Foggy Book Club discussion

Here is where we will discuss our thoughts on the book chapters 21 - 25 and our final thoughts.

Taking on the idea of social media celebrity was interesting enough, and the lack of authenticity that especially the larger social media celebrities have as they themselves become "brands"--which is something April May does, too.

For me, it was a lack of empathy that made this book just okay. I could never empathize with April May's struggle with celebrity and how her ego at times took over her life, her rationality, and even put her in a position to endanger herself and her friends as they confront extremists. Conscientiousness has always made me incapable of ever putting a friend in harm's way, let alone anything close, for personal gain even if I can argue that it's for some greater good. Friendship is much more valuable than any benefit of celebrity in my mind.

I did like April May's wry wit and her self-deprecation. The moments when what I'd call her "old self" reasserted itself and let her see herself in all her truth (as a deeply flawed individual and not the social media queen she'd designed) was refreshing. I think the further we run from our inner selves, the more miserable we feel and the more destruction it can create in all our relationships and that's something that happens multiple times in the book, which was realistic.

What I didn't understand at all was Hank Green's unwillingness to explain why she was so afraid of commitment and avoided deep emotions--even going so far as to remind us multiple times that her parents were "not to be blamed." Which... doesn't make sense? Attachment theory, while a theory yes, is pretty solid in my opinion as an explanation for why some people have commitment issues (and why some people are too dependent, et cetera). I guess... give us a reason if it wasn't her parents? I think the readers deserve to understand a bit better how April May came to be at all. Because while her situation led her to become more troubled as she chased celebrity, I'd argue that it takes someone already in a bad place emotionally to even CRAVE celebrity (especially to that intensity) at all in the first place.

As a side note: I really wouldn't have minded a book about her girlfriend. She seemed so interesting for the bits she was around for...