RE: Book Club Discussion: "The First Noelle"
Q1: Did I figure it out? Yes, I knew pretty early on because I'm a writer that likes to write in a lot of the same style. So I knew the tricks being used, and loved it. Now, with that said, the significance of the title did floor me. By the end, the reward of realizing that significance created that pull on my heart strings material. The whole story was pull on my heart strings material.
Q2: Not knowing enough to make a good decision? Why does this seem passive aggressively aimed at me personally? Everyone can relate to the MC predicament. The moments where you know that you don't know enough is hard enough already, but involving another living creature who may also have opinions and preferences (and you can't ask them what those thoughts are) is quite an obstacle. The way the dog communicates her wants speak to truth.
Passive-aggressively aimed at you. Hahaha! You crack me up. 😂
Thank you for the insightful and informed response here. I'm glad to know that even with my knickers showing (the writer tricks) I still gotcha a little in the end. :-)
For me, the story was predictable and formulaic, and the conflict was too contrived for me (failing to use both first and last names in discussing the chip and the current caretaker of the dog, e.g.). HOWEVER, the story was engaging and well written, and I would have been disappointed it if had NOT ended the way it did. The Christmas photo of the dog, the Hallmark-movie "feel good" theme is just what I was in the mood for, so for fans of the genre, this story hits the spot. Fans of other genres can wait their turn for a dark, stark, heart-breaking horror of a story. (Like "High Kill" - oy! the details, the inhumanity!)
Even if anyone should think a happy ending = "fluff," our own Katrina Ariel Retweeted @Joannechocolat and I fully embrace this way of thinking (and feeling!):