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The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

Three sisters reunite on the hunt for the fourth sister who dropped off the planet, or so it seems. Found rather quickly, this is a story of their lives dealing with their past and current traumas. Each has her own strengths and issues for the telling. Though odd, the forays into script-like plays, didn‘t bother me and in fact seemed to make sense for the conversations taking place. What bothered me was that the sisters‘ interactions were ⬇️

Texreader based on their jobs. They spoke to each other like archetypes of their jobs—a geology professor, a chef, a philosophy professor, and a political professional—it‘s really difficult to imagine that happening in real life so consistently. But perhaps that‘s what the author intended. I enjoyed it being set in #Ireland and #NorthernIreland. And that ending? Different, for sure. #camplitsy 3mo

squirrelbrain Yes, certainly a ‘different‘ ending! 😬 3mo

BarbaraBB Wow, glad it is a pick for you! 3mo

Texreader @BarbaraBB On the light side of a pick. 3mo

Texreader @squirrelbrain 😂 3mo

58 likes5 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

I did it! I reached my most important goal for #fortheloveofbooks and finished the tagged book today. I was way behind reading it for #camplitsy and really wanted to start September fresh. Thanks for the incentive @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Great job! 🤩📖 3mo

34 likes1 comment

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

I‘m joining the readathon #fortheloveofbooks this weekend. I really hope to finish the tagged book tomorrow for very very late #camplitsy24. I‘m less than 100 pages from finishing so it‘s kinda possible. I‘ll also squeeze in time for my audiobook and ebook the rest of the weekend.

Thanks for hosting @TheSpineView

TheSpineView So happy you could join in!💜📖 3mo

36 likes1 comment

BarbaraJean

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

so-so

Back home after a trip and catching up on Litsy!

I definitely feel “meh” about this one. Part exploration of the relationships between four sisters, part commentary on academia, climate change, and activism—but honestly, I felt like I didn‘t get a lot of what the author was trying to communicate. I didn‘t dislike it, but overall: mostly unlikable/frustrating characters, interesting structure, kinda preachy, unsatisfying ending. I really enjoyed⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …reading this for #CampLitsy24, though—everyone‘s perspectives in the discussion added so much to the text for me! 3mo

Megabooks 💯💯 agree with your review! 3mo

squirrelbrain I love how the discussions can lift a book! (Even it is only from meh to slightly-less meh! 🤪) 3mo

BarbaraJean @squirrelbrain 😂 Yes! I love that about book discussions--they pretty much always enrich the reading experience, even if my feelings about the book remain the same. And for this one, it did help me appreciate the book more... even though I still feel meh about it. 😆 3mo

42 likes4 comments

ImperfectCJ

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

I'm not very far into this one, but there's a part in chapter 1 that reminds me of this display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, showing all of the elements that go into making a cell phone. "Fancy rocks. Rocks plus time...We're Stone Age people still" (9).

TEArificbooks Loved this display. I also liked the official state dirt room with tubes on the wall showing the dirt types from each state. So many different colors and elemental makeups. 3mo

ImperfectCJ @TEArificbooks We missed the dirt room this last trip...we were traveling with a 5yo and there were a lot of compromises. (But she's worth the compromises.) I'll just have to go back. So much to see in DC! 3mo

TEArificbooks We lived there for years and we didn‘t get to see everything. You can easily spend an entire day in just one section of those museums. @ImperfectCJ 3mo

ImperfectCJ @TEArificbooks I went to high school in Fairfax County and spent a fair amount of time in DC then (the touristy parts and concert venues...we suburban kids were afraid of the rest of DC in the 90s), and I visit my dad in NE periodically since he moved there from NoVA about 20 years ago, but I've barely scratched the surface in all the times I've been there. The city has changed a lot, though. 3mo

RedxoHearts Those are neat looking. I've always loved our closest Natural History and Science Museum 3mo

44 likes5 comments

DebinHawaii

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

so-so

#ReadAway2024

Read for #CampLitsy24 & finished a while ago but got behind forgot to post. This book was just so-so for me, I didn‘t hate it (except the ending) & didn‘t love it. I just didn‘t feel connected to any of the characters . It was hard to follow along on audiobook so that could be part of the problem, but I felt like the author had some good ideas but they fell way in the execution. The camp discussions as always were interesting.

Megabooks, DieAReader, Andrew65, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, GHABI4ROSES

TheBookHippie I bailed 🤣👀😵‍💫 3mo

Megabooks This one definitely sounded better in the blurb! 3mo

DieAReader #Next 3mo

See All 6 Comments

BarbaraBB I read an audiobook to and indeed that was hard to follow. 3mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree with @Megabooks - it sounded like it was going to be a great read! 3mo

Suet624 I bailed. Good work finishing it! 3mo

65 likes6 comments

CarolynM

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

I enjoyed the first part of this one, got a bit bored through the middle section, then started enjoying it again towards the end. It was a good choice for #CampLitsy24 I loved reading all the campers‘ takes on it. Thanks camp leaders!

Megabooks Glad you enjoyed it!! 3mo

BarbaraBB What Meg says ❤️ 3mo

squirrelbrain You‘re welcome! ☺️ Glad you liked it. 3mo

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mcctrish

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

I got this for #camplitsy but I was way late for the party. I whipped through this, partly trying to catch up but a lot because I was caught up in it. I did skim a bit of the gloom and doom geology end of times cli fi because my anxiety does not need anymore fodder. But I enjoyed all the sisters and their areas of expertise ( the ending though 😱)

Prairiegirl_reading I got so far behind I was going to DNF, maybe I‘ll just start on bear and finish this one after. 3mo

40 likes1 comment

ChaoticMissAdventures

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pan

Like many in #CampLitsy24 this didn't jive with me. I had an amazingly hard time concentrating on it, reading pages and having no idea what I read, I switched to audio and that didn't help. I am reading other books at the same time that I am having no trouble with, so this isn't a reading slump. The book just held no interest for me. The women were drawn as incredibly different but I had a hard time distinguishing between them 👇

ChaoticMissAdventures Unless they were talking directly about their jobs or the baby. There were bits I found interesting, the first few pages and the dinner party, the drive to the town meeting. But mostly nothing sunk into my brain. Like others I do not understand why we get a couple plays thrown in, it seemed an odd way of moving things forward. I didn't participate in the discussion b/c I have zero feelings or memory 😂@squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Megabooks 3mo

dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo

BarbaraBB I more or less feel the same. And I don‘t remember much either apart from the scenes you mention 😉 3mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB those are really good scenes I guess! 3mo

Megabooks I don't remember this one well either. It's just not my favorite we've ever had for Camp Litsy. 😵 3mo

34 likes5 comments

jlhammar

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

A pick, but I didn‘t enjoy it quite as much as I thought I would. This falls in the middle of the bunch for me. I liked it more than Butter and All Fours, but not nearly as much as Clear and James. On to Bear! #CampLitsy24

LapReader Just finished her talk at Byron Bay Writer‘s Festival. 3mo

squirrelbrain Pretty much my thoughts too! 3mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Interesting! I love how people in Camp are so different, I enjoyed All Fours much, much more than this one. 🫠 So glad to see people enjoying this. 3mo

Megabooks I think each month so far has definitely had a clear favorite among most campers, and I think Bear is going to be the one for August! 3mo

81 likes4 comments

DGRachel

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

A pick with reservations (that 🤬 end). This is the kind of Oprah book club, miserable people leading miserable lives that ends miserably contemporary fiction that I typically hate BUT I loved it until the last couple of pages. I was invested in the sisters, pulled into their interpersonal drama, and captivated by the whole story. I loved the writing. I don‘t know how I would have ended the novel, but Hughes‘s choice was not it. (1/2)

#52bookclub #atleastfourpovs #longjump
#aty24 #abookwithatwowordtitlestartingwiththe

DGRachel My other grumble is the format - long chapters and two weird “plays”. The play format did not add to the narrative. It was just weird, and would it have killed Hughes to use quotation marks for the dialogue??? But, seriously, I did love almost all of this. The characters, the way they interacted with each other, and the growth/maturing of their relationships with each other. Another #camplitsy24 winner in my book. 3mo

squirrelbrain I love that you loved it, but hated bits of it too! Great review though. 3mo

BarbaraBB Fantastic review! Glad it is a winner for you! 3mo

50 likes3 comments

jenniferw88

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

so-so

45 likes

MicheleinPhilly

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

I was somewhat distracted by LIFE while reading this and I while I liked it, I didn‘t love it like I thought I would. I found the script portions to be superfluous and was bored to tears with any discussion of Olwen or Nell‘s work. But I do love a “sisters have messy ass relationships” story so it ultimately worked for me. #CampLitsy24

squirrelbrain Great review - I liked it too, but it didn‘t grab me like I thought it would. 🤷‍♀️ 3mo

54 likes1 comment

DGRachel

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Behind again…my Kobo says I have 2 1/4 hours left and I have errands to run this morning, so it will be late afternoon before I finish. Looking forward to checking out all the comments. That 32% Litsy rating has me a little nervous about the ending! 😳
#camplitsy24

squirrelbrain We‘ll be interested to hear your thoughts when you do finish! 3mo

Megabooks I'm just now checking into the discussion. It's definitely gotten mixed reviews, but I hope you end up enjoying it. 3mo

45 likes2 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#camplitsy24

That ending…! What did you think?! And what happens after that?

That brings to a close our discussions of The Alternatives. Thank you for joining Barbara, Meg and me.

We look forward to next week‘s book - make sure you don‘t leave any food about camp and keep an eye out for the BEAR! 🐻

squirrelbrain @Addison_Reads @AmyG @BarbaraJean @batsy @bennettBookworm @Bkclubcare @Bklover @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @BookWrym @cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures 3mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 3mo

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 3mo

See All 54 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 3mo

squirrelbrain @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry 3mo

squirrelbrain @Leniverse @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly @monalyisha
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella 3mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
3mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 3mo

Leniverse I really dislike that kind of non-ending. They make me too grumpy to speculate. Although I will say that this ending was just absurd enough to make me laugh instead. 3mo

TrishB Because people started talking about ‘the ending‘ I was expecting something major to one of them. It seems like the sort of family that disasters happen to- and this would just be another one 🤷‍♀️ I don‘t mind open endings so didn‘t really think too much. Probably go back to their ‘normal‘ life. 3mo

CarolynM It was ironic, I suppose, but I don‘t know what we are meant to take from that. One person alone can‘t save themselves from danger? There‘s no point trying to avert disaster because one tiny slip will bring everything tumbling down? Life‘s random anyway, what will be will be? Isolation doesn‘t work, you will need someone someday? 3mo

MicheleinPhilly Can someone remind me if we‘ve met Sheila before? Perhaps at the pub? I was confused by that but I‘ve also been fairly distracted while reading this. 3mo

Ruthiella @MicheleinPhilly We didn‘t meet Shiela in person before, she was just referenced the first time Olwyn goes to the pub. 3mo

squirrelbrain @Leniverse - I agree -I really dislike non-endings. This reminded me of Birnam Wood, but at least BW was (overly) dramatic - this one just fizzled out. 3mo

Megabooks Honestly, two or three weeks later I remember nothing about the ending. This isn't one of those books that stuck with me. In the end, I remember the general bond between the sisters and sort of enjoying the banter among four smart women, but actual plot points are evading me! 3mo

squirrelbrain @MicheleinPhilly @Ruthiella - prior to that I wondered why we‘d been introduced to the ‘pub‘ people. They seemed bit-part players with no influence on the storyline, or insight into the sisters. I still wonder though! 🤔 3mo

JamieArc Unfortunately, I didn‘t really care enough for them to wonder what happened next. The author wrote them in a way that kept a barrier up for me. That actually makes me sad. Though, I do wonder about Nell, perhaps because I‘m a swimmer… 3mo

JamieArc I‘m surprised there wasn‘t a question asked about the script portions. I didn‘t understand the reasoning for using them. Anyone else have an idea what that was about? 3mo

Meshell1313 I found the ending depressing. Nothing was resolved. Nothing was fixed. There‘s something there about grief and I felt a bit hopeless. 3mo

Meshell1313 @JamieArc yes!!! I thought she wanted to show everyone‘s POV at the same time? Instead of just getting it from one sister? The form of the whole book felt weird and abrupt to me. 3mo

Ruthiella @JamieArc I wondered the reason for that too. It does move things forward more quickly than the individual “sister sections”. 3mo

squirrelbrain @JamieArc - we did have a question about that but too many other questions too… Also those who listened on audio didn‘t even notice that there were script sections. They didn‘t work for me at all, as the ‘stage directions‘ were internal thoughts and feelings, not physical directions, which is why people didn‘t notice on the audio, I think. Cont. ⬇️ (edited) 3mo

squirrelbrain @JamieArc eg. The bartender arrives on his motorbike (fine, stage direction) - Rhona sees him but she doesn‘t know him. If we were watching a play, we wouldn‘t know those thoughts, unless she spoke them aloud. I don‘t know why the change was necessary. @Meshell1313 @Ruthiella -things moved more quickly at this point, but not down to the script style, I don‘t think. Another way to demonstrate how clever the author is, maybe? 😬 3mo

JamieArc @squirrelbrain 😂😂 I like your reasoning on why they were included. And I understand why it wasn‘t asked, but glad I got to ask here and see what others thought 🙂 3mo

DGRachel I‘m going to go back and read the other comments, but I don‘t want to be swayed before I say, I was loving this book right up until the end and then I almost threw my Kobo across the room. WTF was that? 🤬 3mo

DGRachel @MicheleinPhilly @Ruthiella Sheila comes into the pub with Feidhlim, when Maeve and Nell are there. The last thing Olwen says is a nod to Feidhlim‘s tale that Dan makes him tell the sisters. 3mo

DGRachel That said, I don‘t know why Olwen thinks she‘s there, whether she‘s there or not in reality. 3mo

GatheringBooks @JamieArc i actually just alluded to a possible answer to this in Q2!!What I was wondering about was the title: why The Alternatives? Anyone with ideas on that? 3mo

GatheringBooks @Leniverse it was my exact reaction. I thought it was so clever and funny. I love that the author celebrates absurdity and surfaces this without qualms. It‘s kind of a cautionary note along the lines of be careful what you wish for. 3mo

Leniverse @GatheringBooks I figure because of Nell's garden analogy. The alternative ways of living. The sisters are all alternative ways of reacting. What are the alternatives if we want to avoid destroying the planet. Etc. 3mo

Chelsea.Poole @JamieArc I read an interview with the author that mentioned the script section. She said she wanted readers to feel like they were in the room with the siblings and company. I tried to find the article quickly to post here but I was unsuccessful. I also remember it mentioning the way this helped eliminate “and then she said..” from clogging up the page. 3mo

Chelsea.Poole I‘m with @megabooks here I don‘t even remember the ending really, it must have just petered out, as others have mentioned. 3mo

squirrelbrain @GatheringBooks - the question about the title was another one that got sidelined! I‘m not sure - certainly Olwen was aiming to live an alternative lifestyle but I‘m not sure about the other sisters? 3mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole - I‘m not sure that many (good) authors use ‘and then she said‘ a lot - seems an odd reasoning to me…. 3mo

squirrelbrain @GatheringBooks - I love that I learn other points of view in these discussions. Like @DGRachel I hated the ending, and found it very depressing, but now I‘m not so sure. 3mo

Kitta @squirrelbrain agreed. Also I didn‘t understand the script section or lack of speech marks in the text at all. It felt experimental and like the experiment didn‘t work. @Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks I don‘t remember the ending either. 3mo

MicheleinPhilly @DGRachel Ah yes! Thank you! 3mo

JamieArc @Chelsea.Poole I admit that I sometimes got lost in a paragraph unsure of when a character was speaking or just narrating since she didn‘t use quotes, so the script format did makes things more clear for me 😂 I don‘t know if it helped me feel in the room with them though… 3mo

Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain welllll…in her defense I‘m sure that‘s not what the article said. That was some major paraphrasing on my part lol. 3mo

Hooked_on_books I thought the ending was stupid. Olwen buried partially in her rocks, alone and unable to reach the phone. Why? What is even the point of that? And I like an open-ended ending when it‘s done well. This was not. 3mo

Christine @Leniverse That feels exactly right re: the title. Well said! 3mo

BarbaraJean The ending annoyed me! It seemed there was some small progress in their relationships with each other, and in the various issues each were working through professionally/personally, and then… that. 🙄 @Carolyn I wondered about lots of those ideas, too—but as with much of the rest of the book, I felt like I didn‘t get what the author was going for. (edited) 3mo

BarbaraJean @JamieArc I agree—I also felt distanced from all of the characters, so I didn‘t really care very much about what happened to each of them! It was just frustrating to reach the end and have it just... stop. 3mo

squirrelbrain Yes @BarbaraJean - ending like that feel such a let-down. It‘s almost like the author can‘t decide how to end, so just leaves it. 3mo

DebinHawaii The ending was a definite letdown. When the Audible voice started in I went back & replayed it because I thought I missed something. I often don‘t mind an ambiguous ending but this one annoyed me although at the end of the day, I didn‘t care all that much whether Olwyn gets rescued. Also the audiobook felt very disjointed & the script just didn‘t transfer well to it. 3mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I thought I‘d missed something too @DebinHawaii - and I was reading in print! 😬 I can imagine that the audiobook didn‘t really work. 3mo

TheKidUpstairs I'm just returning from a week in the land of no service/wifi (aka Near North Cottage Country), so I'm just catching up on the discussions that continued after initial thoughts! I was a bit let down by Olwyn's ending - and I love an open ended ending, but wasn't crazy about this one. Didn't hate it, just kind of meh on that part, and willing to overlook it because I really liked the read overall! I did, however, like the other sisters' “endings“ 3mo

TheKidUpstairs I loved the evolving relationship between Maeve and Rhona, it felt like their trip North started opening a crack in their sisterly “roles“ that allowed them to start seeing each other as people. And I liked seeing Nell evolve her relationship with her self, what she wanted from life and lust and other people. 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc I spent a lot of time thinking about the playscript sections. The theatre nerd in me who has spent a lot of time studying scripts was intrigued. Here's the thoughts that struck me (it's entirely possible that they are just me overthinking things):
1. The script sections show the sisters together, as they fall into their familial and familiar “roles“ that they can't help following with eachother. The one break in the script is Maeve cont' 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc continuing... Maeve preparing food and thinking about her life outside of the sisterly relationship. And then as they split up, and they begin seeing each other outside of those “roles“ it returns to straightforward prose - Rhona and Maeve go North and their relationship evolves, and Nell and Olwyn start finding a different understanding of each other outside of the Oldest/Youngest roles.

Thought 2 in the next comment 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc Thought 2: Script form forces the reader to acknowledge an author, someone is plotting the script. I saw Olwyn as having a plan, and her sisters showing up throws everything out of order (she says to them that they are too early, or she wasn't expecting them “yet“). So I also see the script as Olwyn trying to wrestle things back into her plan. So I saw it as almost her scripting her sisters through their time at her place and cont again 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc last one I promise... and also scripting them away again, she's trying to wrestle her plan and solitude back into her control (of course, for it all to fail spectacularly for her at the end, because she really does need other people) 3mo

squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - fascinating, particularly about the script sections - insights that I had never even come near to considering. Thank you! 3mo

JamieArc @TheKidUpstairs Interesting! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this! 3mo

45 likes54 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#camplitsy24

Last week we explored each sister‘s background and working life.

Now that the sisters have met up and spent some time together how did you find them as a group? How did the family dynamics play out?

Did you change your mind about any of them as a result of learning more about them?

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 3mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 3mo

See All 45 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 3mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks 3mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 3mo

Leniverse They definitely had clear roles. The Eldest who is exhausted from looking after everyone, the 2nd eldest who plans for the future because the Eldest has enough with the day to day. Then the nurturer who feeds everyone and tries to hold the family together. Then the Baby, the sickly one, who desperately tries to escape being babied and look after herself. 3mo

Leniverse I guess I came to understand Rhona better (and Nell less). But overall they all just reminded me of a certain type of philosophy undergrad. The kind that comes to every lecture, every cafeteria conversation, ready to ride their particular hobby horse, no matter if it fit the topic, and who would always throw jargon around. 3mo

Jess I found the scenes with them all together less effective (a lot of bickering) than the scenes when two sisters were together. Actually, I really wanted more of this and hoped to understand their childhood a little more. 3mo

Jess I learned more about Olwen in the second half. Her leaving everything is kind of my fantasy (without all the drinking). I will never forgot that line where she said “I sawed myself off them like a cast.” That really resonated with me. 3mo

TrishB As one of 5 sisters, I find the labels are pretty true and very hard to break out of. I can understand why one left to try a different create some space! I would have liked more stuff about their childhood too. I agree with @Leniverse about the philosophy stuff.- but some people in universities do talk like this. Always. Like they can‘t abandon the character. 3mo

TheKidUpstairs I felt that their relationship as sisters was so deeply traumatized by their parents' deaths. Like @TrishB mentioned, it can be hard to break from familial labels in any family, but being orphaned so young really set those roles in a harsh and unforgiving way. So they became their roles for each other, rather than being there as just sisters for each other. And those roles carried into their lives of academia, which led to what @Leniverse said... 3mo

TheKidUpstairs Continued from last comment... they're so used to being the smartest in an academic setting (or on YouTube, which is its own kind of lecture), where having and proving the right answer is such a part of their lives, that when they come back together that's the only way they can relate to each other. They each want to be the one to know the right thing to do to "fix" everything and get everyone back to their normal life. So no one listens. 3mo

TrishB @TheKidUpstairs great comments. They do all want to fix each other and everyone else. 3mo

CarolynM Yes to the set roles in the family. I thought the fact that they all quietly read/watched/listened to one another‘s professional publications/broadcasts spoke to their commitment to & care for one another even if they didn‘t do very well at showing it directly. As an aside, I liked the variety in the ways they each interacted with young Leo. 3mo

MicheleinPhilly The differing dynamics amongst them was my favorite part of the book. Like others, I wish we had learned more about those dynamics in their childhood. As 1 of 3 sisters, my relationships with my sisters are very different one on one versus in the group AND they‘re different from when we were young. I would have appreciated more exploration of that. 3mo

BarbaraBB They all fall back into the role they used to play within the family dynamics and a role that‘s expected of them by the others. I think that‘s quite recognizable and I did like it. 3mo

squirrelbrain It sounds like most of us wanted to learn more about them when they were younger -I agree and think it would have fleshed out the book more. @jess @TrishB @MicheleinPhilly 3mo

squirrelbrain I wonder what the author is trying to say about these ‘clear roles‘ - that, ultimately, trying to change nature is futile? Maybe the family dynamics are a metaphor for the world as a whole, relating back to question 1? @Leniverse @TrishB @TheKidUpstairs @CarolynM @BarbaraBB 3mo

TrishB Great question Helen. It‘s very hard to change family dynamics! My parents are no longer here either- but like these sisters we still all fall into the family dynamics. Scary thought that we can‘t change family or the world… 3mo

JamieArc I was a bit confused about what their relationship to each other was prior to their gathering. Was it close or not? I know some were in contact but it felt set up to be a big reunion. There was some relief at the end when we finally see some connection, but it didn‘t feel enough to justify so much time of not understanding their relationships. 3mo

Megabooks Very good question @squirrelbrain ! I'm fascinated by sibling dynamics because I'm an only child. I think that's one of the things you just can't truly get unless you have them. Really appreciate your insights @trishb @thekidupstairs ! 3mo

Meshell1313 @Jess exactly! I also wish we learned more about their childhood! 3mo

TrishB @Megabooks many times have I wished to be an only child 😂 which is a typical sibling thing to say. 3mo

DGRachel @Megabooks I‘m an only child as well, so sibling dynamics escape me. I thought it was interesting how different they were in pairs versus all together, and it felt like they were finally starting to understand/respect each other more as adults as the book progressed. 3mo

GatheringBooks @squirrelbrain loved reading about the “roles” played by each sister and @BarbaraBB about the expectations of others and inevitably living up to the role one is locked into. Perhaps that is why this part of the narrative was made into a play-theatre format - an assertion of the clear “roles” each one needed to play. That they are “play-acting” in some respect, a level of performativity in the interaction, Rhona unable to be compassionate, Maeve .. 3mo

GatheringBooks (Cont) Maeve unable to boldly take charge with decisions except through food, the youngest grown out of the baby role, perfectly capable of standing on her own two feet - yet unable to feel them, until the end when she came into herself. And Olwen just exhausted from everything. 3mo

squirrelbrain You post such insightful, thoughtful comments @GatheringBooks - I‘m so glad you take part in these discussions. ❤️ 3mo

Megabooks @GatheringBooks @squirrelbrain agreed! Love your assessment! 💯🙌🏻 3mo

Megabooks @DGRachel yes, my mom is one of four, and they lost their parents fairly young. My mom is the oldest and closest with her 2 years younger sister. There is a 5 year gap then two other close siblings. It‘s interesting to see her with the 2 younger ones, especially, because her relationship and role is different with them. My mom, as the oldest, is bossy!! All the time, but firmly denies it! 🤣 3mo

Megabooks @TrishB I think that‘s normal. I wished for a sibling until most of my friends‘ parents stopped having kids (about 8 years old) then for a long time I was okay with it. Now, caring for my parents in old age, I wish I had a sibling to share the issues with. I have great friends, but no one really in the trenches with me. 3mo

JamieArc @GatheringBooks I like your take on the roles and use of script format. 3mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks That can very well be the reason for the theatre format. I didn‘t think of that. Thanks! 3mo

Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I have a sister and when the time comes for my mom to need help (dad is gone), she won‘t be part of it, so don‘t be certain that having a sibling would allow you more support. Mine is more an emotional anchor than anything due to her choices. 3mo

Hooked_on_books I feel like bringing all the sisters together was a way to explore their family dynamics, but I don‘t think any of them grew or changed from it in any way, which is a lost opportunity. 3mo

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books that is what I think when I am feeling down. One doesn‘t know how life with a sibling would play out. I think the same thing about children as well as far as not having one to care for me. While I help my parents tremendously, my cousin has completely abandoned my aunt and uncle. I thought they had a good relationship but who knows! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ (edited) 3mo

Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I have so often heard the question asked about the childless, “but who will take care of you when you get old?” Having children doesn‘t guarantee that (and, in my opinion, is a terrible reason to have kids). (edited) 3mo

BarbaraJean @Jess I agree—the scenes that seemed to actually go somewhere were when just two of the sisters were interacting. I liked the way each pairing of sisters seemed to help them sort out both some personal struggles as well as some interpersonal ones.

My view of Olwen softened quite a bit, but I didn‘t really change my opinion of Rhona. I couldn‘t believe that she‘d sold the family home basically without consulting any of them! ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) Those types of revelations deepened each character for me, and I wanted more of that. Like others have mentioned, I‘d have liked more about their past—both their childhood as well more on how each of them handled (or avoided) the trauma of their parents‘ deaths. @GatheringBooks I love that insight about the roles each of them play and how the script/play format underscores that. I didn‘t think about that, and it makes a lot of sense. 3mo

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books agreed being a bad reason. I just have very little desire to parent, and I feel if that desire isn‘t strong, having children probably isn‘t the best idea. There are kids in my life I enjoy being around, but I‘m glad I can go home and not have to make major decisions about their lives. 3mo

mcctrish At the end Rhona says to Maeve”I wasn‘t there, in whatever childhood you all had ….. It was lonely.” I think that really sums up why she‘s so different from them. And maybe why she has the child too. I thought they were likeable and unlikeable 3mo

squirrelbrain Good spot @mcctrish - I hadn‘t picked upon that. 3mo

DebinHawaii @mcctrish That statement stood out to me too. I‘m the youngest of 4 sisters (although the one closest in age to me estranged herself from the entire family years ago). My other sisters are 8 & 12 years older so often I feel like we lived somewhat different childhoods. I also found the dynamic of the sisters being different with each other in pairings than in the whole group to be accurate. I have different relationships with each of my sisters. 3mo

42 likes45 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Hi all!

#camplitsy24

Welcome to the second week of our discussions on The Alternatives.

Some reviews have labelled the book as cli-fi - did you feel that? How big a part did climate or environmentalism in general play in the book?

How much of a role did worries about the climate or the future of the world have on Olwen‘s decision to leave? What about the other sisters - did it concern them?

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 3mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 3mo

See All 55 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 3mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks 3mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 3mo

Leniverse It seemed not so much climate fiction as a climate lecture. All the sisters were just mouthpieces for a different facet. Olwen was the warning, Maeve was survival - how to cope with food scarcity, Rhona was the solution - how to change course. Nell... I haven't got a clue. She was a baffling character. Not at all concerned that she couldn't feel her own feet. She was one magical realism moment away from evolving into a mermaid. 3mo

Jess I didn‘t participate last weekend due to a migraine so let me start by saying I loved this book. Women in science doing their thing has always been a hook. Our reality is that climate is impacting us all daily. This book depicts what hyper awareness can do to some. It was the motivation for Olwen‘s departure and was the crux of Maeve‘s new work (scarcity) maybe even Rhona‘s. This book is also story about the need for community during these times. 3mo

TrishB I know a lot of people like this- and work with them too- where the concern is part of everything they do. It didn‘t feel like a lecture to me- I felt it was showing where the environmental changes impact day to day life. 3mo

CogsOfEncouragement @Leniverse Nell considers that Rhona may be right. Maybe what is wrong with her body is environmental, something in her surroundings is causing her physical problems. So, maybe victim? 3mo

Bookwormjillk I bailed on this one for now, but I‘m going to try it again later when my brain is quieter. 3mo

TheKidUpstairs Like @TrishB it didn't feel like a lecture to me. Climate change was one catalyst for Olwyn's actions - she felt the stress of it so deeply, and after a life time of caring for others, she had to retreat. I think the changing world was so all encompassing for her that it was either have a mental health breakdown or remove herself from society and the need to care for other people. 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @CogsOfEncouragement that's a good point about Nell being a potential victim of the environment. 3mo

CarolynM Yes, I thought it was cli-fi, at least in part. I think the author was also addressing other problematic aspects of modern life (Maeve‘s interactions with the wealthy clients & her publisher, Rhona‘s performance parenting & use of influence/connections to get what she wanted, Beatriz‘s brush with shadowy politics/ gangsters) &, of course, family disfunction. I didn‘t feel that I always understood what she saying about any of it, though. 3mo

CarolynM I really didn‘t understand Olwyn until that conversation with Nell towards the end. I had been quite cross with her for abandoning those 2 boys who had already lost one mother. 3mo

Leniverse @CogsOfEncouragement Yes, that's it, I'm sure! That would sort of explain why she's so unwilling to do anything to address the issue too. She just sees obstacles. Too expensive, it's not too bad really, I can manage with crutches and a band-aid. Just like a lot of people's reactions when confronted with the effects of climate change. 3mo

BarbaraBB I am with @TrishB , I was impressed by the way environmental changes where presented throughout the book. To me it was its strongest point. 3mo

Ruthiella I‘m with @CarolynM I didn‘t get this book as a whole. 3mo

JamieArc Yes, I can see that, but for me, perhaps that is its weakness. Each woman‘s profession becomes such a focal point, and maybe the author is trying so hard to say things about climate, that I don‘t really understand them or see much growth from them, but I totally could be missing something… 3mo

squirrelbrain Yes, @CarolynM @Ruthiella - I‘m not entirely sure I ‘got‘ this book. Maybe because I skimmed some parts (it *did* feel like a lecture to me). As always with #camplitsy everyone‘s comments make me want to go back and re-visit with a much greater understanding. 3mo

Megabooks @carolynM and @ruthiella I didn't much get this one either! And like @leniverse I felt a bit lectured to. As far as books I've read about climate, I much preferred Mobility that was on last year's ToB longlist. I like @cogsofencouragement 's idea that Nell is a victim of the climate crisis. As a person with chronic illnesses, I always find characters with them interesting.

Mobility

3mo

squirrelbrain @CarolynM + great points about the commentary on other troubling aspects of modern life! 3mo

squirrelbrain @CogsOfEncouragement - I too thought that Nell thought that Rhona may be right. I presume she had to live in America to show the futility of trying to get help when you haven‘t got the funds. But I do agree @Leniverse - Nell seemed weirdly passive about her illness. (edited) 3mo

Meshell1313 I kept thinking- what does Olwen know that we do not? Should I also be prepping for the end? 🤣 3mo

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I don‘t understand why a person with a major illness would choose to live in America. I can say with conviction it is by and large a horrible place to be sick financially!!!!!!! 3mo

DGRachel I didn‘t really think of it as Cli-Fi, but probably because I forget that‘s a thing now. The environment was definitely a big theme, but I looked at it as less a global warning and more as a part of each sister‘s trajectory. 3mo

GatheringBooks @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB I echo your sentiments about how seamlessly their professions feed into their environmental awareness, concerns, & activism. I thought it was done with levity & a bit of grace. But more than anything, it was the willingness to be vulnerable amidst the intellectualizing that ensnared me and made me complicit in the narrative, implicating me, which I welcomed - because it was cleverly and sensitively executed. 3mo

GatheringBooks I love that there is now a term for this genre: cli-fi! Nice. Didn‘t realize there was such a thing - now I‘d be on the lookout for it. 3mo

GatheringBooks @Leniverse i love one magical realism moment away from mermaid-hood! Me needs that! Lols. 🧜‍♀️ (edited) 3mo

TheBookHippie I bailed. 😵‍💫 3mo

Kitta @DGRachel same for me, I saw it as a story of sisters not cli-fi. But maybe I haven‘t read any cli-fi before - what‘s a good example of one? Does anyone know? 3mo

Kitta @Megabooks The system here is broken. I‘m not American but I live in the US and having employed tied health private care makes no sense. 3mo

squirrelbrain I read this one at almost the same time as The Alternatives. @Kitta @GatheringBooks It felt much more dystopian but, oddly, also about sisters. I think it‘s a retelling of King Lear but I haven‘t read that so couldn‘t comment. I don‘t know if it‘s a ‘good‘ example of cli-fi but it gripped me a lot more than The Alternatives. (And better than Our Wives Under the Sea which we didn‘t much like at a previous camp!)

Private Rites

3mo

Hooked_on_books I wouldn‘t have called it clifi myself, but as climate change is a focus, I think one could. To me, climate change and how we respond/adjust to it is just an important part of our reality, so I don‘t tend to think of realistic books as clifi. I tend to think of dystopias that way. 3mo

Hooked_on_books @Leniverse Evolving into a mermaid! I love it! 😂 3mo

Leniverse @Hooked_on_books Maybe "mutated" would be a better word for it. It could be her superhero origin story. 3mo

Hooked_on_books @Leniverse I would totally read that book! I would like it better than this one. 3mo

Leniverse @Kitta Climate fiction recs: Margaret Atwood's Maddaddam trilogy. Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry For The Future (all his books really, but that one is less science fiction and more near future possibility) 3mo

BarbaraJean @CarolynM I felt the same, that the author was addressing lots of issues but I didn‘t always get what she was trying to communicate through these characters and their interactions. @Ruthiella @squirrelbrain @Megabooks I‘m glad I‘m not alone in feeling there‘s something I just wasn‘t getting! 3mo

BarbaraJean @CogsOfEncouragement @Leniverse That explains so much about Nell!! I was SO frustrated with her lack of concern and inaction, but it makes so much sense to see her as a victim of climate change, and her response as a parallel to people's feelings of powerlessness and avoidance in response to climate change impact. 3mo

BarbaraJean I didn‘t see climate/environmentalism playing a huge role, except in the preachy bits! By the end, it seemed worries over climate/future played some part in Olwen‘s leaving, but less so than the relational aspects. Like @TheKidUpstairs I felt her biggest motivation to leave was letting go of the expectations and needs placed on her by those she‘d felt responsible for caretaking for so long—Jasper and the boys, her students, and her sisters. ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I think going off the grid was her living out her values more authentically than she could before. I didn‘t get the sense that the other sisters were concerned in the same way Olwen was—even with Maeve‘s focus in her cooking & writing and Rhona‘s community work. But in reading everyone‘s comments I‘m seeing more how each sister can represent different aspects of action re: climate. 3mo

squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean - it‘s so great reading everyone‘s comments and input,isn‘t it?! 3mo

mcctrish I did think it had a bit of an Overstory vibe but with dirt and rocks instead of trees 3mo

squirrelbrain Interesting @mcctrish -I haven‘t read Overstory yet, although I do own it on Kindle. 3mo

mcctrish @squirrelbrain I think Overstory is a spectacular book, you won‘t be able to think of trees in the same way afterwards 3mo

Kitta @squirrelbrain I quite liked our wives under the sea but I guess I‘m in the minority! Thanks for the recommendation! I love dystopian stories. 3mo

DebinHawaii Very late to the party but I thought climate change was a factor but not didn‘t seem to drive Olwen as much as being frustrated in her role in life did. (But also the audiobook was challenging to follow so I am sure I missed a lot.) 3mo

Kitta Thanks @Leniverse I read the year of the flood but as a geneticist the splicing of different animals bothered me scientifically lol. I couldn‘t suspend disbelief. I should try one of the others though. 3mo

Leniverse @Kitta Try Kim Stanley Robinson then. He's more about geo-engineering than gene-engineering. I think he's pretty much the gold standard in climate fiction. 3mo

squirrelbrain @Kitta - I didn‘t love Our Wives, but found this one much better. 3mo

squirrelbrain I think a fair few of us felt we‘d missed a lot, whether in print or audio @DebinHawaii - so maybe that means it wasn‘t us - it was the book. 😬 3mo

BarbaraJean @squirrelbrain It really is! These discussions have really enriched my reading of this book, making connections I missed and highlighting so much I otherwise wouldn't have noticed. Honestly, same for all the Camp Litsy discussions. I love having input from so many others who see different things than I do! 3mo

41 likes1 stack add55 comments

mcctrish

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

My hold came in at the library, finally, so I‘m getting caught up. It‘s Happy Hour 🎉

42 likes

TheKidUpstairs

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pick

I'm going to table what seems like an #UnpopularOpinion here - I loved this #CampLitsy24 selection. I loved the four Flattery sisters, in all their high achieving but emotionally stunted messiness. But mostly I loved how Hughes really made me grapple not just with the story presented, but with how it was presented and why. cont'd in comments

TheKidUpstairs I thought about both the sisters and the structure a lot when I wasn't reading it, and I really appreciate how much it worked its way through my brain.

I can see why this is a book that is not going to work for every reader, and I know there were lots of “no, thank yous!“ among my fellow campers, but for me it is a pick. I'm really looking forward to Week Two of discussion this Saturday! 3mo

Suet624 I'm really glad you got so much out of it! 3mo

BarbaraBB Me too! I expected as much and am glad it did. 3mo

See All 7 Comments

Ruthiella On Goodreads you are in the majority! 😂 So many loved it. 3mo

Daisey Glad to hear you liked it and looking forward to more of that perspective in the discussion. Maybe it will help me get at least a bit more from it. 3mo

sarahbarnes I definitely like the first part of this one! And I agree with you - I am still thinking about it. 3mo

squirrelbrain Oh I‘m so glad you enjoyed it! 3mo

71 likes7 comments

Daisey

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pan

This was disappointing. I was initially intrigued by getting to know each of the four sisters, but I never really connected to any of them or their story. In the end, I still don‘t understand the point.

#CampLitsy24 #audiobook

TheBookHippie 😫😫😫 me either… 3mo

JamieArc I don‘t think you‘re alone with this one… 3mo

Daisey @TheBookHippie @JamieArc It‘s definitely made me feel better about my reaction to read so many others expressing similar reactions. I can have my own opinion, but it‘s nice to feel I‘m not just completely missing something. 3mo

See All 6 Comments

Tamra I‘m unstacking! 3mo

dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo

Suet624 I‘m with you 3mo

49 likes6 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#CampLitsy24 @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

Ohhh this is a struggle isn't it? I have switched to audio because I couldn't pay attention to the print (getting to end of pages and not remembering a thing), but I don't think the audio is helping my mind keeps drifting even as I search downtown #PDX for the #Coraline cats

BarbaraBB I did audio and had a hard time too 😀 3mo

Megabooks This one was more of a struggle than I wanted to be, too. 3mo

squirrelbrain It‘s a tough one isn‘t it?! 3mo

35 likes3 comments

Suet624

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

bailed

I really liked the first third of the book and then as I continued I didn‘t connect at all. I couldn‘t keep track of which sister was talking (and I had a paper copy which I kept having to refer to) and somehow I lost the connection to the writing. There was so much to like and I‘m sorry I couldn‘t continue. It was just too frustrating.

AmyG You are not alone. 3mo

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo

squirrelbrain Oh no! Never mind, sometimes a book just isn‘t for us. 3mo

See All 16 Comments

Suet624 @AmyG 👯 3mo

Suet624 @squirrelbrain honestly, this book had me wondering if I wanted to even pick up another book to read. Something about my inability to connect with it made me wonder if something was wrong with me. 😂😂 3mo

Soubhiville Too bad, huh? Normally this type of story is my jam, but the writing here just didn‘t work for me. 3mo

Ruthiella It‘s not you. I had real trouble parsing the sisters‘ sections. The screenplay interludes were obviously easier to follow, but what‘s the point of the change in style? 3mo

Bookwormjillk This one didn‘t work for me either 3mo

Tamra Oh, I think I‘m going to unstack this one. I‘ve seen too much of the same type of comments. Thanks for trying and letting us know! 3mo

sarahbarnes Yes - I felt almost exactly the same way. I loved the first part and was raving about it, and then it sort of fell apart. I was bummed. 3mo

kspenmoll Thanks everyone for your comments! I started it did not hold my interest. @Tamra @sarahbarnes @Bookwormjillk @Ruthiella @Soubhiville @AmyG @dabbe 3mo

Suet624 @sarahbarnes Good to know you had the same reaction. 3mo

Suet624 @Ruthiella I actually had trouble with the screenplay because it kept going back and forth between the sisters and I kept trying to remember which sister was talking and what her backstory was. 3mo

Suet624 @Bookwormjillk Seems like we're part of a popular group.. :) 3mo

Suet624 @Tamra I think it's a great idea. 3mo

CBee I had to bail as well! Very glad to see I‘m not the only one 😅 3mo

58 likes16 comments

Soubhiville

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

bailed

I wanted so much to like this! I tried and hoped it would improve, but I‘m giving up. Made it a little more than halfway through. Why is even the play part boring? I don‘t like these women and they mostly don‘t feel like real, complete humans with true sisterly feelings for one another.
Sorry #camplitsy.
#hailthebail

Soubhiville @TheAromaofBooks this was my #bookspin. 3mo

LapReader Going to listen to her this weekend at a Writer‘s Festival. 3mo

TheAromaofBooks Sometimes a book just isn't a match. On to something better!! 3mo

See All 11 Comments

AmyG Same. 3mo

sarahbarnes I‘m sorry it didn‘t work for you! I liked it in the first part but it fell off in the end for me for sure. 3mo

Megabooks Yes, this was much duller than I hoped. Sorry it didn‘t work for you either! 3mo

Soubhiville @sarahbarnes that makes me feel better about bailing when I did. 3mo

Suet624 Haha. I didn‘t read your review until after I wrote mine. But that exactly where I bailed - in the middle of the play. 3mo

dabbe Yes! #allhailthatbail! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo

squirrelbrain The script part was a bit odd for me. Sietje looks like she‘s over it too! (edited) 3mo

Soubhiville @squirrelbrain 🤣 she‘s totally over it! 3mo

69 likes11 comments

Deblovestoread

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pan

I ended up skimming a lot of this so maybe my pan is unfair but other than a couple of pages in the last chapter I didn‘t enjoy this at all.

dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 3mo

62 likes1 comment

Chelsea.Poole

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

so-so

As @squirrelbrain said, I‘m a latecomer to #CampLitsy this week! I didn‘t have the 1st half read by Saturday, but I‘ve finished now. The 4 Irish Flattery sisters are grown now, but were left to rely only on each other after a tragic incident during their adolescence. Readers just get a glimpse into their childhood in bits, but learn about their adult lives…especially when they come together in the second half. I had high hopes but it fell flat.

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, squirrelbrain

Prairiegirl_reading I was also late for camp but I can‘t get into it!! 😞 4mo

AmyG I bailed on this one. 😞 4mo

Daisey I‘m listening to the audio and hope to finish it tomorrow, but I feel similarly. 4mo

See All 8 Comments

TheBookHippie @AmyG I just bailed 😂🤣 4mo

squirrelbrain Great review! Looking forward to our discussions this weekend, as Littens always add more depth. 4mo

sarahbarnes Agree - it did fall flat in the end even though I really liked the first part. 4mo

AmyG Ha! 👊🏻 @TheBookHippie 4mo

Suet624 I don‘t usually bail on a book but I did on this one. 3mo

75 likes1 stack add8 comments

GatheringBooks

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#AboutABook Day 5: our #CampLitsy2024 pick for the month is definitely a #NewToYouAuthor. Or rather, new to me. 💕🥰 Paired with guacamole freshly prepared from avocadoes imported from Mexico in front of us in one of the longest-running Mexican restaurants in Dubai.

Eggs Sounds enlightening 👏🏻👏🏻 4mo

AlaMich That‘s a long trip for those avocados! 4mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yummy 😋 4mo

squirrelbrain Yummy! 😋 4mo

57 likes4 comments

Kitta

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

pan

⭐️⭐️💫

I‘m sorry #camplitsy24. I did not understand this book at all, although I feel like I got everything that happened in it - even the politics and scientific ramblings. But I wasn‘t captivated by it. Why was it a script partway through? What was the author trying to do?

It was definitely better for me than All Fours but I‘m still not inclined to give it a high score. It had a great premise & things I love in a novel! But it missed the mark.

Kitta #hyggehourreadathon 4mo

Ruthiella Agree. I was underwhelmed. 4mo

dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 4mo

See All 6 Comments

Kitta @Ruthiella yeah, I‘m glad #camplitsy introduces me to new authors and gets me out of my comfort zone but sometimes that means it‘s a flop. Fingers crossed for Bear! 4mo

BarbaraBB I hope you‘ll like Bear better. I certainly did! 4mo

Kitta @BarbaraBB I hope so too! I‘ve got my copy ready to go but will probably read something else quick this week before getting to it! 4mo

33 likes6 comments

Suet624

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

I keep thinking about this line. How many times have I walked by someone and known they needed to talk to me without them actually saying anything? So many. This is a great way to describe the phenomenon.

Eggs Great phrase and yes I can always tell 🙌🏻 4mo

Suet624 @Eggs ❤️❤️ 4mo

50 likes2 comments

ImperfectCJ

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Exciting day! After months of preparation, research, and practice, I recorded my first voiceover demos today (professional recording for commercials and animation; I record my own audiobook demos in my home studio). I still have some residual laryngitis from COVID, but with some cold water, hot tea, and careful vocal exercises, I got it done. Now to rest my voice, pet some cats, and catch up on my reading!

LiteraryinPA That is so cool!!! 4mo

Megabooks Congratulations!! 4mo

Librarybelle Congratulations! 4mo

See All 9 Comments

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 4mo

Graciouswarriorprincess Congratulations! 4mo

kspenmoll That‘s fabulous congratulations! 4mo

Suet624 Nice! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 4mo

Bookwormjillk How exciting! 4mo

Ruthiella Congratulations! 👏👏👏 4mo

62 likes9 comments

RowReads1

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

47 likes

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#camplitsy24

Our final question for this week…. We look forward to joining together around the campfire again next week, for the second half of the book, where we‘ll hopefully get some answers as to what is happening!

Without giving away spoilers if you‘ve read to the end, why do you think Olwen left, and why so suddenly? Other than being worried about her, why do you think the sisters travel to find her?

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf
4mo

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7
4mo

See All 41 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88
4mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
4mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 4mo

Hooked_on_books I really don‘t have a clue. And I felt the focus on looking for her was almost manic in its intensity. While I can‘t imagine having someone just disappear and not knowing what happened to them, it seemed a bit overwrought. 4mo

Leniverse Tricky. I think... She's looked after four younger siblings since she was 18. Then she became step-mum to two boys who had lost their mother. Combine that with her certainty that humans are destroying the world. She's had enough and gone feral, or rather, she's gone survivalist in the countryside. She said, "you're too early", so maybe she's planned on a full on Fallout shelter? ???‍♀️ 4mo

Leniverse I'm unclear on whether their parents' deaths were an accident or a suicide. There's a hint that the mother might have been bipolar? And that she might have walked off the cliff and the dad tried to stop her and was pulled over? And now Olwen goes out in the night, like they did, and disappears. So I think old trauma is driving their reaction. Seems extreme for Nell though. She sold everything, like she's not planning on returning. 4mo

Kitta It seems like she was planning something as @Leniverse said when she says “you‘re too early”. Seems like she was expecting them to come later. I think they went to look for Olwen because this was so out of character for her. It‘s extreme to leave everything and live off the grid. I think she needed a different role from being a parent/caretaker. I‘ve certainly wanted to move somewhere and start a new life over before when work/life gets too much! 4mo

BarbaraBB Interesting thoughts @Leniverse about why Olwen left. I think you may be right but like @Hooked_on_books I don‘t get it. Leaving without a word? Yet stay in touch with one of the sisters? It didn‘t make much sense to me. And I saw no relation to her field of science - which I at first thought was why she was leaving 4mo

Leniverse I'm also wondering, where is Jasper in all of this? The sisters haven't told him they found her, which I get because what if she's hiding from him specifically? But is he worried? Does he know more than he's saying? 4mo

JamieArc I really have no idea either, although I thought menopause might have been alluded too. If someone totally disappears for a few days, I feel like it‘s totally natural to want to find them. I‘m more concerned that there‘s been nothing from Jasper. Doesn‘t he want to know? Why isn‘t there more concern from him (that we as readers get to see). 4mo

TrishB Interesting that we‘re talking about a woman just walking off again! But so different. I‘m guessing just had enough. But seems to have been some planning 🤷‍♀️ 4mo

Megabooks I really didn't know at this point, but I figured she had gone far away possibly to disappear forever. I think she doesn't want to be found. I, too, wondered why Jasper wasn't more worried @leniverse. They seemed to be in a stable LTR, and then she just ran away. Those poor boys! 4mo

Meshell1313 Right away I thought of All Fours! Here we go again! A woman tired of her husband and kids! 4mo

Ruthiella I have read the whole book, but I think by the halfway point the reader doesn‘t‘ know why. (edited) 4mo

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - I wondered why they all had to *physically* go and find her and, like @BarbaraBB said, one of them knew she was OK (or at least alive!) anyway. 4mo

squirrelbrain Yes @Leniverse @Megabooks @jamiearc - Jasper seems to have been left out of this. He‘s very much a bit-part character and we have no idea if he *has* been looking for her. (edited) 4mo

squirrelbrain @TrishB @Meshell1313 - interesting that we chose two books about middle-aged women disappearing. And the next one, Bear, is about sisters….🤔 4mo

Soubhiville I don‘t really see a reason at this point, but could see her feeling trapped in being a caretaker and wanting a break from that. I‘m hoping to find out why. 4mo

Deblovestoread I have no clue why she left but appreciate the ideas others have expressed. I got stuck in really resenting OlWen leaving the boys in the way she did after the loss they already suffered. 4mo

DGRachel We definitely don‘t have a reason for her leaving at this point, but I think it‘s interesting how she finished raising her sisters and sent them out into the world to be independent, and she speaks about how Jasper and the boys are so much better than when she met them, almost like she‘s finished raising/fixing them and they are ready to fly without her, so she can leave - like a G&T soaked Mary Poppins. 4mo

Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain Right, exactly! It just felt like a plot device to get them all together, which is probably why I found it overwrought. If the characters were fuller and we‘d seen how her leaving really impacted each one, it would have made more sense and worked a lot better. 4mo

DGRachel And I think the sisters‘ reasons are wrapped up in fear of abandonment, since she took on that parental responsibility after the death of their parents, and maybe a little resentment. 4mo

squirrelbrain I love that @DGRachel ! 🤣 A gin-soaked Mary Poppins! It does seem as though that is much of the reason for her leaving, though - the fact that she had finished raising her two ‘families‘. 4mo

BarbaraJean I‘m mystified as to why Olwen left. I went back over that section to look for clues and feel like I must have missed something!! I think being worried is reason enough for the sisters to go find her. But also, I think they go because Olwen left behind so many questions. I‘d want an explanation, or some kind of notification at the very least. Even: “I‘m going off-grid for a while, please don‘t contact me” would be better than just disappearing. ⬇ 4mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I‘m sure some of the reason is worry, wanting to make sure she‘s okay, but I think a lot of it is wanting to know why. @Leniverse @Megabooks @Deblovestoread I had the same questions/frustrations about Jasper and the boys. There was some comment that made me think she had contacted him, something about him not being worried? I can‘t find it now. 4mo

BarbaraJean @Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I also wondered why they ALL had to go. I was surprised Rhona didn't go on her own when she found out where Olwen was. It made sense that someone had to physically go, but for Nell to give up her classes and fly over from the US (and give away all her books! What?!) seemed extreme. Also I found it weird that Maeve had some contact with Olwen but didn‘t tell the others. Hoping for answers in the second half. 4mo

DebinHawaii I am pretty clueless as to why she left. I could see being tired of being a caregiver & raising two families but it seemed just so abrupt. An email, letter, text, post-it or something seems like it would have prevented them coming after her. 4mo

squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean - it‘s odd, isn‘t it? Maeve had contact with her, Rhona knew where she was but none of them seemed to communicate with each other. 🤷‍♀️ 4mo

squirrelbrain Exactly @DebinHawaii - an email would have sufficed and put everyone‘s mind at rest. 4mo

GatheringBooks @TrishB exactly what i thought - the parallels with all fours. How fascinating that two of the books we read have female protagonists who just upped and left their lives to look after themselves. And what‘s even more fascinating is how seemingly divisive and polarizing the actions of these women are - yet they seem to be perfectly acceptable when men do it, with a touch of nobility. Yet for women, it is deemed irresponsible or selfish. 👇🏼 4mo

GatheringBooks (Cont) as for the Q, i have a 68 yo White male American academic friend who has published on climate justice who has been dreaming of living off-the-grid for awhile now, so i can understand where Olwen is coming from. I suspect, however, that a deeper trauma & pathology is at play here - as alluded to with the drinking, the early parent loss, + the perimenopause. I love that there are more stories about these now. So Refreshing and real. 4mo

sarahbarnes I‘m sad I missed the discussion yesterday! I was in the mountains. Love reading all the comments here. 4mo

TrishB @GatheringBooks sadly, men still get applauded for even looking after their own children! 4mo

squirrelbrain Yes @GatheringBooks - it‘s interesting that even us Littens, most of whom are of a similar age to the protagonists or at least approaching it, have such differing views on whether they did the right thing or not. And we expect those who don‘t read as widely as we do, or who aren‘t peri-menopausal themselves to understand and empathise? 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Late to camp! I felt like the environmental aspect was the emphasis for Olwen, or at least that‘s what I took from it the most. Maybe it was just her excuse? Or like others said, a combination of that and the familial pressure. 4mo

squirrelbrain We don‘t mind a latecomer! @Chelsea.Poole Hopefully you can find a bunk! 🤣 (edited) 4mo

37 likes41 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

#camplitsy24

The book has had mixed reviews so far, but hopefully not as polarising as All Fours! 🤣

This section, with all of its descriptions and expositions, is certainly a part of the book that some of us weren‘t sure about, but some of liked and felt we learned a lot.

What did you think of all of the sisters‘ different work backgrounds? How did this play into their roles as sisters?

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 4mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 4mo

See All 54 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 4mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks
4mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 4mo

Leniverse I liked it! It showed the similarities and differences between them. They're all educators in some way, three of them in academia, the fourth through YouTube. They're all invested in nature and conservation, but in different ways. They're all somewhat untraditional in the way they live and how they pursue their best lives. I found their work personas more interesting than their private lives. 4mo

Hooked_on_books I did like the exploration of work for each of these women, though I felt that focus made each of them a bit one-note. They were all underdeveloped for me. I think we see the most non-work stuff with Nell because of the focus on her disability, but not a lot of development beyond that. 4mo

Kitta I agree with @Hooked_on_books it feels underdeveloped. I did appreciate the descriptions of the difficulties of academic life though, getting a rejection letter from Nature and resubmitting elsewhere is something I‘ve done recently. 4mo

Cuilin The work explorations were fine until I got to Rhona‘s. So boring. I agree that they‘re underdeveloped/onesided. 4mo

Larkken I think I “liked” Maeve‘s most because I was able to settle in and enjoy the chef narrative as something I‘ve seen before. The academics seemed a bit like an excuse for the author to monologue at the reader and I don‘t enjoy that. Like, seriously, a whole lecture from Nell was recounted. 4mo

BarbaraBB I did like the work perspective of all four of them. Especially Olwen‘s stuck with me. But I also liked Rhonda‘s story. They were more interesting to me as working women than as sisters. 4mo

JamieArc I agree with @Hooked_on_books that this aspect made them feel one-note. I work in academia and thought I would be much more interested in them than I am. 4mo

Kitta @JamieArc what area do you work in? I left academia about a year ago (genetics/genomics for me). 4mo

JamieArc @Kitta I‘m a director of accreditation/assessment for our college of education. 4mo

TrishB It literally felt like a work meeting sometimes 🤷‍♀️ my boss is a philosophy professor, I skipped a lot of those parts because it‘s literally how he speaks. Even if he‘s talking about a cup of tea. 4mo

Megabooks @Hooked_on_books @kitta @jamiearc I agree that the sisters were a bit one-note. She got so invested in showing them as successful and working the work angle that I think the character development suffered greatly. I really wanted to like them and get invested, but I just couldn't. A book has to have strong character development to be a pick for me, and this just didn't have that. 4mo

Meshell1313 @Megabooks yes! I think you hit the nail on the head! 4mo

Ruthiella I agree with @Hooked_on_books @Kitta @JamieArc @Megabooks I feel like the author had a concept for what each sister was supposed to represent or reflect and while she may have achieved that representation, they didn‘t always feel like real people in a real family. 4mo

squirrelbrain Interesting that Leni @leniverse, you found their work lives more interesting than their personal lives, but others (@hooked_on_books @kitta @cuilin @jamiearc) found their personal lives underdeveloped. 4mo

squirrelbrain Like @Larkken I found some of the work elements very didactic and I don‘t think the long descriptions added enough to the story line to justify their inclusion to such an extent. Like you Meg @Megabooks I felt that it detracted from rather than added to the character development. 4mo

squirrelbrain @Kitta @JamieArc @TrishB - interesting that you have worked in the world(s) mentioned and that you weren‘t particularly drawn in, even though some aspects fell true. 4mo

Kitta @squirrelbrain yeah like the things that were happening were accurate but the internal monologues were odd to me. People are more well rounded in my experience, and the way Olwen talks about her students irked me. I can‘t say how exactly but it felt like she was talking down to them sometimes. Maybe I‘m used to a different course structure? But I studied in the UK so it should reflect my experiences more imo. 4mo

Soubhiville As just about everyone has said, I felt like some of the work descriptions were too much. It‘s funny that the depth of detail made parts slightly boring? I‘d have liked to get to know them more personally too. 4mo

Larkken @Ruthiella @JamieArc yes, they were almost more archetype or charicature than real person 4mo

Larkken @Kitta funny that you didn‘t see yourself in the academics, esp olwen? I saw Olwen in my parents (who are geos as well, so maybe forced) but not in myself, and I‘m also a scientist but not in academia 4mo

Deblovestoread We are hit over the head a bit with 4 doctors! We get they are smart but not much else. 4mo

squirrelbrain @Kitta yes, I definitely felt that she was patronising them. It felt odd that she pulled her step-kids out of school and took them along on the field-trip, then treated them as the adults, showing off that knew more than her students. 4mo

squirrelbrain @Soubhiville @deblovestoread - yes, I found the depth of detail quite boring. For me, it didn‘t add anything to their characters or to the storyline. More could have been said with less. (edited) 4mo

Kitta @Larkken I know right? I was expecting to, and her world did seem the most familiar, but she thoughts, actions, and the way she treats people (her students, her family) are not something I identify with. I left for industry a year and a half ago and don‘t regret it at all. What kind of science do you do? I can‘t remember. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4mo

DGRachel This whole conversation is so fascinating to me. I didn‘t realize “women at work” was a theme and I enjoyed seeing each sister in her professional role, much more than I would have enjoyed family dynamics. I think maybe because for most of my life my identity has been wrapped up in my work - it‘s one of the only areas I find value and worth, where I have any confidence, so I connected with this focus. 4mo

Larkken @Kitta Haha, yea. I'm an Anthropologist in a forensic science lab :) it's kinda nice to escape the academic rat race, isn't it 4mo

Kitta @Larkken oh that‘s so cool. I‘m a genetics/genomics specialist at a start up, so it‘s a bit scary sometimes but definitely great to be out of academia! 4mo

BarbaraJean This is so interesting! Like @DGRachel I didn‘t realize women at work was a theme. I saw it as more about the sister relationships, partly because that‘s what intrudes on each sister‘s thoughts in the midst of their work. So far, I do think Hughes is successful in showing their working lives but I hadn‘t seen it as ABOUT that before reading this question! I read the descriptions of them at work as insight into who they are, giving me context for ⬇ 4mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...their lives. I enjoyed those establishing details & I think the different careers echo how they are as sisters when we finally see them all together. Maeve as a chef is more of a caretaker, Rhona as a politician is coldly practical, Nell as a philosopher gets lost in abstractions. Olwen is harder for me to get a read on. I agree, @Larkken & @squirrelbrain—the academia scenes, with Nell & Olwen especially, felt almost preachy. ⬇ 4mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) It seemed like a way for the author to shoehorn in certain ideas, rather than developing those ideas organically. And maybe the focus on their lives at work was part of what hindered that deeper/more organic development (both of the ideas and of the characters). It's a one-aspect view of each character; the balance is off and we don't get the fuller picture that could be fleshed out by also seeing their personal lives. 4mo

Leniverse @Larkken I figured the lecture from Nell was a slightly heavy handed way of showing us the theme of the book: Pursuit of happiness. @Kitta I was surprised at how little Olwen's students seemed to know! A lot of what they talked about is part of the general high school curriculum in Wales. 4mo

DebinHawaii Line @DGRachel much/most of my identity has been around my work so learning about them in that way appealed to me (especially Maeve as I can talk to listen about food all day) but I also don‘t feel deeply drawn into the characters yet & I hope they develop more as the second half unfolds. 4mo

Christine Am I the only one who enjoyed the philosophy lecture?? 🙋‍♀️🤣 4mo

squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean - ‘preachy‘ is the perfect word. Barbara Kingsolver does that too, but in a less obvious way, I think. 4mo

GatheringBooks @Christine i enjoyed it, too. In fact, i loved the details of each of their work. Unpopular opinion: i felt that there was sufficient depth in each of the character‘s stories that i do feel invested in where the story will eventually lead. I get that the intellectualizing/proselytizing bits can get to be much (which makes it understandable why they only see each other every 3 years, maybe)? Yet, I was fascinated with the wit, the story arcs 👇🏼 4mo

GatheringBooks (Cont) the exchange. Funnily enough, i feel that the “women at work” theme had nothing to do with their professions - but rather how they worked on their relationships, how they each tend to the other‘s brokenness, repair those with a level of fastidiousness that is true to each character: food for one, philosophy with another, science and sustainability for the other, and pragmatism and politics with yet another. And remarkably, it all coheres. 4mo

DGRachel @GatheringBooks I thought I was the only one who found enough development to be invested! I will sit on the unpopular opinion island with you. ☺️ 4mo

squirrelbrain @christine @GatheringBooks @dgrachel I‘m glad you all enjoyed those sections. It will be interesting to see what depth these sections bring to their personalities , although I think you‘ve already explained it so well Myra. (edited) 4mo

Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean I agree — it‘s way too in your face with the author‘s opinions and it ended up feeling like an agenda. I mean, mostly I shared her opinions but it got to be too much for a fictional work. (edited) 4mo

squirrelbrain Yes @Chelsea.Poole - a great point. There was a stark contrast between the fiction and NF - they should have been woven together better. 4mo

Christine @GatheringBooks That's such a great observation re: their careers reflecting their characters/choices! 4mo

TheKidUpstairs @GatheringBooks I love your point about the different types of "work" that the sisters each have to do, alone and together. And I'll happily join unpopular opinion island with you and @DGRachel - I thought introducing them at their jobs, not just what they do for work but how they approach it alongside the rest of their lives, gave me a lot of insights into their characters. Definitely enough to be drawn into their stories! 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain @BarbaraJean what didn't work for you guys totally worked for me! I felt the force of the sisters' passions rather than the author's ideals and agenda. It felt organic to me in a book about four academically gifted yet emotionally stunted sisters - they each try to control a room by being the smartest, the one with the answers. And they each, in their own way, throw their hands up and walk away (Cont'd in next comment 3mo

TheKidUpstairs .... cont'd.... when others disagree or don't understand them. It reads as such a trauma response from their childhood to me. 3mo

squirrelbrain What a great way to view the sisters @TheKidUpstairs - this is why I love #camplitsy - there‘s always a different perspective that adds something to one‘s reading! 3mo

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain absolutely 💯 Some of the best discussions come from books we don't all agree on, don't they! 3mo

36 likes54 comments

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Welcome to August at #camplitsy24! Hopefully your cabins are still neat and tidy and you haven‘t run out of marshmallows yet!

As ever, if you‘ve read to the end of the book, no spoilers please for those who are saving the second half for the upcoming week.

The first few chapters introduce us to all 4 sisters - did you enjoy learning about them all?

squirrelbrain @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 4mo

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf 4mo

See All 53 Comments

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 4mo

squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks
@Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks 4mo

squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape
@zuhkeeyah @amiable 4mo

Leniverse They're all a bit manic for me, except maybe Maeve. Total overachievers. 😅 Maybe Olwen. Eldest sibling, will strike up conversations with strangers, convinced we're all doomed. I can relate. And who hasn't wanted to walk out in the middle of the night and disappear into the wilderness? I can't fathom actually doing it though, both because of the people left behind and because I have zero nature survival skills 😂 4mo

Suet624 Just got it from the library. 😳 4mo

Hooked_on_books I disliked Rhona, but I‘m pretty sure we‘re “supposed to” not like her, and unfortunately she felt more like caricature to me. If I identified with any of the sisters, I would probably say Nell. She seems to want to do things with intellectual life and is stymied, and I can relate to that. 4mo

Kitta I should identify with Olwen the most because I‘m also a scientist but I don‘t like the portrayal of her, feels a bit too much like a stereotype of a scientist and we aren‘t like that. I‘m like Maeve the most I think. I identify with her struggle to make people happy vs do what she wants to do re: publishing the cookbook. And how she feels obligated to care for Nell. 4mo

Cuilin I‘m usually attracted to books with four sisters as I am one of four. And as they‘re Irish I thought I‘d like/understand them but they‘re all a bit much. Maeve seems the one I could get along with. 4mo

TheKidUpstairs I can't say I identify with any of them, but I find them all fascinating in their own ways. I really liked getting to know them all individually and am interested to see how they all come together 4mo

AmyG I bailed. I apologize. 😢 4mo

BarbaraBB I think I liked Maeve and Nell best but I am not sure who‘s who any longer 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4mo

JamieArc I don‘t think I identify with any of them, though I do like very long walks 😂. I too find them all interesting, though something about Rhona irks me a little. 4mo

TrishB I liked getting to know them (there are 4 sisters in my family so was interesting). I wouldn‘t say I explicitly relate to any of them singular. 4mo

TrishB I also didn‘t particularly dislike any of them! 4mo

Megabooks At my worst (lol), I'm probably a Rhona. A little too driven. A little run people over. But intellectually, I'm more an Olwen. I skipped a lot of Nell's philosophizing. I don't find that interesting at all. 4mo

Meshell1313 I do love how different they each are but yet all motivated and driven in their own ways yet they all seem ambitious. I think I have a little bit of each of them in myself but I liked Olwen the most at first. I liked the kind of teacher she is. 4mo

DGRachel I‘ve just started Nell‘s chapter, so I can‘t weigh in yet. I got lost in the audiobook and had to reread half of Olwen‘s chapter. I did want to say that I‘m surprised by how much I‘m enjoying it so far. 4mo

TheBookHippie I‘m still 24th in line at library ... I may buy it and catch up! 4mo

squirrelbrain @Suet624 - feel free to comment when you‘ve had time to catch up! 4mo

squirrelbrain @AmyG - no need to apologise, sometimes it‘s not the right book or the right time. 4mo

Ruthiella They all really irritated me in different ways! At least at first. I think I am more like Rhona and the other three not doing what was best for themselves professionally and/or personally drove me a little crazy. But seeing Rhonda‘s calculating side was also not flattering. 4mo

squirrelbrain @kitta @Hooked_on_books - they all felt a bit stereotypical, almost caricatures, to me. There were no great areas and no nuance in any of them. 4mo

squirrelbrain They are all a bit much aren‘t they? @Leniverse @cuilin It makes you wonder how / why they are ALL like that. (edited) 4mo

squirrelbrain Oh no @TheBookHippie - I‘m surprised it‘s so popular though - I didn‘t think it has had that much PR - although maybe it‘s different in the US? 4mo

squirrelbrain @Meshell - I too liked Olwen the most at first, but I think that‘s because we hadn‘t been hit by so much detail about the other 3 as well…. 4mo

squirrelbrain @DGRachel - looking forward to your comments when you do catch up! 4mo

Kitta @squirrelbrain @TheBookHippie I joined the library queue on the day we decided on the books and just got it this week, I haven‘t seen a lot of PR for it in the US but it‘s definitely popular. 4mo

TheBookHippie @squirrelbrain who knows? It‘s for the e book 😵‍💫 I‘m just going to buy it and donate to the library my copy when I‘m done. That way it‘s in print for someone. 4mo

Soubhiville I‘m just a bit into Rhona‘s chapter, but I‘d say I relate most to Olwen and Maeve so far. Though I agree with everyone that I don‘t really fit with any of them. All of them have quirks that I would be annoyed with in person. 4mo

Deblovestoread I don‘t identify with any of them really. I like Maeve and Nell but all of them are cardboard cutouts to me. Everything feels very flat. Although, I have harbored the fantasy of just walking out the door a time or two in my almost 65 years. 4mo

DGRachel Caught up! The format is really interesting, getting individual chapters for each sister and then “the play”. I like getting to know them individually first. I have the most sympathy for Olwen (and a little envious of her just walking away from her life), and I dislike Rhona. Like @Hooked_on_books said, I think we‘re meant to dislike her. I also agree that each sister is a bit TOO MUCH, each in her own way. 4mo

DGRachel @Soubhiville I definitely don‘t see being friends with any of them. @Deblovestoread I have shared that fantasy, on occasion. I used to get a strong urge to run every fall for no real reason. I did have a terrible day at work once, and hopped on the highway at lunchtime and just drove north on the interstate for half an hour before making myself return. 😳 4mo

Hooked_on_books @DGRachel Do you ever wonder what would have happened or where you would have ended up if you had kept going instead? 4mo

DGRachel @Hooked_on_books probably homeless and/or murdered. 😂 I have zero survival skills. Plus, I lived with two dogs, no people, in an apartment, at the time. No matter how much I wanted to run and erase myself from the grid, I could never have abandoned them. 4mo

squirrelbrain @Deblovestoread @DGRachel - I think we‘ve all shared that fantasy, although I‘ve never even *nearly* acted upon it @DGRachel 😬. You were brave to give it a go, and braver to come back and ‘face the music‘. 4mo

Hooked_on_books @DGRachel Oh yeah, you definitely can‘t abandon the pups! That would be terrible. If you were really committed, you could have gone home and scooped them up, then headed into the sunset. 😬 4mo

BarbaraJean I enjoyed how the narrative shifts between each sister's POV in turn. I agree with @DGRachel, the format is really interesting! I liked being inside each sister's POV before we got to the play format. I found Maeve & Nell most likable, and identified most with Nell—largely because of my brief stints as an adjunct! I liked Olwen initially—but how she walked away (not that she did, but how—leaving people worrying about her) and ⬇ 4mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...the way she is with her sisters when they find her really turned me off. I didn‘t like Rhona, either—she seems both callous & calculating. (“Look at the dead cat.” 😳) But I agree @Hooked_on_books, it seems intentional that we‘re supposed to dislike her! I also think it's interesting that the most unlikable sister, the one who's most calculating, is the one who has a child. I like how that subverts certain stereotypes of mothering! 4mo

DebinHawaii My library hold lines (print & ebook) were really long on this one so I ended up using an Audible credit for it & finished the section while running errands. That may not have been my best choice because it‘s disjointed & I got a bit lost & was having a hard time keeping track of who is who until I read the comments. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I find I like Maeve the best probably because of the food & cooking but I don‘t really identify with any of them so far. 4mo

Christine @BarbaraJean Yes to pretty much everything you said, including the adjunct bit (I‘m currently one!). The cat! 😩 And that‘s such a good observation about Rhona. I‘m still trying to figure out how I feel about Maeve, though I loved her introductory meal, especially the Roquefort twist! 4mo

GatheringBooks I just finished reading the required section. I can‘t say that I identify with any of the four sisters just yet - although i am an academic myself. I identify more with the circumstances of what it means to be a scholar - particularly the publish/perish sort of mentality. I just met someone from my IRL book club (irish or british) who claims to be friends with Hughes and described her to be quite the genius, an achiever in everything she sets 👇🏼 4mo

GatheringBooks (Cont) her mind to doing. This is a challenging read as it is unafraid of being esoteric, philosophical, academic. Yet despite the marked difference in tone, overall vibe, and narrative style, I am amazed at how this is so reminiscent of the last book we read, All Fours, about a woman unafraid to turn her life over in pursuit of whatever it is she is looking for, both possibly perimenopausal,& just fearless in their efforts to live authentically. 4mo

squirrelbrain Interesting @BarbaraJean - I hadn‘t considered that the sister we all seem to dislike, with the least ‘mothering‘ personality is the only one with a child. 🤔 4mo

squirrelbrain @DebinHawaii - @BarbaraBB listened on audio and completely missed that we started on a ‘scripted‘ section just before halfway. Did you see that? 4mo

squirrelbrain I can imagine that Hughes is incredibly intelligent and fiercely competitive @GatheringBooks - I wonder which sister she created in her own reflection? Maybe a bit of all of them… 4mo

DebinHawaii @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB Hah! It isn‘t at all apparent in the audiobook for sure. I had taken a screen shot of your announcement post about where to read to & kept looking at it when I was getting close, otherwise I‘d have missed that fact too! 😬 4mo

Leniverse I've read on another 40 pages, so not really valid here but not a spoiler either so I hope it's ok: Beatriz is now my favourite character. 😆 4mo

squirrelbrain Yes, loved Beatriz! Can you imagine working for Rhona?! 😬 @Leniverse 4mo

39 likes53 comments

Leniverse

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

I'm confused by this sentence. What is she worried about? Getting robbed? Assaulted? Gossip? What do council donations have to do with anything? What *do* council donations protect you from? And who lets strangers into the house anyway?! Why would a stranger even be at the door? Why is this a distinction worth taking up space in the character's head? 🤪

#CampLitsy

Ruthiella I don‘t remember, but a lot of this book annoyed me because I found the writing and structure distracting! Is this a Rhona section? (edited) 4mo

Leniverse @Ruthiella Yes, she's the weirdest one 😆 4mo

Ruthiella @Leniverse OK. I think what the author is trying to convey is how Rhona rigidly separates her private life from her professional life? And the council donation bit us about how she‘s politically connected? But your guess is as good as mine! 😅 4mo

Leniverse @Ruthiella But isn't she the opposite? She seems to disagree with... was it Beatrice? about the feasibility of such a separation. But she does seem to keep her private life secret! Pretending to go jogging but going clubbing instead, never showing any emotion etc. Yeah, she's a weird one. 🤪 4mo

25 likes4 comments

TrishB

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Slow reading week but have just finished 😁 not going to say too much as we‘re discussing!
What I will get off my chest is my boss is a philosophy Professor. Some of you know how I feel about my boss. These bits made me 🤮

squirrelbrain Oops, sorry about that. 🤪 4mo

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CBee

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

Guys, I don‘t think I have the bandwidth to keep going with this right now. All of the geology and philosophy talk is flying right over my head and I‘m not feeling very invested 😢😢 I‘m also having a very difficult day/week/month so I‘m sure it‘s the whole “it‘s me, hi, I‘m the problem, it‘s me” 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ #camplitsy24

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures I feel bad, you send this to me and it‘s just not jiving 😢😢 I hope I‘ll be able to pick it back up at some point but, if not, I will send it along to someone else who might like it more than I do! It seems like something I‘d love - I just don‘t think I‘m in the right headspace 🙁🙁 4mo

TheSpineView Sometimes you just have to bail, even if just for your mental health. #HailTheBail 4mo

CBee @TheSpineView thank you ♥️ It‘s stressing me out that I‘m not enjoying it which definitely means I should bail for now 🤦‍♀️ 4mo

See All 22 Comments

BarbaraBB Don‘t blame yourself. It is definitely a book you have to be in the mood for! 4mo

CBee @BarbaraBB thank you ♥️ 4mo

Bookwormjillk Agree with @BarbaraBB it‘s a mood book for sure. I hope things calm down for you. 4mo

BookmarkTavern Nothing wrong with putting down a book until you feel you‘re in a better place for it! Sending good vibes for you! 4mo

CBee @Bookwormjillk thank you ♥️ 4mo

CBee @BookmarkTavern thanks ♥️ 4mo

Megabooks Sending care to you!! That‘s the most important thing!! 💜💜💜 4mo

ChaoticMissAdventures So sorry you are having a tough go of it! Hang onto it, maybe later it will be interesting, and then you can look back at the discussion. I am someone who buys books and then can wait years to have time, energy , and feel like reading them. 4mo

sarahbarnes Hang in there. 🩵 4mo

AnnCrystal 🙏🫂💝. 4mo

Ruthiella I found this to be a difficult one too. Hope you feel better soon. ❤️ 4mo

squirrelbrain The first few chapters are the toughest (dare I say a bit boring! 🥱) but it does get better. I‘m sorry you‘re not feeling it though - see how you feel as you don‘t *have* to read it. Hope you feel better soon. 4mo

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures that helps - thank you ♥️ 4mo

CBee @squirrelbrain I think I‘ll come back to it at some point, as I really do love family stories and it seems right up my alley - it‘s just a slog right now and I‘m all over the place 🤪😞 4mo

CBee @Megabooks thank you ♥️♥️♥️ 4mo

CBee @Ruthiella glad it isn‘t just me 😅 4mo

CBee @sarahbarnes @AnnCrystal thank you ♥️♥️♥️ 4mo

Deblovestoread Hope things are better soon! Take care 💜 4mo

CBee @Deblovestoread thank you 😊 4mo

57 likes22 comments

Megabooks

The Alternatives: A Novel | Caoilinn Hughes

If you‘re like me, you‘re excited for discussing this book on Saturday for #CampLitsy24 with @squirrelbrain !! I finished earlier this week 🤐 and just saw the final questions from Helen. It should be a good time!

BarbaraBB

Jess I‘m 100 pages in and can‘t put it down. I‘m totally in with these sisters and can‘t wait to see what happens. 4mo

squirrelbrain I‘m looking forward to the weekend too! Glad you‘re enjoying it @jess! 4mo

BarbaraBB Yes! I can‘t believe it‘s August already. Time flies on Camp! 4mo

See All 9 Comments

cory hello love your book do you have any social media platform so we can discuss better 4mo

Texreader I see you got the same message I did from a “Cory”. Looks like a hoax or ai or something. I think litsy can block this user. Do you know how to alert the folks who run litsy? 4mo

Megabooks @Texreader I don‘t other than maybe the Onward Litsy Facebook group, and I‘m not on FB. I‘ll see if I can tag them here. I wondered if it had happened to others. 4mo

Megabooks @LibraryThing just notifying you of this bot?? Or something crawling around litsy. See (at)Cory above. Thanks!! 4mo

Texreader @Megabooks great idea 4mo

CBee @Megabooks @Texreader you can also send a help request via the app. Plus you‘re able to block “Cory” individually. 4mo

63 likes9 comments