'm not Braining well enough to actually answer the questions I came up with right now, but I will muse on them and answer later.

AS FAR AS EERIE GOES

Finn reminds me so much of Simon ohhhh my god.

Also that whole thing about the corn talking was So Very Eerie.

[froodle]

such a lyrical feel to it and it was kind of gorgeous in its prose

Yes! this is kinda what I was trying to say when I said It was beautifully written, only better expressed! there were times, the nighttime excursions with the horse and Miguel with the corn, that it had the sweet lulling rhythm of a tale told at bedtime

[deifire]

Yes! I really liked this writing style and want to read more by this author. There was something a little Neil Gaiman-esque (when Gaiman's in fairy tale mode) about it, except also distinctly Midwest USA.

[deifire]

Finn reminds me so much of Simon ohhhh my god.

So much!

There's also something about Sean that's a little bit Simon--or at least a more world-weary Simon--and a little bit Sara Sue.

The Rudes would fit right into the background of Eerie. So would Charlie Valentine.

Oh, yes, the corn! It was mostly knowing there was something weird going on with the corn in this book that made me suggest it for Eerie book club, and I'm glad I did. (It also indirectly influenced the background of a scene in my Eerie fic, where the person skating with the corn comes back.)

[froodle]

The Rudes are the guys that the Bob brothers hero worship.and they're the kids that Nick and Eddie occasionally hang out with when they're feeling a bit wild, only to retreat in horror after a bit because the Rudes take it way too far.

[froodle]

I *loved* it. So beautifully written! I also liked that it used myths i personally wasn't familiar with. Like it took me ages to realise I was reading about the guy who puts his death in an egg and I didn't even twig it was a Persephone myth til right near the end.

Also, give it up for the Beast! What a good ugly boi.

I thought the places Roza was taken were fairy tale worlds, that he'd cross to with some more of transport similar to how the black mare takes petey and finn for their nightly rides. They didn't make sense but they had the feel of dream logic or a story for a very young child

I could see why the reveal that Finn was faceblind mattered to Petey, because she had so many people telling her she was ugly and for her that played right into it. But Finn liked her face and I guess it's that thing where, you're attracted to someone's face and maybe your idea of perfect face isn't my idea of perfect face, but does it matter of the end result is we get to look at our favourite faces?

I also liked the idea of "things everybody knew" and how it's presented as an absolute even though in fact its mutable and shifting all the time

The ghost that eats out of the Cordero fridge was, prior to the reveal that it's Roza filtered through Miguel's sleeping mind, felt purely Eerie to me.

And the corn talked,and moved, AND IT WANTED TO HELP AND WAS BENIGN ALL ALONG ON MY GOD THAT WAS GREAT!

[evilinsanemonkey]

I actually really liked that touch w/Petey being concerned about Finn's face blindness, I thought it really fit with her character and her experience and what she was used to people thinking about her and it hurt and I wanted to give her a hug.

The Corn was SO GREAT. Like I like that it was a character in and of itself. Like Ruby gave the landscape life, in a way.

[froodle]

it really fit with her character and her experience and what she was used to people thinking about her and it hurt and I wanted to give her a hug.

Omg SAME damn I wanted to hug her in that moment!

[evilinsanemonkey]

Petey is such a great character.

I feel like she and Sara Sue would get along dangerously well. Throw Melanie in and no one stands a chance.

[deifire]

I would love that fic!

[froodle]

YESSSSSSS I NEED IT

[froodle]

Oh my God YES! I can see the Rudes and the Bobs running wild, getting into all of Sara Sue's stuff and Petey tearing strips off them while Sara Sue hangs back, kind of aghast but also kind of completely in love with her.

[deifire]

(Late to the party due to life interference and going to answer all of these at some point, but starting with this one.)

How does this book handle family?

So many different ways. I love the whole thread of found family running through the book.

Family of origin is a complicated thing. Roza missing her grandmother. For Finn and Sean's mom, family is something to escape. For Sean, it's an obligation.

I also loved that it got at the whole feel of a small town as a family of sorts, where people look after each other and out for each other and are constantly judging each other and in each other's business, outsiders may or may not be taken in and welcomed, folks have long memories and once you've been assigned a role in the life of the town, it's a difficult one to change.

[evilinsanemonkey]

I also loved that it got at the whole feel of a small town as a family of sorts

OHHH yes. That was so spot on!

[froodle]

once you've been assigned a role in the life of the town, it's a difficult one to change.

Quote for truth

[deifire]

What do you think the characters of Eerie and the characters of Bone Gap would think of each other?

Marshall would annoy so many people. So much.

I can see him believing Finn without hesitation, but also wanting to test exactly how his prosopagnosia works and doesn't work and getting on the wrong side of both him and Petey and the process.

Simon would fit right in.

So would Syndi, I think.

Dash...I don't have a strong idea what Dash dealing with the residents of Bone Gap would be like, except that it would probably involve a lot of petty larceny.

[evilinsanemonkey]

Simon would fit in so perfectly in Bone Gap!!!

[froodle]

Marshall would annoy so many people. So much.

This is so on the money i laughed out loud reading it

I can see him believing Finn without hesitation, but also wanting to test exactly how his prosopagnosia works and doesn't work and getting on the wrong side of both him and Petey and the process.

Also yes.

[froodle]

Dash would totally steal one of Charlie Valentines chickens, right? He'd have no good reason when pressed for a reason why, but he'd do it

[evilinsanemonkey]

HE WOULD

[froodle]

And then Marshall manages to make it worse:

"But why do you have a better relationship with chickens than with family NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY"

And then Charlie Valentine points a shotgun at him.

[froodle]

I wanna see Syndi in Bone Gap. Also, I think Marilyn and Peteys mum would be friends.

[evilinsanemonkey]

Marilyn and Petey's mom would get along so, so well!!!

[froodle]

Small business proprietors unite!