The hopeful readers group discussion

Starting soon!

So what we aiming for? How feel about binge across friday, sat and sunday? Our usual, check in every 5 chapters ish?

I have to work Saturday, so I might need a bit longer, but I can always catch up on Sunday 😆

Andrea wrote: "I have to work Saturday, so I might need a bit longer, but I can always catch up on Sunday 😆"

Oh sure we can always spread across week too 😊

Looooool. Keeping girls away from knives so they don't get a scar? What happens to clumsy girls? I would have been shunned and sent away so early on in life 🤣🤣🤣 I can't even count all my scars on one hand

Ok, so it starts to sort of makes sense by chapter 4, but still. Who doesn't bleed some way or other until they reach 15? Or am I just super clumsy?

Finished chapter 5. I'm still a bit confused, but I like it so far!!

Finished ch 5!

I'm obsessed so far, loving how brutal it is and the fantasy elements. Concept of the gods and the demons is fascinating.

Lol i am with you there, i trip over thin air or walking into things get cuts and bruises 😂

I think scars and masks to do with the purity, i can already see the misogyny as it seems all to benefit of men - woman created for them by sounds of those rituals and the memorised lines... i am hoping for all the inner rage to build. Similar to when we read Cinderella is dead.

I love seeing kickass females take control of their own lives can't wait to see what happens next for Deka. Enjoying her so far, she has an interesting pov and my heart aches for her...

Oh and intrigued by Whitehands, also adore Britta she seems sweet xx

Finished Ch 10!

Its very addictive so far and i am loving Deka so much, she is still finsing her strength but i love that she cares so much for others and wants to help them. Such as Britta and Bel, but i am glad to see someone being defiant and learning more about the gilded ones.

How they're going to be used and the options, also am interested to see more action scenes and their training. Also hope to see more of the girls working together and realising this purity thing is rubbish, already tell its probably rubbish. They will be used and thrown away, if unable or willing to fight..

Sorry, I just finished chapter 9, and I'm too tired to continue..

I agree, the patriarchy is strong with this one.

I wonder just how special Deka will turn out to be...

I like Britta, I hope she won't die...

No problem! I just got a bit addicted, love the writing for this one just grabbed me. Finished Ch 20, will wait for Catch up to discuss as so much 😊

I adore Deka she just gets better every page and i really enioy Britta.

I see what you mean. I reached chapter 17 without even realizing it 😄 it's really good! I love how they're slowly starting to question the stupid book and its "wisdoms" and start standing up for themselves!

I wonder why Deka and the other 3 White Hands picked for special lessons are so special. I'm thinking 2nd coming of the original beasties (forgot the name)?

Exactly! Yay glad enjoying too. I loved it so much when Deka stood up and did her speech, can see how far she has grown from the start. Also discussion of her deaths and what happened to Katya broke my heart, although i expected one of them to fall... Its just tragic after her story, she only wanted to go home and be with her love 😭

Very interesting concept with like true deaths, how they each have ways they're unable to die and one thing or more thats their only way to die. They won't know till it happens.

Oh! Now i hadn't though of that at all, but makes so much sense. Each of them being from one of the four original Gilded ones/demons. Im curious to learn more Dekas mother, as still so much secrecy there and she may have a different father.

Is it only giving me Harry Potter vibes? Every time those Deathshrieks are mentioned, my mind goes to the Dementors somehow 😆

I'm all caught up with you, just finished chapter 21. I am loving the friendship between Deka and the girls, and Keita. Poor boy.

Haha i never read Harry Potter so didn't really notice, but now you mention it i can see that vibe with the dementors 😂

Yay! Me too im kind of enjoying that its not really got a romance focus, while i presume will be with Keita. Im loving the friendships and group so much xx

Sorry, I felt really bad yesterday after work, I didn't read anything 😔 I'll catch up with you this evening!

No problem, i fell in love with the story i finished yesterdey and it was pure stunning such an incredible read. Shall wait for you to catch up to discuss 😊

That could take a while 🙈 it turned super hot and doesn't cool down even at night over here. I hate it 😫

I got to chapter 26. It reminds me more and more of Harry Potter and the asshole Dumbledore with the never ending "I will tell you all you want to now when you're ready" BS 🙄 oh the clichés...

Also, I noticed Deka at some point switches from seeing the Deathshrieks in the dark to tracking their heartbeats?

And why did the B- girl's (I can't for the life of me remember their names. Bot Britta, the other one) suddenly fade? I thought they all healed once they discover their powers? Or is Deka just special that way? Little things that confuse me 😅

No proble. Yeah its been the same here, I've had fan on but still way too much heat. Difficult to sleep or get comfy. We got luncky with thunderstorm last night which cooled a little, but still humid xx

Oh very true! Thats very frustrating, i kind of se ewhy though as learn more.

Yeah Deka is special slowly has more stuff as she adapts its interesting to see.

Huh? I don't know who faded, Becalis didn't so i don't know another B person other then Britta 😂

They all are different, some heal quick or slow. All have various final deaths, none are exactly the same i guess what makes them unpredictable and demons in a way. And Deka is special too, learn more about her as goes through slowly reveals details xx

No, in chapter 25, Belcalis says her scars are gone. Apparently all scars they get after they turn go away at some point. I just don't know why and when 😅 too many questions!!!

Andrea wrote: "No, in chapter 25, Becalis says her scars are gone. Apparently all scars they get after they turn go away at some point. I just don't know why and when 😅 too many questions!!!"

I think she meant any scars fade yeah, i think its mainly the ones after they hit puberty and the reveal. But also don't think most would really have scars before then if think about, as avoid knifes and any isk of cuts or harm not supposed to spill blood till the ritual 😂

But she says her back is completely smooth now. Oh oh well. Mus stop obsessing over little things 😅😅😅

So White Hands is planning a rebellion, huh? Who could have seen it coming 😅

I really hate this "I won't tell you the truth because you won't understand it" routine...

I'm guessing it has to do with her mother? That mystery still needs solving.

I wonder if my return of the Gilded Ones theory will pan out 😅 but don't tell me!

Also, I'm guessing the girls the Deathshrieks take get turned, which is why they are getting more intelligent? And the girl Deka saw running away earlier is working with them? Or are they shapeshifters, too?

Andrea wrote: "But she says her back is completely smooth now. Oh oh well. Mus stop obsessing over little things 😅😅😅

So White Hands is planning a rebellion, huh? Who could have seen it coming 😅

I really hate t..."

She was sold by her stepfather before of age as she spilled blood early/got cut before the ritual right? So when she was first started being used and harmed they possibly didn't heal as quick as they do now? Im guessing, lol no idea 😂

Lol true that xx

Oh you have so much too look forward too, theres a lot of sudden reveals in the last few chapters i believe that shall clear up some of ideas. Can't wait to see what think 😂

Finished chapter 30. I like reading it, but it's not really wowing me. But I do like the friendship between the girls. That's nice to have in YA...

But UGH the forced lovestory. I mean. I like Keita. But. Romance? Ugh. I'm not here for that! 🤣

Britta better survive this, is all I'm saying. Cause if she goes, Deka is going over to the dark side.

I sense rebellion coming! 😄

Aww sorry not wowing you. But glad still enjoying and yeah, majority what i loved was the girls friendship and bond.

Lol yeah, i adore romancebut i kind of wish had gone lgbt+ and gone with Deka/Britta they have so much more connection then her and Keita. I feel it was forced, only really there to show that not all the men are awful. Theres no real build up to the feelings there 😂

Love a rebellionl

Agreed. Deka and Britta would've made more sense as a couple. But at least with Keita there's one not awful man.

Mh. The end is a bit of a let-down for me. I mean. Yay for fighting for equality. But. Oh I don't know. It all feels a bit forced. Also highly convenient that Deka can control Deathshrieks, so everyone just believes her big announcement.

I mean. I like it, and I'm curious where it's all going. But. It didn't wow me as much as I expected it to

What did you think of the emperor's sudden turnaround? I found it a but. Convenient? He turned around so suddenly... I feel like the entire second half was just too easy and convenient.

But still, the writing is really good and gripping.

Finished!

Exactly, got to have that one decent guy 😂

Lol I suppose, but made sense with reveal that she was basically created/chosen one to save them all it was typical.

Huh? The emperors turnaround? I didn't realize he did, he was awful throughout all, for his own gain and like the reveal of his abilities that their men out there with the same that kept hidden. I suppose convenient true, but didn't surprise me. After all his wholw thing is against woman being in power, the strength of the gilded and such.

I think what i loved was that perhaps it is so easy going and typical, fitting to many tropes in ways that just made it so easy to enjoy. Also i think where I've only started getting back into YA this year after like 8 years of not reading, it all seems rather new and comforting to me.

Im glad to see love triangles have started to fade and the damsel in dostress trope has started to disappear too 😂

Well, the emperor didn't scream EVIL when we first met him. He seemed an okay guy for someone who runs a country of oppressive men...

🤣 yes, thank goodness the love triangle seems to be dying out. That was an awful phase...

Oh lol, nope i took him as awful from the start as he is the one that set the death mandate which caused Deka to be killed over and over used for gold and many other girls to die. She was only saved, because whitehands thought useful. He didn't care about any of the qlwomen only their use, he was happy for them to die xx

Hell yes! I swear as a teen i read so many books with love triangles which i hate, because i just thought that every book had them they were everywhere 😂

Yes, but that wasn't him, personally. I felt like the whole book of wisdom had been around forever. Sure, he kept it in place to keep his power and all. But he wasn't an outright evil bastard from the time we met him. Especially when he met the girls,yes, he was using them for his purpose, but. I don't know. He felt under developed. Like. We don't know anything about him and what drives him.

They were everywhere 🤣

I feel like the new thing is smelling the love interest (ever notice how they all have a very distinctive scent they can immediately break down?) And letting go a breath they didn't know they were holding. 🤣🤣🤣

I took him as an evil bastard from the start perhaps he didn't create it but he followed it and allowed it to continue. He went for the plan of using the girls against the deathshrieks, knowing they were killing their sisters and family effectively.

Events were in motion beford him, but he kept them going and set the girls up to fall from the start. Happy to use and let them die, so that the men could stay in power. Lol i just thought typical power hungry man, he couldn't cope with the fact these girls were stronger then him and likes the control. Thats what made him such a good villian i thought, true to life his motivations are very basic. But i could be wrong learn more next book.

Exactly, those and vampires but i kind of enjoyed that phase 😂

Oh yes! Breath didn't know holding, also feel soulmates has become super popular last few years and fae.

True. But I still feel he could have been developed a bit more ^^

Oh yes. The spontaneous forever kind of love that happens so young these days 😆

I'm trying to remember books that came out for young readers when I was younger (lol, does that make me feel old), but... I remember reading a lot of books about girls who went to summer trips at horse stables and stuff. Which were more about horses and summer adventures (which sometimes included hints of summer romance). But after that? I think then came the Twilight phase 🤣🤣🤣 and there were always the Harry Potter books

I feel like I have the same "complaints" as with Cinderella is Dead. Both have really cool concepts and I love how dark and violent they are, and I like how they examine patriarchy. But in both cases I feel like the story suffered for that? I mean, both were really cool and I enjoyed them. But... there are buts 😄

Agreed, i can understand that.

Haha exactly, instant fulfilment i guess and then you get the angsty conflict 😂

Oh yeah! Many summer romances, those were a definite theme perfect for those love triangles - new guy in town for the summer and that childhood friend you know the ones. Yeah twilight started it all with the vampires and then the werewolves they exploded, many trilogys i feel - Also i feel there were many Angel or fallen books too. While now its more demons.

That makes sense, i think im too in love with the fight against the patriarchy that i overlook a lot of the failings. Yeah, the story/plot of both is a little overlooked or rushed in both in the second halfs because focus so much build up in the first part.. Definitely similar vibe there

But still, I think we picked a really good one!

Definitely! Thanks for for mentioning it, otherwise it may have sat on my shelf a while 😂

Another great buddy read 💕

Yay! On to the next book, then 😄