FINDING AUDREY READ-ALONG discussion

Discuss below your thoughts on what's happened so far. What was your favorite part from this chapter selection? Anything that bugged you?

Cy's jealousy is so cute! Can't wait to see more of them together!

I really dont get. This romance going on btwn Zel and Cy so far. On the one hand he's jealous and protective of her and then the next second he's insulting her and calling her ugly.... Am I missing something? If it's supposed to be cute it's kind of just awkward and rude.

I am also really curious how the author will explain the babydoll heads showing up in Zel's room. It seems like she was trying to add a creepy/mysterious/metaphoric edge to the story, but at this point I think it's kind of stupid and weird. Hopefully she has an interesting explanation for it but Im a little suspicious.

This book isnt so predictable after all. It has definitely grown on me

So we've gotten a few answers so far as to who is Ana and zelia's father's background.. but it only leads to more questions. I like that Zelia is bonding a bit more with Wilbert, Hex and Vera and Cy as well even though with those two, it is really back and forth. I am dying to know more about the special traits!

Whoa... This is a really good read, and I love it. I mean, I got so immersed into this book that I had read a lot of pages without taking a break. I thought Ana was creepy when she was introduced to us, but when Zel went to visit her, I found her to be less creepy. I like her. Still have no idea what the connection is between her and the severed head dolls though. That part is creepy. I don't know what to make of Zel and Kw, if there's anything at all going on there. The specialty traits are a mystery, and I would desperately like to know more about them!

I'm really loving this book so far...I am just flying through this book. We get to know who Kw is and figure out what is, her dad's back-story and I am really glad that she is starting to get a long a little more with Wilbert, Hex and Vera. Cy jealousy is kind of cute he seems to be very guarded and not wanting to show his feelings which I guess is why he can sometimes be a jerk. Zel and Kw together might be another possibility for a love interest. Ana is kinda creepy and awesome I like her. I hope we get more of her as the book goes on. I seriously can't put this book down I might finish it today lol.

Ahh I'm loving the book so far. I like that Zelia is bonding more with Hex, Vera, Wilbert and of course Cy. Didn't really like Cy at first but now he's growing on me. He's so different around Zelia. Also, I really want to know more about Dylia's special trait and I do not trust Micah, he's giving me the creeps!

So good so far!!!!! I'm loving the book. A little irritated about Zelia not trusting them and wanting to go meet Zw, but I'm hoping she'll eventually learn. Love that she's bonding with everyone. I'm wondering if she has a special trait. Everyone's asking about her sisters trait but what about her!!! And I'm loving Cy. I hope they get together soon! :D

This book is so good I just can't put it into words the characters are great and I just can't wait to see what happens at the night club ooo so hogs I am so excited for this series!!!!

I am loving this book so much!!!! I love Cy he is getting closer to making my list of fictional make characters!!!!! Haha I love his tattoos!!

Finding less and less time to read but I finally made it to chapter 17. Is Anna a ghost? At first she was invisible but then she saw her in the room and what's up with the creepy doll heads? Felt bad she saw her sister at the club yet she was drugged up and didn't recognize her. What's her special trait? Also what's her trait is it the breathing?

And how do you guys say Cy? Is it like sigh or ky because his name is Cyrad so just wondering how you guys say his name! :)

I need to know what Dyl's trait is?!? and I DON'T trust Micah Kw he seems super shady. I don't like how hostile and rude cy seems to be to Zel. I don't like characters who always seem angry all the time. But I'm glad he was there to say something to Zel about Micah but I feel like it's not enough for her to be cautious. I am just as frustrated with Zel's dad as she is . It's all so mysterious and hidden away kept secret from her.

oh and Ana! I'm glad her character was more detailed this chapter. About who she is and what happened to her . Yet another thing that had to be practically forced out for an explanation. It's not about being nosy it's about knowing your surroundings and what to expect. Especially since everything is so new to Zel I think she at least had the right to know about Ana.

Not sure how you say the names. That really bugs me. But I have learned from a 2nd grade teacher that that is not important and to just use the first letter of their name because I would always struggle when it came to the names. This is what my children do as well.

Just finished chapter 17. I don't like this junkyard meeting with Kw at all! I don't trust him his whole story about how he sacrificed himself for Ana i just on buy it!. I want to find what Dyl's trait is already. I really am enjoying this book so far and I just know something is going to happen when she meets with Kw.

AdrienneViolet wrote: "I need to know what Dyl's trait is?!? and I DON'T trust Micah Kw he seems super shady. I don't like how hostile and rude cy seems to be to Zel. I don't like characters who always seem angry all the..."


I am so with you Micah is not to be trusted he is just too good to be true that story about Ana i don't buy it one bit.

Nicole wrote: "And how do you guys say Cy? Is it like sigh or ky because his name is Cyrad so just wondering how you guys say his name! :)"

I think it's pronounced as sigh haha but I'm not sure! :)

Cy's jerkiness really bugs me. I don't particularly like these tortured soul type characters. But oh well. Micah creeps me out a lot too. I don't really like Cy or Micah as a love interest for Zelia. Hex seems like a nice, good guy for her but that's never the guy the girl ends up with, right?

I really liked the part where we got to meet Ana and find out her trait. I had a feeling that she could make herself invisible, so I was glad to have that confirmed. I hope to find out more about Ana as the book moves along.

I have a theory about Marka and I want to know what people think of this. So, when we found out that Marka was in love with Zelia's dad, I got the weird thought that maybe Marka is Zelia's mom? Because she disappeared from Zel and Dyl's lives when they were really young. What are your guys' thoughts on this theory?

Wow I still love the pacing of this book. I want to know who Micah is and what his real intentions are. I like how Cy is protective of Zelia and I hope their relationship grows I think they'd be a cute couple. We still don't know what happens to Dyl but hopefully she goes to live with Zel and the others.

Jade wrote: "I really dont get. This romance going on btwn Zel and Cy so far. On the one hand he's jealous and protective of her and then the next second he's insulting her and calling her ugly.... Am I missin..."

Yeah, Cy is definitely off-putting. Even when his backstory is explained, it's no excuse for him being such a JERK!!!

Mom2triplets04 wrote: "Not sure how you say the names. That really bugs me. But I have learned from a 2nd grade teacher that that is not important and to just use the first letter of their name because I would always s..."

Yeah, all the names that aren't "normal" names confuse me! I'm sure I'll mispronounce Zelia's name 100000 times in my review!

Danica wrote: "Cy's jerkiness really bugs me. I don't particularly like these tortured soul type characters. But oh well. Micah creeps me out a lot too. I don't really like Cy or Micah as a love interest for Zeli..."

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Cy or Micah either. Not really digging the "which one will she choose?" feeling because i feel like she can do her thing without throwing love into the situation.

so far so great omg I just want to keep reading!

omg I don't know who to trust! I can't wait to find out what Dyl's trait is too. This book keeps making the ends of chapters reveal something huge and then I have to keep reading to find out more about it!

I don't trust Micah at all. He's shifty. I think Zel needs to trust the Carus guys more. They are who her father trusted after all. I really like the character of Ana. She intrigues me and I want to see more of her in the book.

Cy is starting to grow on me. I really like how he is protective of Zelia but he could be a little nicer. I really don't like Micah at all. I just feel like he's trying to trick her to trust him and no one else. He's just really shady. I enjoyed how we got to find out more about Anna and I hope we find out more about her later in the book. Overall I'm really enjoying this book and I can't wait to read more!

I'm enjoying this so far. I really don't trust Kw. I have a feeling he will end up being a bad guy.
I really like Vera, Wilbert, Hex. Not sure what to think of Cy yet. He's just too much of a jerk at the moment for me to like him.
Really excited to keep reading and find out what trait Dyl has

For the most part I like this book very much. I like the future technology. I like the depictions of the seedy nightlife. I like the characters as a whole.

What I'm not crazy about are the tired YA cliche's that are popping up. We have the love triangle with the main protagonist and the two biggest jerks in the story. We have the best female friend who is so much hotter than the protagonist, yet attracts nobody of mention. The boy who loves her keeps pushing her away for no good reason.

My main grip is how people are keeping things from Zylia when they really should not be. Marka did not tell Zylia about her father's hidden messages because she "needed to discover them on her own." I hate that. Unless you are trying to keep a secrete from the protagonist because you honestly do not want them to know, just tell them. Especially if they need to know.

I got through this section much faster than I thought I would, haha - I couldn't put it down!

I wasn't sure how I felt about Cy at first... he's growing on me, but his mood swings can be a bit annoying. I really like what we found out about Ana and I'm interested to see how she's involved in the story later. I'm also really glad that we found out why Zelia's dad was trying to stop her from continuing her lab work, because that was really bugging me.

I have to say that my favourite part of this section was when Zelia got breakfast and coffee and headache meds for everybody the morning after the club scene. I thought it was sweet and funny and I really liked to see the characters bonding. I'm happy that Vera seems to be less hostile because I really enjoy her character so far.

I'm nervous to see what will happen if/when Zelia meets Micah at the junkyard!

Great read so far.

I really liked the holo-dad scene. I kind of saw it coming, but thought it was really cool to read about her interactions with her dad one last time and get some answers that she's been searching for. If only we could do that with loved ones today.

I still feel like the book is missing something. There's a lot of things that happen, but not a lot of definition. I feel like it's written in a way that expects you to just accept things for what they are. That irritates me a little bit.

I have a problem. I just recently watched the movie "Monster's University" and can't help but imagine the 'special people' as animated characters- especially Wilbert. It's really annoying, because I imagine everything else as being real. Haha.

The fast pace of the story is what's keeping me hooked. I'm looking forward to finding out how Zel plans to save Dyl. I have a feeling Cy will have a part in it.

I'm really enjoying how realistic the characters are in terms of their reactions to situations and how they react to each other. The initial chapter i wasn't sure about the pacing but i like how it's playing out!

Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that aspect of the story; though, admittedly, I wasn't too involved in it to start with. Why did we need a love triangle or a romance at all? I feel like this story could have functioned perfectly well without it -- but that's just me...
The pacing problems that presented themselves in the first eight chapters are definitely still an issue here; sure, there's technically plenty of things happening on the pages, but there's no direction and sense that they relate to each other, or even to the overarching plot. This lack of cohesiveness definitely makes the story jumpy and the characters sketchy -- I wish more time was spent developing these characters in a way that didn't bring the plot to a grinding halt or just feel like a series of unrelated 'meetings' that take away from time that could be spent on world-building and plot.

So... I haven't read all the way to 16 yet so if this is explained by then, sorry. But I HAVE to get my thoughts out somewhere. I feel like Cy and Micah are pulling a Darcy/Wickham thing on me. But I want to like Micah. But.. Can't it be a misunderstanding and somehow they're both good? Am I being too Jane about this? UGH.
Pride and Prejudice references ftw.

Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that aspect of the story; though, ad..."
Oh gosh! I didn't even see your comment. Man. We're on the same wavelength here. Though I do actually kind of like it..

Anna wrote: "Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that aspect of the..."

Hooray for wavelengths! I usually have zero problem with anyone pulling some good Austen references, but I think Ms. Kang's rushing it within this novel. Not enough time developing the characters for it to really resonate so powerfully as Austen's work.

Madeleine wrote: "Anna wrote: "Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that ..."

I do agree, it seems a bit too rushed. It doesn't completely ruin it for me as much as I think it does for others, but more time could be spent getting to know the characters before thrusting new ones in.
Wouldn't it be crazy if Micah played Ana and that's why Cy doesn't like him?? All the Pride and Prejudice.. Maybe Lydia Kang was inspired by it.

-EDIT-
Yep. She totally got inspiration from P&P.

I'm really curious to see what happens with Micah. I don't trust him at all. I can't wait to learn more about her dad. The hologram scene with him was a one of my favorite scenes so far. I want to find answers but it feels like we're just getting more and more questions.

Oh my God! The special traits thing is driving me crazy! Just when I'm sure I'm about to find out, something happens, and I don't find out! Gaaaarrrggggghhhh!
Anyway, these next few chapters were pretty good. I don't know about you guys, but it struck me as funny when Zelia was wondering that if Wilbert had alcohol, would he get twice as drunk, or only half as drunk? If only we knew :)
Anyway, the scene with Ana was interesting. Her trait seemed to me like it was her ability to communicate with others telepathically. After all, the book said her lips weren't moving when she was talking.

Wow, super fast paced and we learned to much more about all the characters which I really enjoyed. Cy and Zelia have some parallel situations with their younger sisters and their traits/loss. I definitely understand Cy a lot more. I really loved their adventure to the club in their "char" lol...it makes me think about how far we have come from, the covered wagon days yet progress will continue. I also LOVED Vera helping Zelia get ready before the went clubbing, it was nice for Zelia to feel more like a desirable women! Still not sure who to trust, wanting to trust the Carus house being that I love all the characters, can't wait to read more.

Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that aspect of the story; though, ad..."

YES. YES THIS YES. She makes it super blatantly obvious that those are the parallels, but I feel like that romance has been done so much lately that I'm a little over it.

Maureen wrote: "Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in that aspect of the..."

Agreed. I'm just sick of love triangles in general: they just seem to be shoehorned into everything nowadays and most of the time they're completely unnecessary.

Madeleine wrote: "Maureen wrote: "Madeleine wrote: "Is the Cy-Zel-Micah romance striking anyone else as a poorly sketched attempt at the "Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham" kind of triangle? I'm really losing investment in th..."

yeah, they could've left out any romance with Micah and it would've better for me, it was small and unnecessary. I figured she was pulling inspiration from P&P from the get-go, but then she made it more blatantly obvious as time went on. (Fix-Williams anyone?)

I LOVE how this book is going so far! I love how jealous Cy gets, but it drives me crazy how rude he is. Ana is very interesting... i hope we see more of her.

Just to answer a question about the pronunciation of Cy. I believe that it is "sigh" because it's like Simon (I know it's Cyrad but there's probably some connection). However we know from Kw that there are strangely spelt names so it could be like "kye"! I'm interested to see how Christine, Kat, Jesse, Ariel and Liz pronounce it on Feb 22.
Concerning the story, I'm suspicious of Micah and I still don't trust Marka - especially after that creepy hair session in her lab! I think Ana and her dolls heads are going to be a vital part of the story but I have no idea how... like none. I love Hex, Wilbert and Vera (especially the latter - her plant form intrigues me). Also I got so annoyed when Zel's dad disappeared from the hologram! I wanted more answers! I'm also curious to know if there is a leader of Aureus and who it is - maybe Micah is the leader and is just tricking Zel? A great plot twist would be a Nate-esque betrayal from The Infernal Devices. I feel an evil vibe coming from the new Dyl.
(PS, that guy with the black teeth from Argent creeped me out!)

For a smart girl like Zelia,she's really stupid to trust Q after all what she's heard about him, "I miss you" God!!! Lamest line in the history of all I am-fooling-you-fool lines!!

Currently starting ch 10; What the heck is with the doll heads and why isn't Zel more creeped out about it?
"Oh someone obviously broke in to my room without taking anything and leave doll heads each time, let's have breakfast and slowly fall in love with Cy". Come on! I would've been freaked the f out!

Ooh! It just keeps getting better and better! I don't want to put it down! I need to know what happens. I love this book and the story so far! And I really hope that Zelia can sake all the right questions to holo dad!

Cy definitely infuriates me at times! He's so closed up, he reminds me of Jace. He's so vulnerable and I hate that Cy hurts himself so often and never let's anyone in. But I am so in love with the characters and this story!! I can't put it down!!!!