Spoilers should always be hidden using spoiler blur.
When discussing a specific section, please mention where you are in the book so people reading different versions have a clear point of reference.
Feel free to read ahead if it’s exciting, but please refrain from spoiling ahead of the appropriate week.
If you have a question about grammar, vocab, cultural things, etc - ask! That’s a welcome part of the discussion too, and other readers will be happy to help.
Even if you don’t read the chapter(s) in time, you are still encouraged to post your thoughts.
The google sheets is here to help you with vocab, grammar and anything else you might need. Feel free to add to it!
Wow, it suddenly got a lot more dangerous! One death and one near fatal anaconda attack! Now it feels like we are really in the jungle. Alex seems surprisingly chilled and showed bravery in helping fight the anaconda. I liked the end of the chapter where he could see his mother in the darkness. And is he getting less picky? Glad he tried the snake - what a surprise, it tasted like chicken!
Long chapter this week, but short one next~ Pretty bad burn on his dad’s pancakes; “I’d rather eat overcooked anaconda that was seconds away from killing a man than your pancakes”.
Thinking about it, it’s interesting how distant Alex can seem from things at times. I’m definitely appreciating it; I’d rather the current writing style than us getting to hear about how hot/tired/sticky/hungry/etc he probably is at all times. We also don’t get much of his feelings regarding the other members of the expedition; more seems to be him observing others’ reactions. There’s not even much bonding with his grandmother, interestingly.
I finished the chapter today - which means I should be able to strat the current weeks chapter this week, even!
I liked the chapter! Leblanc is showing to be more and more cruel and self-interested. He’s such a small person! If he’d gotten even a broken toe bone he’d be hopping on that boat to the nearest hospital ASAP. Oh well…
Alex finally started expanding his palate! I’m glad the book won’t end with him malnourished, haha.
Finished this chapter! Wow, two in one week—I’m finally on the path to actually catching up .
Another mixed bag in terms of listening comprehension; I understood the general idea of what happened, like I understood that a person had died and how, and that someone was attacked by an anaconda and was rescued by them killing it (and then eating it. Dungeon Meshi vibes, tbh), but I missed the specifics of who was attacked in either circumstance, haha. Some of the dialogue is also super easy to me and I understand it instantly, and other lines are harder for me to catch.
Good point, @eefara, about how Alex’s perspective feels somewhat distanced emotionally. It definitely keeps him from getting in the way of the adventure story, but at the same time, I feel like it makes me feel more removed from the story. I have less of an emotional stake in what’s happening, I guess.
As far as the book itself goes, my evaluation of it at this point is I’m liking it alright; maybe a 3/5 stars, haha. It’s fine for what it is, but the story isn’t doing terribly much for me, and I keep finding myself comparing it to other media that tackles various themes better (Frontera Verde is in my opinion a better take on a story set in the Amazon). But part of that is likely because I’m not the target demographic for this book (and I don’t think it’s something I would have picked up when I was in the right age demographic for it).
Oh well…
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