Clubbing in April -- Part 2

The Questers discussed Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt for the April discussion. Main character Tova Sullivan has dealt with a lot of heartbreak in her life, losing both her son and her husband. She still has a group of friends that look out for her though, and she still supports herself with a custodial job in the local aquarium. That is where she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus and one of the most interesting characters a fan of fiction will ever encounter.

With interesting narration, the reader understands how smart Marcellus is, even if he does have a hard time understanding some of our human characteristics. As their bond grows, Marcellus helps Tova understand what happened many years ago when her son tragically disappeared on the cusp of adulthood. The Questers enjoyed the book and rewarded it with a strong 4.1 rating. 

The Readers discussed Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner for the April discussion. The book is set between 1938 and 1947 with the earlier years focusing on Rosie in the United States, and the later years focusing on Helen in Europe. Rosie is a teenager who loses her family to an accident and is taken in by her employers. Remembering her instructions from her parents throughout her childhood, Rosie tries to make it to adulthood without anyone finding out what makes her different. Being "different" in 1939 was a very dangerous trait, even in the United States. 

Helen is the sister of Rosie's employer and she left for Europe years ago to be a nanny. She considers the families she works for to be her own. When Hitler begins to invade the continent though, a child she tends is in grave danger. The decisions Helen makes to keep Brigitta safe have life altering consequences. 

The Readers gave the book a 4.33 rating. 

The Young Soul Readers discussed It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini for the April discussion. The story follows teenager Craig Gilner as his perfectly planned life begins to crumble into failure and depression. After a near suicide, he ends up in a mental hospital, where he meets a variety of new people with new problems. While this is a serious novel about mental illness, it has funny moments of levity also.

The discussion group gave this a generous three stars, as most members had a hard time finishing it and suggested a potential reader just skip it.