So there’s a great blogger out there, Britney at Book Addicts Guide, who had the most fabulous idea: she’s hosting a read-along for all of Gayle Forman’s books leading up to the release of Just One Year, sequel to Just One Day published earlier this year. I’ve read all of Gayle Forman’s books except her first one, Sisters in Sanity, (you can read our review of If I Stay here) so I jumped at the chance when I saw that she was promoting a read-along for it. What’s more fun than a virtual book club? Judith at Paper Riot volunteered to host Sisters In Sanity and I’m so excited to participated.
Okay, so I have a little confession. I tried really really hard to only read the book in the increments we were supposed to for each week’s questions. But it’s so addicting, I finished it in a few days! I had to know what was going to happen next. So I’m going to answer Week 1 and Week 2′s questions here and now, and then try my best to do the following week’s questions in another post.
Here’s the synopsis from its Goodreads page:
Have you ever had the “out-of-control” dream? The one where you know you’re not crazy, but no one around you–not your parents, not your teachers, not even the authorities–will listen to you? For sixteen-year-old Brit Hemphill, the out-of-control dream comes true when her dad enrolls her at Red Rock, a bogus treatment center that claims to cure rebellious teen girls. At Red Rock, Brit is forced into therapy, and her only hope of getting her life back is in the hands of an underqualified staff of counselors. Brit’s dad thinks Red Rock can save her, but the truth is it’s doing more harm than good.
No girl could survive Red Rock alone–but at a treatment center where you earn privileges for ratting out your peers, it’s hard to know who you can trust. For Brit, everything changes when she meets V, Bebe, Martha, and Cassie, four girls who keep her from going over the edge. Together they’ll hold on to their sanity and their sisterhood while trying to keep their Red Rock reality from becoming a full-on nightmare.
Here are the questions from Paper Riot (beware because there will be some spoilers for the first few chapters!):
1. What is your first impression of Brit? Do you like her as a character? And do you think she really has ODD, or is she just a teenager?
I do like Brit! I feel a great amount of sympathy towards her, her shake in her teenage years of life has not been fair. I think that she could have ODD tendencies but I understand that she’s frustrated with almost everything going on around her. She doesn’t feel heard, she’s hurting from the situation with her mother, and no one’s listening. Especially the people that should! I definitely don’t think dropping her off at some boot camp was the answer, her dad should have found some family counseling before abandoning her.
2. What is your first impression of the other girls? (V, Bebe, Martha, Cassie) Do you like them? Do you think they can be trusted? Who is your favorite?
I am hesitant of the other girls, just like Brit is. I am hoping that she keeps an open mind though, because perhaps they are misunderstood just like she is. My favorite is Martha, I see a caring heart underneath her insecurities and I hope it’s brought out.
3. We get a first glimpse of how things are handled at the Red Rock. How do you feel about this so far? Do you think the way things are handled is okay?
This is so so so not okay. Every girl there has a different struggle stemming from a different hard experience. Why are they all being treated the same? All of this solitary confinement sounds like torture, not like therapy.
4. What do you think about the story of Brit’s parents? Do you think this has anything to do with the way Brit acts now?
I think her parents are directly influencing her situation. Beyond being the ones to actually sign the papers to send her away, they’re causing so much of her distance from them. Instead of listening to her and building trust they’re shattering it my betraying her. I understand that her dad is hurting too, but that’s what family counseling is for! Not shipping her away so that they can both suffer in silence separately.
5. What is your first impression of Sisters In Sanity after the first 7 chapters? Are you enjoying it? Is this your first Gayle Forman book?
This is technically my last Gayle Forman book, until Just One Year comes out! I’m loving the book, which is why at this point I COULD NOT STOP!
I’ll do another post with week three and four’s answers in about two weeks! Thank you so much to Judith and Britney for hosting, I love this fun excuse to read her book! Do you want to read it too? You can buy it on Amazon here.
