A continuation about Intertwined by Gena Showalter for Blog With Bite! This time with discussion questions!
For the most part, I would say the questions don't have a lot of spoilers, but some of them still have a few tidbits of revealing information. If you're looking for some more general questions without any spoiler at all, please feel free to read: 1, 2, 4, and 6. I'm looking forward to doing more reviews with Blog With Bite!
Check out my previous review about Intertwined here.
1. Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended?
Yes. Definitely. I finished the book, and I had to look around to see if it was the last page! There is a conclusion at the end, but Intertwined pretty much ends right after the climax. So while there is a sequel, which I'll definitely be reading, I feel that there could have been more of a gradual decline and wrap-up.
2. Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again?
If I like the character (which basically translates to I like the series), I actually like and anticipate reading about my characters over and over again.! However, I do have to say there is a limit to the number of times I can read about one character and still enjoy the series. 5 books I can manage, nearing the area of 20 is rocky territory... Then there also is the problem of the someimtes huge gaps between the release of books in a series. Take for example, Harry Potter (sorry, all devoted fans!), which I really liked but forgot a lot that happened in the year that it took the next installment to come out. If we're talking about Intertwined here, though it was good, I did feel like it was cut off a little quickly to save more for the sequel.
3. Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three?
I'll have to say Eve. Granted we didn't see much of the other three souls, three that I hope to discover more about in the other sequels, but I loved Eve! Probably even more than I loved Aden, lol. But she came off as a very motherly figure and one that wouldn't take a beating from any of the boys. I definitely see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three, and I'm guessing that each book will lead to the release of one more soul. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what some of the other souls are about, especially Caleb who didn't talk much, so Gena Showalter, please keep stringing us along!
4. When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real?
Well... This one is a hard one. I don't think it makes the story any less or more real; it's just there. I don't really know how to explain it, but I always feel like allusions just never live up to their names. The real Dracula will always be that same forboding presence in my mind, and when Intertwined uses it, I might think "clever!" but don't take much notice of it.
5. What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved?
Excuse me, what side plot? I guess that can sort of tell you what I thought of it: relatively nothing, insignificant. The Tucker being a half-demon deal was sort of interesting, but I didn't really feel like it went anywhere. Basically: Tucker is a mischevious, manipulative half-demon. He gets Penny pregnant. He and Mary Ann break up. The end. Do I think the issues from there were adequately involved? I think I'm going deaf, because I seriously have to say "excuse me, what issues?" again. I really hope Gena does something with this or just simply leaves it alone in the sequel, because, truthfully, Tucker is a jerk and Penny is an unfaithful friend. Go figure.
6. What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls?
Ohhh, another hard one. Besides for his power of being super hot and butt-kicking, I would say either along the lines of a soul absorber or dealing with intuition of some sort. I think the soul absorbing power is sort of self-explanatory, and, more generally, I think maybe a power like intuition (ie. mind-reading, aura-reading) because he is able to absorb so many souls inside his body. Opening up to souls might be the same as opening up to someone's feelings. I'm really bad at predictions, so I say just wait and see! :)
