Precious and Fragile Things

Well, Gilly survived and Todd is dead...

I think that's about it. 

Just kidding.  There was the incest and the weird 'Hobbit-like' children's names. 

So, we met in May to discuss the first publication from Megan Hart that was not rated NC-17.  This was my selection and I think it was a good one for discussion.  But that's just me.  Really.  I think I was one of the few that actually said they "liked" it.  Overall, the book itself got a 3 out of 5 from the club, but more for the scenario than the story.

I chose this book because I could relate to the character of Gilly and the fact that when carjacked while driving her children, she made a shocking decision.  After rescuing her children from her would-be captor, she chose to stay with him when given the opportunity to run.  ??????  Who does that?  No one.  That's why it made for a good book.  Who has entertained the thought of some outside force removing you from your daily existence against your will and getting a break from the monotony?  Almost every woman alive, though some would never admit it.  We read enough romance and see enough movies involving heroines that the prospect of an adventure is appealing.  So, the fact that I got to go on this adventure with a woman named Gilly who chose to live in the moment instead of calculating the pros and cons of the effect her decisions would have on everyone else, was exciting. 

I'll admit that if this is a book and we are going to go so far as to run away with the captor...let's run away with the captor!  I found myself anticipating a romance from the get go and knowing full well that by the end of this book I would feel guilty for wanting this family ripped apart by a selfish, crazy impulsive decision made by a worn down mother of two.  But it didn't stop me from hoping. 

However, as I got further into the book and realized the emotional scars that the character of Todd was dealing with, I decided that it would never work for them and that he didn't need a romance as much as he needed to be loved.  So, in the end, I think that Gilly got what she needed, a break from her life.  Todd got a break from life, too, a long one.  Eternal.  But I'm not sure that's what he actually needed. 

For her first attempt at something other than seemingly soft-core porn, which is an assumption based purely on the provocative image that grace her mass of books, I think Megan Hart did a decent job.  The character development and the complexities of their lives was disturbing to say the least, but it felt pretty true to what real life can be.