YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.

Starting.

i will start this soon

chapter 6 (view spoiler)[
how did those people know that there's children in that boat, they knew that there's five of them in there!
their parents will lose their mind when they find out, they already lost two babies.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

chapter 10 (view spoiler)[
may is Rill and i assume grandma judy is Fern.
i hope the man who gave them the candy doesn't do anything to them.
i'm torn between thinking Rill is really good at holding her self together in this situation and taking care of her siblings and thinking she should fight more or at least let Camellia try to run.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I actually haven't gotten to this so will save this for September (beginning).

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[
This chapter hurt my heart and pissed me off. Gabby is probably gone and camellia got assaulted by that creepy asshole. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

finished (view spoiler)[
i'm so happy that the sisters are in each other's lives.
i loved the thing May said about how life is like a movie and every scene has its song that only work for it.

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I cannot seem to get into this. I'm going to keep trucking through though.

It took me a while to get into it, i had to push myself to finish it but it was really good.

Up to chapter 8. So far Avery’s chapters are boring me. (view spoiler)[ Rill’s are interesting and I’m wondering what the connection is between the grandmother. (hide spoiler)]

Up to chapter 13

(view spoiler)[ I am curious to know what is in the envelope and I am still enjoying the Rill chapters. (hide spoiler)]

Raghad wrote: "Chapter 14
Agreed, it’s definitely getting emotional.

Up to chapter 18 (view spoiler)[ I hope they escape! Well, I'm sure they do, but I hope Silas gets Fern and her out of there. Thankfully Avery's chapters are getting more interesting, though all she's trying to find out is what her connection is to her grandmother, so it's still a bit boring on her end. Loving the Rill chapters. (hide spoiler)]

Up to chapter 24. (view spoiler)[ I mean, I figured they had some connection, but didn't guess they would be sisters. And for it to be Hootsie to tell Avery! That was pretty neat. (hide spoiler)]

Finished. (view spoiler)[ Well, I'm not too happy about not knowing what happened to Camellia.. It just.. doesn't sit right. Overall, this did get better but took me way too long to read because it was a pretty slow read. (hide spoiler)]

Raghad wrote: "finished
i'm so happy that the sisters are in each other's lives.
i loved the thing May said about how life is like a movie and every scene has its song that only work for it.

[spoilers removed]"

I don't usually read books like this, but it wasn't bad.

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Date Changed. Restarting October 2nd 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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Started this one on audio book!!

Chapter 5- (view spoiler)[ I had to start the audio book again after being a bit confused with the time changes, and some accents, but now I’m really getting into it! The second time starting it, I had to slow it down, and that seemed to help. I am very intrigued how the woman in the nursing home knows Audrey (or how she thinks she does…) Took a little bit longer to get into the 1939 storyline with Queenie. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9- (view spoiler)[ Avery found her grandma's date book and called the number that was written down. She talked to a real estate guy, but didn't find out any answers. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14- (view spoiler)[ This was a tough chapter to read about for Camilla :( :( :(

During Avery's chapters, I'm really liking Trent Turner :) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16- (view spoiler)[ They are trying to make Camilla disappear...like she never existed :( :( (hide spoiler)]

I hope to start this soon but really I have no idea XD

Starting now!

1% (view spoiler)[Oh no! So if she even tries to get pregnant again she could die? What if it happens by accident?? (hide spoiler)]

I'm going to be updating a lot as I'm listening while I play Candy Crush at my computer, so I update every few %

3% (view spoiler)[Oh I love how fascinating history is. And I really want a love like that for myself as well. There is a couple who comes through the supermarket where I work and they've been married 50 years. So incredible to know that it is still possible, although this generation makes me doubt that.

I like how this seems like it'll be a story told from this old woman to the main character! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[Ooohhh dual POV! We have the old woman now, May! (hide spoiler)]

6% (view spoiler)[As soon as she said she wanted a love like theirs, and then talked about her fiance, that she didn't feel those things for Elliot. And that he doesn't seem too interested in talking to her. Although I hope that's just a one-off, not a normal occurrence. I know people don't have much time. (hide spoiler)]

Katie wrote: "Started this one on audio book!!

Chapter 5- [spoilers removed]"

I managed to pick it up just fine, which is good! I love the time jumps, so fascinating. I've always been into historical fiction.
(view spoiler)[If someone ever asks me to marry them, there'd be no holding back on me planning that stuff ASAP! I don't know how they can hold back! (hide spoiler)]

17% (view spoiler)[Ugh Camelia shut up! Stop making noise! She's even been told to shush and she doesn't!
How old are these kids? I'm picturing May around 13? (hide spoiler)]

19% (view spoiler)[Oh no what's happening with them! (hide spoiler)]

21% (view spoiler)[Who's Rill?
Wait is there another historical POV I'm missing, Rill? I thought we just had Audrey and May!! Oh gosh maybe I'm super lost (hide spoiler)]

22% (view spoiler)[I like how it's Camelia who's the defiant sassy one, normally it's the MC, so this is a nice change. But generally adult books are more outside the mould compared to YA.
Okay cool so they changed Rill's name from Rill to May. I did wonder. Now I'm thinking that May was adopted by someone with the last name of Crandall, as she was given Weathers for a last name (hide spoiler)]

Stopping here for the night. Will get more in tomorrow.

Maddie wrote: "21% Who's Rill?
Wait is there another historical POV I'm missing, Rill? I thought we just had Audrey and May!! Oh gosh maybe I'm super lost"

@Maddie- I agree...I had to start this audio book over (and slow it down) because I was confused on the different points of view at the beginning. But now I'm really enjoying this!!

Yeah I'm loving it as well! I'll try and get more done tonight, but we'll just see :)

Chapter 23- (view spoiler)[ AGHH!!! I didn't see that one coming! I was starting to wonder if Grandma Judy was Cameilla, but I wasn't expecting her to be one of the twins "that died" at the beginning of the book...I mean the entire book hinted at these terrible acts happening, but I just didn't put those things together. In fact, I had to listen to this chapter again because I was unsure if I was understanding it correctly. (hide spoiler)]

Finished- (view spoiler)[ I loved it...I especially loved Rill's chapters, and listening to it on audio book with a Southern accent made it even better. I'm not sure I loved Avery's chapters or romance all that much, but I appreciated the alternating points of view, because I'm not sure I could have stomached reading from Rill's point of view the entire time...so much emotion!! (hide spoiler)]

Wow a 5-star! That's amazing!

Maddie wrote: "Wow a 5-star! That's amazing!"

I know!! I loved most of it, and the parts I didn't love, I still enjoyed for the most part! It was closer to a 4.5 - 4.75 for me, but I round up on goodreads. I hope you enjoy it as well!! I love all your updates :)

Yeah I update a lot XD

Sorry I've put this on hold for a bit, have some quick audios I need to get through