Literally Dead Book Club discussion

for reference, in my paperback edition (352 pages long), page 109 begins with "Grifford Place OurHood post" right before chapter 7.
And page 223 ends with "anyone would understand" right before chapter chapter 15 starts.

what develops happened in the middle third of the book and how do you feel about them?
what themes do you recognize?
have you ever read a book like this? what other books might you recommend in tandem with this?
what do you anticipate or hope happens in the last 100 pages?

I don’t feel the vibes of a thriller so I’m putting it down to bad marketing.
Strange relationship going on but I do enjoy the dialogue.

The strange thing is.....
It’s like reading two separate books at the moment. I’m hoping they meet somewhere to make more sense.

Never read a book like this before so that’s a “thing” that’s different.

Still thoroughly enjoying it—it almost feels like reading nonfiction at times, diving into land ownership, history between slavery/Wall Street (the system is corrupt), the continuing escalation of microaggression and the abuse of power/race.

The situation with VerenTech HQ reminds me of the debacle with Amazon HQ2 in 2018, where North American cities where pitching to Amazon to locate their new HQ there. Long Island City was selected, then later canceled due to local opposition.

It remind me a lot of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, which also utilizes a genre framework to tell a deeper story about culture/race.

Minor observation, the book could've used one more round of editing, there are passage and word choice here and there that feels a bit clunky.

Would be curious to hear people's thought on it not being 'thriller' enough, because there are definitely moments of suspense and tension throughout its first 2/3, and Sydney's situation is quite anxiety inducing—Maybe because a lot of it is more implied than explicit action?

what develops happened in the middle third of the book and how do you feel about them?
More people are disappearing from the neighbourhood, Drea - who is Sydney's Best Friend/Neighbour seems to have disappeared and someone showed up to claim the community garden as their property, even though Sydney's mother owns the its.

Theo's girlfriend dumped him and told him to get out of the house, even though his name is on the mortgage and he paid part of the deposit, we also found out how they got together, and how he became unemployed.

I still feel like I'm waiting for something bigger to happen? There is a lot going on, but at the moment I would be classifying it more as literary fiction or a class study, rather than a thriller. It is definitely a slow paced thriller.

what themes do you recognize?
I don't think it counts as a theme, but us vs. them is a strong recurring element, capitalism and change of power could also be themes in this book.

have you ever read a book like this? what other books might you recommend in tandem with this?
I haven't read many thrillers, and cannot think of anything similar to this that I've read before. The book gives me the some worry that I had reading 'The Hate U Give' and 'Concrete Rose', where police and white people, are treating people of colour badly and I keep waiting for something big to happen.

what do you anticipate or hope happens in the last 100 pages?
I hope we find out who is responsible for all of the 'disappearances' in the neighbourhood, I hope we find out what is going on with Sydney's mother and her ex-husband, and I hope all of the unfriendly white people who have come into the neighbourhood leave. I like Theo at the moment, so if he stays good I'm alright with him sticking around, also Jen and Jenn seem nice enough.

Part of me thinks that Sydney is just having a mental breakdown, and most of this is happening in her head but seems unlikely...

some major developments that have stuck out to me are kim dumping theo and sydney’s mom’s garden getting taken away. theo and sydney have also made a lot of progress in learning new things about the tour they’re making. i really like this book so far, and it’s really keeping me on the edge of my seat. i cant wait to see what happens next!! i’ve realized this book is a lot more modern than i thought it would be, with a lot of issues happening now happening in this book. i’ve also never read a book like this before so that’s another reason i’ve been so on the edge of my seat. i’m hoping to learn what happened to sydney’s mom and what’s really happening to all of the disappearing people in the neighborhood like drea. i would also love to see theo and sydney get together!

what develops happened in the middle third of the book and how do you feel about them?
Kim dumping Theo and telling him to get out of the house that he co-owns. This is very worrying just because she is rich she somehow believes that she can just take what is not hers and if he causes trouble her father will deal with it. WTF. The community garden being taken feels like the same kind of thing but worse!

what themes do you recognize?
A strong us vs them theme is present throughout. There also seems to be social dimensions looked at in the book by examining the power structures in relation to wealth. Both in the current time with the gentrification of the neighbourhood and the historical information that Sydney and Theo are discovering while they are doing research for their tour.

have you ever read a book like this? what other books might you recommend in tandem with this?
This is a first for me. I am enjoying it though. It is very engaging, I am finding the mystery around what is happening in the neighbourhood interesting.

what do you anticipate or hope happens in the last 100 pages?
I am hoping that the loose ends come together. I want to know what's happening with the mum, and the ex-husband. I also hope to find out what has happened to Drea and Mr Perkins who appear to be "missing". I am also wondering why Sydney is seeing bedbugs and experiencing other weird goings-on and why Drea was worried about her. Has she previously suffered a breakdown and is in one now as well as the other mysterious things? The messages that Theo got through the document was weird too, I think that was Kim but why? So I hope the ending will reveal the answers to these questions I have.

it's so interesting to read everyone's thoughts!

Developments:

More folks keep disappearing in this mysteriously growing place. Drea is now missing as well. Sydney also loses her Mother's garden basically by force. We also learn a bit more about Theo's backstory. I honestly don't think I have ever been this mad at characters in a book before. Kim, Josie and the guy at the new store front (I forget his name unfortunately) are just some of the characters that have me fuming at the ears!

Themes:

Definitely the theme of division, racism, etc.

Similar books I have read?

This book is honestly one of the most interesting reads that I have ever dived into. I do agree with most people on here that I'm not really getting a thriller vibe from this. Yes, there are some tense moments but I wouldn't really say they scream thriller. I also feel that the book sort of continues to cross the lines of fiction and non-fiction.

Expectations/Questions

I'm very interested to see what this "Rejuvenation" thing means. Remembering the documents that Sydney got from Drea; the one document cut off at the word "Rej". Later in the story there's our usual snippet of the conversations happening on the network and this one seems to be confidential. It talks about Rejuvenation and that the meeting about this is mandatory.

I do feel like the new white residents are all in on the happenings in this neighbourhood. I think the company is planting things to make people look guilty and to also have them move out. For example, Drea's AC and the bed bugs.

I also want to find out the deal with Sydney's mother and her ex.

I don't get people saying this isn't thrilling. I am on the edge of my seat. Interesting that some of the most dread-inducing moments are also the most realistic.

The first part built up to this part actually rather well now that I’ve read the second part.

It’s not your average thriller, which honestly is refreshing. I can’t figure out if it’s a darker big bad or if it’s just Sidney going crazy.

It seems like her ex was very abusive and that plays into her paranoia.

I don’t think her mom is alive. That’s my guess. And I want to know what happened to her friend. The whole bedbugs on the bed made me shudder.

This book does an amazing job of using something that is actually happening to so many people and twists the real into scary things.

It’s real fear and that honestly has me afraid for Sidney and also sad because it’s not a fear that’s relevant to me. I will never have to be afraid for the reasons she does.

It’s chilling and educating all at once. I want to read more by Cole for sure. She’s a great storyteller.

what develops happened in the middle third of the book and how do you feel about them?
I had a strong feeling that something bad would happen to Mr Perkins and i was sad about that :(
Does anyone else think that we are meant to believe that Theo was drugged? He kept making a point that wine doesn't usually effect him so much and Kim made a point to offer him the wine in the fridge which seemed out of step from the rest of the hostile conversation they were having at the time. I have a feeling that Kim, Josie and Terry are in on something together and they know that Theo has a perfect view onto the apartments opposite so wanted to drug him so if he did see what happened to Mr Perkins then he would forget?
I really was not expecting Drea to disappear, she was more of a side character so i didn't even think about it but i suppose it makes sense in order for Sydney to feel even more isolated. Perhaps whoever caused Drea's disappearance planted the cheque in her apartment to make Sydney distrust her and not bother to make a fuss of her disappearance?
The cameras popping up everywhere and the weird men trying to force their way in to is really weird and frightening. I hope the truth is uncovered soon because i am so intrigued!


what themes do you recognize?
Gentrification as a horror device- creating feelings of isolation and disorientation (people/businesses leaving and new strange people taking their place.)
a big sense of "otherness", us vs them mentality
Paranoia - An obsession with bed bugs is usually a sign of mental illness.
Societal issues such as the effect of racism, white supremacy and over policing on black communities

have you ever read a book like this? what other books might you recommend in tandem with this?
Never! I like that one minute this feels like a contemporary novel and the next this anxiety inducing thriller.

what do you anticipate or hope happens in the last 100 pages?
- I hope that we start to get answers to the Verentech plot and the missing people
- I think Theo may accept the job with the estate agent to find out what is going on but maybe there isn't enough time for that
- I'm sure we will find out what the deal is with Sydney's mum (i'm 100% certain that she is dead and Sydney is covering it up)
- I don't think we are getting this tour haha

I definitely wouldn’t market this as a thriller but I’m still enjoying it mostly. I like the writing style and the dialogue from characters, and I’m not too sure where the story is going. Hoping for a good twist at the end!

1) Sydney and Theo continue to gather research for the tour, people are disappearing, businesses are being shut down, and the community garden has been taken over. I’m interested to see if there’s going to be big plot twist or reveal involving Theo, and I’m wondering what’s really going on with Sydney’s Mom. Overall though I’m not super invested in the story; I can appreciate a slow burn, but it’s a little too slow for my liking.

2) White privilege, racism and gentrification are strong themes throughout. Possibly an unreliable narrator with Sydney or Theo as well.

3) I haven’t read a book like this, but it reminds me of the movie Get Out.

4) I haven’t actually read it yet, but I’d say The Vanishing Act by Brit Bennett would be a good follow up to this one. From what I understand it has similar themes throughout.

5) I’m hoping for a plot twist or reveal of some sort. I’d love to see Sydney get her garden back, and for the racist neighbours to get what’s coming to them. I’m also hoping we find out the truth about Sydney’s Mom.

Kelley wrote: "I don't get people saying this isn't thrilling. I am on the edge of my seat. Interesting that some of the most dread-inducing moments are also the most realistic."

That part! It's also deeply frustrating (but not in a bad way)

The things that stood out the most to me was Drea going ghost on Sydney and the garden scene. Both are worrying for the exact same reason: nothing good can come out of them. This part solidifies the themes that were present in the first third: racism, gentrification, them vs us, white privilege, unreliable narrator (because there's just so much that Sydney and Theo just don't know). All I know is we better get some answers. Drea and Mr. Preston better be okay. And these people better get the hell out of the Bronx and leave Sydney and her neighbours alone.

This book is a unique thriller, but I wouldn’t say it’s not a thriller (which I have heard many people say in other reviews). The big theme that the author is talking about is us vs them. I agree with the poster who wrote about the author taking something that happens to so many black and racialized communities and helps people who haven’t experienced it feel some of the emotions they may be feelings.

I want to know what happened to Drea and the missing neighbour. I also want to know what happened to Sydney’s mom. I like how the author is using Sydney’s voice to educate Theo and the reader on some of the issues that exist for black folks when white folks are expecting them to do the work regarding racism. I may be in the minority here, but I am finding this book and interesting read.

I finished this part just now and until now I'm enjoying the book but not thoroughly, I have to say. I was expecting to have more tension when reading and I'm not feeling that actually. It is true that I like the characters and the story, as it is the first time I read about gentrification. Also, I like the little tension points that the author drops at certain points of the novel, like when Theo is drunk and the neighbor seems to disappear, but I was expecting a bit more.

The Drea "writing" part is killing me and I want to know what happened. The theories I read in the group about the mother being dead, it was something I was not really thinking and it could be true!

Apart from that, the last part when she basically gets evicted certainly feels like the starting point for the plot to develop, so I feel like the novel is going to resolve in this last part.

Let's see what is to come next!

This book does not feel like a thriller at all. I’m having a hard time because it feels like the only focus has been on the tour and history of the town. I am totally okay with that, but I’m also looking to be reading a thriller. Yes people have gone missing, but that is about all that has been going on that even relates to a thriller. I am honestly getting more contemporary fiction vibes from this book. I haven’t really read a book like this before, I wish I was enjoying it more. I hope this book saves itself in the last section of this book. I’m sadly so disappointed, it has been so slow. I just wish I felt like I was reading a thriller. I do have to say I’m glad Theo and Kim are no longer together. She is a piece of work.

When i read a horror book, the most consistent emotion I feel is dread. This book absolutely fits the bill in that respect, so I think I’d call it more an urban horror story. It is very uncomfortable reading, which I think was Alyssa Cole’s intent. Well done! It is a slow burn definitely, but I think that is how it is occurring in many US neighborhoods in the current climate.
I am enjoying the writing style of Cole. Definitely think something is going on in the backstory of both Theo and Sydney. As Theo said, he’s a liar, so I think unfortunately he has something to do with what’s going on, though it’s possibly in the job he was fired from. I wish something horrible would happen to KIm, Josie, and Terry, and the other pieces of &*@$ in the book, but I frankly don’t see that happening. Want to get the balance finished today - want to know what the heck is going on!

What develops happened in the middle third of the book and how do you feel about them?
-It is building up, I'm getting interested. Finally Kim pulled the last bitch move and we won't have to hear much from her, but who knows… Where is Mr Perkins? I need to know he's okay, *okay*? Also, what did Drea do to get that money, and where is she? So many questions! The is also hiding something darker, not sure what but he is…

Themes and similar books?
-White privilege, racism and gentrification are some of the central themes, along with found family (the neighbourhood and how everyone knew everyone). You can definitely say that both our narrators are unreliable…
Have not read anything like this before, but enjoying Cole's writing style.

What do you anticipate/hope?
-Hopefully we will know what happened to Yolanda! There is something there, I'm sure! I hope Mr Perkins and Drea reappear sound and safe (?Naive). Plus I need to know what's going on with VerenTech!

Up to this point, this is still a very average read for me. While there are definitely unsettling moments sprinkled in, I would not personally classify this as a thriller. I can't really think of any similar books to recommend - this is a unique read.

There are themes of racism and a racial divide, overlooked effects of gentrification, and paranoia just to name a few.

I'm hoping for something more classically thrilling to happen in the last section, but I honestly think it's going to end up with Sydney suffering a mental breakdown and realizing that she was tricking herself into seeing things that weren't actually there. I'm also feeling like her mom is dead, and has been for a while. I think the classified group in the OurHood app is comprised of people, such as the new corner store owner and supposed new garden owner, whose purpose is to make the neighborhood a nightmare for the remaining black residents. I could be completely off-base here, but those are my thoughts.

So the biggest developments that have happened in this section are Kim kicking Theo out and breaking up with him, something (sinister?) happening to Mr. Perkins, and Sydney's mom's garden being taken away from them.

Obviously the themes of us vs. them, Black vs. White, capitalism as a "savior." But the other theme that I'm sort of picking up on is the idea of real vs. imagined in a way. Both Sydney and Theo are struggling with reality and fiction in their lives and the way they are presenting things to the people around them. But also with just what's going on in the neighborhood. It feels like there's something incredibly sinister happening, especially with the secret "rejuvenation" messages, but at the same time, it sadly could just be a regular racist push to gentrify a neighborhood.

I get why people are saying that it's not a traditional thriller, but I think that's because we haven't been given all the pieces yet. I think that Cole has placed all the dominos in their positions and we're about to see them all be knocked down. And I think that's a deliberate choice. I think this is more of dread-horror story than a thriller in the traditional sense, but the mystery is still there for me. And Cole, for being a traditionally romantic writer, has absolutely nailed the dread that I just can't seem to shake. Not to mention, the psychological aspect is there for me--especially with Sydney's POV where it feels like we're at a point where she doesn't even really believe what's happening to her and around her, so then we question it to. Her anxieties and panic are mine and so the idea of not being able to trust what you're seeing and hearing, is very uncomfortable.

As for books that are similar, there's only one that I can think of--House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Not in the subject matter or story but more in the vein of not really knowing what's going on and what you can believe, and the sort of claustrophobic dread that weighed on me when I read it. Granted, it's been 10 years since I had to read it for undergrad, but I do remember that feeling well. Perhaps The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware might also have that similar vibe of not knowing if we can trust the POV's character's reality and what they're seeing and feeling. (Though that one you do figure it out rather quickly).

I'm very excited to see where this story is going to go and hopefully Cole answers most of the questions I have!

My theories so far:

- Sydney's mom is definitely dead. I'm wondering if Sydney killed her, or if her abusive ex did and gaslit her into thinking it was her fault somehow? But she definitely loves her mom, so if she did kill her, it was linked to a past psychotic break, which has been hinted at with her having been in restraints and being sent to a hospital against her will.

- The private group Josie, Terry, and Kim talked about having on OurHood is this rejuvenation thing, and it's related to everyone disappearing. You can tell because Josie makes posts on the main OurHood boards that seem to be cover-ups, like owning up for Toby barking the night Count was barking, or saying people need to let the creepy utility guy in and it's safe, etc.