Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Chapter Champions
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

11 chapters / 24%

(view spoiler)[ wow, her racism towards her dad and everyone else is just painful. it's so terrible to read

I like her dad and I feel bad for what he's been through - his future ripped away because the woman he was with wouldn't admit they were sleeping together.

and wow, they are headed to the South. I can't imagine how unsafe that will be (hide spoiler)]

23 chapters / 52%

(view spoiler)[I was really nervous about where they landed
but I'm glad they are exploring who they are and what they know. I love that they are connecting to others

but I'm still not sure on this goal they are working toward and where she wants to go (hide spoiler)]

34 chapters / 77%

(view spoiler)[
I like that idea - finding an underlying connecting that brings everyone together, especially that it's tied to music.

I also can't imagine hearing something so terrible about your parents and how it had shaped her childhood and what she knew
and that the people she would want to talk to or want answers from are gone (hide spoiler)]

and done!

(view spoiler)[ I really ended up liking Sidney. I was sad by what her aunt had planned for her but I was glad she faced whatever was going on there.

I love that Charlie explored the stars and found it all based on music. I liked that the ending felt hopeful. I was glad they didn't turn the machine on and risk another event (hide spoiler)]

I got mine on libby, will start reading ASAP.

Anyone have a favorite character?

this one was a very tough read - but I really did like Charlie (our MC). he was a really good dad and such a patient person.

Got my copy 😍

I didn't find this thread until now, but I finished yesterday so I'll post my comments here but they'll be all at once.

Through Ch. 11

(view spoiler)[This one is trippy and super philosophical! The way it starts by introducing Charlie as the world has been totally reshaped by a surreal cataclysm of every white person in America walking into the water and drowning themselves. Ugh. But that would definitely created a new societal landscape.

I imagine the shock when Sidney calls as "Elizabeth's daughter." Not even knowing she was alive, she's half-white and lived though the self-drownings. Her spending so much time herself in isolation would've been very difficult, Their conversations are full of tension! I think due to the years of absence that Charlie feels guilt and parental obligations to her now.

I love the symbolism of the elephants in the sky! Charlie's internal conflict is evident and full of trauma. I'm curious how their trip to the South will change things. The whites are all gone, but the history is still there. The speculative fiction style is interesting too. I think the book is doing an excellent job of weaving in questions of power, identity, and meaning, especially through Charlie's eyes as a scientist and a man who's haunted by his past. He's carrying the burden of his own story AND a generational one. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 23

(view spoiler)[Charlie's refections on his wrongful conviction have really brought to light the trauma of a wrongful conviction! Interesting - that saying that elephants have a great memory makes me think here how what happened to him can never be erased/forgotten.

I see how Sidney would wonder how he could "claim" her as his daughter after all this time has gone by and he's been absent. The silent times between them speaks loud, like every unspoken word between them is an elephant in the room. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 34

(view spoiler)[Boy, the weight of what's been passed down is heavy on both Charlie and Sidney. Their journey is changing all the time. Some of the characters are pushing back against their heritage while others are expected to carry the "weight of the elephants."

I feel like the pacing has quickened but the emotional weight keeps the story grounded, if that makes sense. Memory isn't just about nostalgia, but it's about shaping choices in the present. (hide spoiler)]

The End

(view spoiler)[I feel like the motif of the elephants came full circle. The ending is hopeful, so what started as the elephants being a symbol of unspoken memory and burdens is reframed as a kind of inheritance of strength. I love it. Their choices around family, loyalty, and identity crystalize. There's still pain, still unfinished business, but the tone shifts toward acceptance.

Yet, I think the conclusion is bittersweet. The "elephants" remain, but they no longer only are obstacles. They're witnesses, keepers of memory, and quiet companions to whatever lies ahead.

Hope I make sense. lol (hide spoiler)]