Today is the last discussion day for But I Love Him by Amanda Grace for the Forbidden Book Club! We are discussing pages 161-The End. You do not have to be a member or do anything special to join in the fun, feel free to just jump in and comment below! For more information on the book club, just click the banner below.
I have a confession to make; as soon as I posted the second discussion, I finished the book! It was hard for me to stay on the reading schedule with this book because I really was into it and wanted to know what was going to happen!
For the last third of the book we are shown the first third of Conner and Ann's relationship. We get to see the point where the cracks were just starting to show. We also get to see why she started dating Connor in the first place. The saddest part for me was seeing who she used to be but gave up for Connor.
Seeing the way that Ann’s mom reacted, it made me scared as a mother myself. I hope that I never have to see my daughter date a boy like Connor. I know it will be hard to balance protecting my daughter and not pushing her farther towards a dangerous relationship. I feel that Ann’s mom did just that, she made Ann have to defend Connor which only strengthened her resolve to be with him.
I was glad to see that when Connor really went to far, Ann called her mom. Though the end past that was left a bit open I choose to believe that Ann finally realized that she and Connor just could not be together. I also hope that Connor and Ann both were able to get help because I think she needs it as much as he does.
What about you:
I would love to hear your thoughts about the end of this story!
Thanks so much for letting me be your host this month! I have enjoyed it! Make sure you go here to vote for March’s selection!
Also, I will be choosing the winner of the signed copy of But I Love Him this Saturday night at midnight EST. All you have to do to enter is leave a meaningful comment on any of the three discussion posts (including this one). Each comment counts as one entry.
I again wanted to include a few links in case anyone reading this is in a situation similar to Ann or knows someone who is and would like some help. You can call the National Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233). Or you can visit their website at www.TheHotline.org .
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. http://www.teendvmonth.org/
I was very pleased with how the book was resolved. It was very sad to see the progression of the relationship between Ann and Connor. Both of them were in need of so much that they were unable to give the other. There were several details that just shouted at me from the page. Ann said that they didn't even talk about her dad after he died...that all his pictures were taken down...he was erased. When Connor said that he loved her, she said that she hadn't heard those 3 words in years from anyone. Ann and her mom were strangers in the same house. The dissolution of their relationship was the reason that Ann was so vulnerable to Connor. I don't know what the future held for Connor but I felt very positive about Ann's. I thought the book did a really good job of portraying this type of relationship and the probable outcome. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteBut I Love Him was extremely powerful. Personally, I think it's a novel that should be available in every high school. This kind of violence happens everywhere and YA need to be able to read about it and hopefully recognize it before it's too late. I loved how the story unfolded from the end of the relationship to how it started. In my mind, this was effective because the reader is "hit" immediately with the end results of a violent relationship. Those emotions carry throughout the book. Well done! Thanks for hosting Shannon!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very powerful read. I think parents of teenage daughters should read this book just so they can be more aware. I also think that it's a good read for teens, just like Liza said - they need to be able read about these kinds of issues. At first I was a little confused by the way the story was written, but it wasn't long before I began to see the value of it. It was as though Ann was tracing her steps backward to see how she ended up where she was. I, too liked the way the book ended. It was a 30 minute sitcom happy ending, but it was hopeful. The reader doesn't know what will happen, but it's encouraging to see Ann taking that first step for help - reaching out to her mother. Overall, though it was a dark read, I did enjoy the book.
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