2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss the middle of the book, chapters 7-12.

So far I'm really liking the book!

The writing in this whole section was particularly beautiful: the grandmother relating the loss of her son, Thomas describing the bombing of Dresden, the Sixth Borough. The red markings in the letter speak volumes about what younger Thomas must have felt when he read it.

The mystery is also deepening: how do all these people seem to know who Oskar is before he gets there? Is it his grandmother or his mother scouting ahead and making sure he'll be safe? What was the final puzzle his father wanted Oskar to solve?

The relationship between Oskar and his mother is almost hard to read, especially when he tells her that he wished she had died instead. She obviously loves him so deeply and is trying to help him through, which is clearly not easy. He is so angry with her for getting close to this man, who I'm guessing is another person who suffered a loss.

What does everyone else think so far?

I love the story of the Sixth Borough.

I like how the book is written with all the pictures and the different types of font and writing-styles, depending on who is actually telling the story.

I find myself needing to get to the ending while not actually wanting to get there, if it makes sense. I'm nervous we won't get the answers I crave.

I get sad everytime he mentioned his heavy boots. Oskar is obviously a very sad little boy, and it's a little hard to read. But he did just lose his father, and that has to be difficult. I think it's natural to have problems with the surviving parent, especially since it seems like Oskar's relationship with his father was deeper than the one he has with his mother, even before 9/11.

Somehoe I think Oskar's father understood him more than his mother does. Her mother obviously loves him very much, so I think it's difficult for her to see him so miserable without knowing what to do about it.