The Comeback

pick

I finally finished! This was a slow burn for me; and to be honest not in a good way to start. I don‘t do well reading self destructive behavior especially when it seems there is no one looking out for the mc. Ultimately I‘m really happy this one was chosen for #sundaybuddyread. Like others said, it‘s not one I would have picked up on my own. But I loved how it played out in the end.

kspenmoll Nice review/reflection. I was slow to warm up to this book as well, & probably would not have finished or even chosen it as s book to read! In the end, glad I read & discussed it with others. Enriched the experience. 3y

Sargar114 @kspenmoll thanks. I was sorry to miss the discussion, just read through it and looked really great. I‘m blaming the terrible book the month prior and I was late to start this one and couldn‘t catch up. 3y

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DebinHawaii

The Comeback | Ella Berman

pick

Another book I‘m not sure I‘d have picked up on my own but ended up really liking, thanks to #sundaybuddyread Timely, with current events (though written before the #metoo movement took off) it‘s about a young celebrity, Grace Turner, who is off the rails after being groomed & abused for a decade by a popular producer/director. A bit slow moving at times, so reading it in sections with discussion questions in between enhanced my enjoyment of it.

TheBookHippie I agree! It was a good group read. 3y

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Deblovestoread

The Comeback | Ella Berman

After finishing the 3 books at the beginning of the week my reading is barely stuttering along. CSW was a lovely surprise. Another book examining what is normal and is normal what we should be striving for. I started Silence on audio but was getting lost so am trying print. I‘m trudging through Princess Floralinda which I thought I‘d love but not so much. Maybe bailing at 65%. I will try Fruit another day. Not sure what‘s up next.

Cinfhen

Cinfhen I‘ve picked up and put down Drunken Tree numerous times myself…. (edited) 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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The awards show Graces speech!

Epilogue
Thoughts

Authors note
She wrote it in 2017 right before #metoo hit

Also the eggs -what did you think of Grave cooking for her family ?

Did you like this read?

vlwelser I really did like this one. I'm not sure this would have ended up on my reading list without this group. But I'm definitely glad I read it. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I did too. I can‘t remember what made me pick it as my BOTM choice. It was a good slow burn for me. With the Britney stuff happening at the same time it‘s a little 😳. Cosby as well bring let out on a technicality… it‘s all relevant. 3y

Karisa Agreed! I liked it way more than I would have thought. Never would have found it myself, so thank you! 💗 Nice interview of the author about why she wrote it (Berman also has ties to entertainment and London/Hollywood): https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a33512430/ella-berman-the-comeback/ 3y

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Deblovestoread I chose it as a BOTM,too and don‘t remember why. I liked it. 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa what a great article! Thanks💜 3y

kspenmoll Thanks for article! I started out not really invested in the book & annoyed with Grace & her family but as I read on I liked it more. I think I might have stopped reading but for this group. As always, discussions bring depth & insight to my reading. Thanks all!!! 3y

DebinHawaii I was happy she spoke her truth at the awards show as it will help her healing. I liked that she made the eggs for her family even though I despise Emilia. Grace using something she learned to do something nice for others is good for her. I enjoyed the book & would not have likely picked it myself, so thank you for another great month of reading & discussion! 🤗 The author‘s notes in the back were interesting so thanks too for the link @Karissa ! (edited) 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I did enjoy all the authors notes. Very well done. What a crazy coincidence for her! 3y

mollyrotondo This wasn‘t my favorite only because it moved slowly. But I loved everyone‘s thoughts and helped me reflect on some parts that I didn‘t connect with upon reading. So thank you everyone! 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I'm glad she came forward and I'm glad she spoke her truth. I think she'll be OK with time and focus on her well being. Having her cook the eggs how Emilia taught her was an interesting touch. He parents didn't teach her much and as flawed as the Grace-Emilia relationship turned out to be, she still got something positive from it. I passed on this as a BOTM pick but decided to join you all on this one. It was pretty interesting but not great. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I can‘t remember why I wanted to read it. I did enjoy the read with everyone . 3y

Sargar114 I originally skipped when it came out on BOTM but added it when I saw the reading list. Not a usual pick, started out rough for me, but really ended up enjoying it. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Emilia coming to talk to Grace. Is Emilia an abuser or victim or both?

vlwelser I'm not sure she's either. But why does she stay with this horrible dude? 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser 🤷🏻‍♀️ prestige, money, the kids, maybe she‘s abused too.. who knows.. denial? 3y

Karisa @TheBookHippie Yep, comfortable and glamorous life. Emilia doesn‘t seem confident to stand on her own (yet, clearly she could). Maybe Able has been playing mind games with her for years too? 3y

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Deblovestoread @Karisa yes I assumed that Able manipulated her, too. 3y

kspenmoll @Kdgordon88 @Karisa I am sure Able manipulated her as well & yes abused her at the very least verbally/emotionally. She did embrace the lifestyle he gave her. 3y

DebinHawaii Can‘t/won‘t call her a victim. As others have said, she knows Abel is not a good person but chose to keep her lifestyle intact through denial & then tries through manipulation of Grace. She apparently has a support system where she was from she could have gone to if she wanted to get away, where she said she was taking Able away from Hollywood & moving her family to if Grace kept quiet. She knew what she was doing & wanted out of L.A anyway. ⬇️ 3y

DebinHawaii …She may not be an abuser per se, but she‘s a manipulator of Grace, people, the abuse & situation, as much as she may have been manipulated by Able. (edited) 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii He‘s not going to change and then what 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y

DebinHawaii @TheBookHippie Right? But it seems like it‘s not much of a marriage anyway & it gets her back to where she wants to be, so I think she‘ll land of her feet. (Can you tell how much I don‘t like her?!)😆 3y

mollyrotondo @DebinHawaii I agree that she‘s a manipulator. Sure Able might verbally abuse her/keep her in her place, but she‘s not in a vulnerable position. She could leave at any time and go to people who would take her in. She‘s not a girl from nowhere who only has her husband. She‘s a manipulative person and likes to live in a fantasy and keep her fantasy intact for appearances sake. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I like to think that Emilia doesn't like herself too much right now. I think Able is a master manipulator and given his fame, power, and money, Emilia is trying to protect her great life as much as possible. She's learned a few tricks over the years being around Able, but hey! As long as she's still comfortable, right?! 3y

Sargar114 Ready for the bad joke that popped into my head after reading this question? She‘s an en-able-r ***groan***. But really that was my ultimate takeaway, she may have been a victim at one point, but when she cared more about maintaining her lifestyle than stopping her monster of a husband I struggle to sympathize. 3y

TheBookHippie @Sargar114 I agree -just horrific 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Graces mom
What is her deal?

Graces mom having a heart to heart with her…
Face it
Forget it ever happened
Are they interchangeable ?

vlwelser She does sort of need to get on with it. You can't change the things that already happened. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser the only way is through it, just move forward admitting it all and just keep going. I think she‘ll have good days and bad but as long as she keeps forward motion I think she‘ll be okay. 3y

Karisa What a character her mother is! I just don‘t get her. I kept wanting more from her and so did Grace. 💔 3y

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TheBookHippie @Karisa She is a bit like mine. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 3y

Karisa @TheBookHippie 😱So sorry! You deserve much better! 💗 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa Yes. I do/did. It‘s always interesting reading mothers - those who have good ones think oh that can‘t be so and those of us who don‘t go oh I recognise that. 😬 3y

kspenmoll She seems do stuck. Unable to articulate emotions or show them. Very sad. 3y

DebinHawaii She has issues and is not a great parent but while not nearly enough, it did seem like she was trying a little at the end. (To the extent she is able—that whole family needs some good counseling). It made me wonder about her experience in her modeling days—did she see/go through any sexual abuse/abuse of power? 3y

mollyrotondo I want Grace to rebuild a relationship with her mom but at the same time I‘m not hopeful her mother can pull through for her daughter. I think she has better luck with her father. But I‘m rooting for the whole family. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Grace's mother is a piece of work. After Emilia went bonkers, I was really hoping mom would come around and say that she understands or would like to try to mend things, etc. I feel that we didn't really get enough about the mom and she's just a shitty person. In the end, she literally did the least she could do. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick yup. I think she wanted to be Grace. 3y

Sargar114 @DebinHawaii that‘s a great point, I do wonder as well if she suffered abuse in her industry as well, maybe she recognized it in her daughter. They seem share similar personalities part of why there may be such conflict. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Lana telling Grace she can only control herself and Grace disagreeing ..
Do we always have a choice ?
In Graces case is she too far damaged ?

Karisa I think it‘s mostly true. We should only control ourselves and not manipulate others. However, we do have an impact on others and vice versa. We‘ve got to look out for each other and at least not do harm. 3y

kspenmoll I think you only can control yourself & responses to life/people. But you can influence others by word & example. 3y

DebinHawaii I look at it as you can lead by example & influence but at the end of the day, you can‘t make yourself crazy worrying about what you can‘t change. (I need to be better at this!) 😆 3y

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TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii ME TOO!! OY. 3y

mollyrotondo @DebinHawaii uhh me too! I am a massive worry wart and know that I shouldn‘t worry about things I can‘t control. But I am not good at not worrying. It‘s a skill I think. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I admire those who can consistently be calm, cool, and collected. Sometimes right after a burst of anger or when I'm upset, I am aware of my bad behavior. I try to be mindful of moods and think about it logically. Sometimes I can control it, others not so much. I certainly can't change the ways others react, but I do try to put a positive spin on things for friends & coworkers if possible. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Esme! Why are kids so cruel. How often do you think this happens ?

vlwelser All the fucking time. 3y

Karisa @vlwelser I agree. I work with and love middle schoolers. Teens can be amazing and also can be horrible. They are constantly shaping their identity and so insecure that they‘ll turn on each other to achieve more power. Glad to have kept in touch with many to see the fantastic adults they‘ve grown into 😅 3y

kspenmoll I see it all the time in HS. 3y

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TheBookHippie @kspenmoll me too. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser agree. 3y

DebinHawaii Bullying & the struggle for power/popularity happens way too much, especially at that age.🥵 3y

rjsthumbelina I thought it was interesting how well Grace's story and Esme's story were parallel, and how they both always seemed to know what the other should do next, but no idea for themselves 3y

mollyrotondo Oh gosh this happens way too much. Bullying is out of control. The power plays that go on in HS is so dangerous. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick It's always been a problem, but I think even more so now with the internet. Kids can create a fake profile and torment others behind the anonymity of the screen. It's sad. This scene, though...that was some next level bullshit. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick RIGHT?! Ugh. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Grace DRIVES OFF A CLIFF😳
So that‘s the first part of the book.

THOUGHTS???

vlwelser I have no idea what her goal was here. 3y

Karisa Metaphor again, but also showing that Grace‘s hurt is real. Way to show emotional hurt in a physical way 3y

kspenmoll I think she just decided to punish Abel & had utter loathing for herself & was suicidal in that moment. 3y

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DebinHawaii Yes, I think it was her impulse control again & she hit her breaking point & wanted to end her pain & also punish/end Able. 3y

rjsthumbelina Didn't care what happened to herself, wanted Able to know what it felt like to lose control of his life and not be in power for once. I also think Emilia suggested that Grace drive bc she wanted it to happen 3y

mollyrotondo It‘s interesting the book started with this. It was not a revenge move but an emotional reaction that took over. She has had suicidal thoughts and being in the car with him put those thoughts and her anger into overdrive. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Once she got behind the wheel I knew we were heading for disaster. Grace has been surrounded by people who coddled her or humored her for so long and now she's a young woman with no impulse control or healthy way to manage her feelings. 3y

Sargar114 @rjsthumbelina what an excellent point about this being the one time the roles were reversed and she was in control; literally in the drivers seat. @Karisa @mollyrotondo @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @DebinHawaii 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Grace finally says it out loud about Able.

So Emilia lied to Grace
She‘d wanted to see Able and Grace together to see what? The truth for sure?
So does she think he abused her or had an affair this whole time ?
She didn‘t think Grace loved him.
Is she a victim too?

vlwelser Emilia seems to lose it here. Once she realizes that Grace wasn't culpable she has to accept her own part in this mess. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser It‘s like she looked in the mirror and didn‘t like what she saw. But then to not do a thing ?! I can‘t condone that. 3y

Karisa Emilia was so frustrating. To have promised Grace‘s parents she‘d look out fit her, then disappeared… Then, when Grace comes back, Emilia is the only one offering some real help (then the party). Ugh, emotional see saw with that character 3y

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Deblovestoread So disappointed and angry about Emilia. I wanted her to be a friend but she was not. She had her own agenda and was keeping Able with her two daughters. What message does that send them?!? 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa SO MANY women act this way. So many. 🤯 I will never understand it. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 Awful. It‘s all just awful. 3y

kspenmoll The way Emilia treated Grace was horrid. She wanted Grace to be culpable to reassure herself. How could anyone at Grace‘s age be culpable with an adult male with total power & control over her? 3y

DebinHawaii 🙋🏻‍♀️ OK, ultimately I was wrong about Lauren‘s motives & that‘s probably in another question 🤣but from the start I suspected Emilia & her motives behind the help she was giving Grace so her ultimate betrayal was not a surprise. There was guilt behind her actions but I always felt like she was ultimately doing it for her own reasons- a “cleaned up” Grace was better for her family than an out of control one as well as to see for herself the⬇️ (edited) 3y

DebinHawaii …extent of her husband‘s abuse & hopefully be able justify it to herself as an affair instead & have it be Grace‘s fault. I can‘t find her a victim—to me she is the second villain. 😡 (edited) 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I never trusted Emilia either. I mistook Lauren‘s actions I think maybe she was in love with Grace or had a crush on her. Emilia I think it worse than Able. She is doing this as a woman to another woman and she is silent and condoning it and taking no blame I could go on… 3y

DebinHawaii @TheBookHippie Good point & I agree. I almost called her “as bad as Able” but like you, I think she just as bad if not worse. 3y

rjsthumbelina I do think Emilia was hoping that Grace had somehow been acting as an 'adult' with Able, that it would somehow have made Able's behavior more tolerable if Grace had loved him or said that she had wanted what happened. Emilia, to me, is a coward. She's not willing to take her daughters and leave Able, even after she finds the truth. Still tries to silence Grace, but it seemed like she had to convince herself that it was what would be best for ⬇️ 3y

rjsthumbelina ⬆️...Grace too before she could manage to do it. She came across as very broken and continuously gaslighting people by the end to try to salvage any little power or control that she could. Not realizing that leaving would be the way to actually get her power back 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina coward is a good word here. 3y

mollyrotondo Everyone said such amazing things here. Emilia is a second villain and a coward. She doesn‘t want to leave her lifestyle behind and would rather delude herself into thinking Grace has an affair with her husband because that‘s more palatable than her husband abusing underage girls. She‘s just as bad as her husband. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo AND SHE HAS DAUGHTERS 🤯 but yes I agree our discussion just amazing on this book. 3y

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie I know that‘s the most disgusting part. Why do mothers do this? Get the kids out!!!! 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo ALLLLLL THE TIME. It just boggles my mind. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Emilia really disappointed me in the end. I was hoping she suspected things weren't right and was trying to make up for not following up on her promise to care for Grace. Her attitude at the party and afterwards just angered me so much for the reasons everyone has already expressed. Like, have some backbone. He didn't just cheat with a beautiful adult co-star while filming in an exotic location. He ruined this girl. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick so devastating. @mollyrotondo word coward here is just exactly the word. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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What do you think of the paparazzi ?

vlwelser Ridiculous. 3y

Karisa I think Berman captured them well. They are parasitic but wouldn‘t be around without large demand. The Britney Spears New York Times documentary shows this and was a really intriguing aspect of it all 3y

Deblovestoread As at @Karisa said they are parasitic and there‘s a demand to be filled. And Berman also showed how celebrities will try to use paparazzi to their advantage as well. 3y

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kspenmoll Berman did a great job regarding paparazzi 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa seriously fascinating that documentary. I think they are parasites too. 3y

TheBookHippie @kspenmoll I agree you could feel them. 3y

DebinHawaii Parasitic but also symbiotic when celebrities use or try to use them back as @Kdgordon88 mentioned. The point when Grace is there crying alone outside the back of the restaurant & the guy she alerted to her dinner with Dylan is snapping all the pictures & she realizes she was never in control of them, was very true & a powerful scene. 3y

rjsthumbelina @DebinHawaii that scene gave me very "leave Britney alone!" vibes 3y

mollyrotondo I agree with everyone. Paparazzi are vultures 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I used to read the celebrity magazines and then I started to notice more and more how the pictures seemed like privacy was invaded. At events I am 100% OK with their role. Long range pics of Ben & Jen walking down the street of Rodeo Drive. OK fine. But once we start to see pictures from the ground pointing up to a vacation villa balcony or a famous parent with their non-famous child trying to be normal...they got to go. No need for that shit. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I agree. There is no line of propriety anymore. It‘s ridiculous and we don‘t need to know. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Lauren is worried

Esme says she feels sorry for her

Dylan asks if she‘s okay
Then tells her he cheated on her?

How does she even learn to cope after this- do you think she can?

vlwelser I think she'll be fine. Part of that is realizing that she's not the center of everyone's universe. 3y

Karisa I‘m not sure she‘ll be fine. Grace needs a better support group. It felt like the director‘s wife of all people was actually helping her the most. Feels like her dad is trying too. She needs to harness that wealth to find more help. Even though she‘s spoken her truth, there‘s no guarantee of justice for victims of abuse and that the abusers will face consequences. 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa I don‘t think justice can even be a part of healing- it so rarely happens. I think a good life skills class is in order for her at the very least. 3y

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Deblovestoread I think she can work towards a happy healthy life. 3y

kspenmoll Agree with you all. Grace needs life skills help as she is so dependent on others to do for her. That will take practice & she will need a support person. Justice rarely does happen in these cases but with the right counseling she can work toward moving forward. 3y

DebinHawaii While what happened to her is something I don‘t I think she can completely heal from, I think she will be able to cope with the trauma & is in a much better place & position to do that with some professional help. Her support group is not perfect but she‘s in a much better place especially with her family (not that her parents are absolved of blame) & her care for Esme (who needs help too) will be good for her. They can lean on each other. 3y

rjsthumbelina I think therapy would be great for her, but she seems to be starting to figure out how to resolve things by the end. I think seeking treatment for her addictive behaviors would probably be more beneficial than anything else 3y

mollyrotondo I think it‘s possible to move forward but I think she needs to cut ties from some of these people. Her sister and if she can work on things with her parents then them too. But everyone else needs to go. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo Trying to stay in that seems harmful. Clean slate in order for sure. I‘m glad you said that it‘s definitely necessary. 3y

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie yeah most of these “friends” and “colleagues” are so harmful. Clean slate in order to stay on a healing path. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick For now, she can keep Lauren and try to mend her familial relationships. I think Lauren genuinely cares and if Grace is committed to healing, perhaps their relationship can be salvaged. Dylan was her young love, someone new to help her adjust, but I don't think he's ultimately good for her. Again, she really needs to leave the shadow of Hollywood and learn to be a young woman and not worry about managing Hollywood assholes & paparazzi. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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And here we go….

Do you think Grace has any mental health issues or is she just suffering from trauma from abuse? Or both?

vlwelser I think she could definitely benefit from seeing a therapist (but definitely not the dude from our last book). But I'm not sure there's anything actually wrong with her. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser NOT THE GROUP DUDE. Just no. 3y

vlwelser 😂🤣😂🤣 3y

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TheBookHippie @vlwelser way past his ability. 😂 3y

vlwelser That book was so weird. Hard to believe they were real people. 3y

Karisa Grace would definitely benefit from talking to someone. Her upbringing and parents/director guy have isolated her for so long. Plus the abuse she‘s gone through haunts her. She needs to process what she‘s been through and move forward more productively 3y

Deblovestoread I didn‘t get a mental illness vibe but I think she would benefit from therapy. 3y

DebinHawaii It seems like most of her issues are a result of Able‘s abuse & I think she needs help in better coping with her feelings about herself & also her addictions. 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii Just sat through a seminar about addiction and the percentages of youth that are addicts as result of sexual abuse in childhood/teen hood . I almost threw up. 3y

kspenmoll Definitely related to trauma of abuse. It‘s the root of her lack of a sense of self. Therapy with the right person a must. (edited) 3y

rjsthumbelina Trauma. The abuse and gaslighting from Able, the uprooted childhood into fame, losing touch with her family at a young age, toxic relationships with basically everyone... 3y

mollyrotondo I never thought of Grace having a mental illness. I think she suffered from extreme trauma and family neglect and the damage silence can do. She needs to talk to a therapist weekly. Maybe the Group author‘s therapy schedule but with a therapist who specifically focuses on childhood trauma. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo I agree. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I'm not an expert, but I wouldn't say she has a mental illness. She has suffered sexual abuse and an emotionally stunted upbringing so she needs to talk to someone. I also think she needs to gain more life skills and getting out of Hollywood might do her some good. Perhaps doing some London theatre. (Yes, theatre with an “-re“ at the end and not a dinner theater in Reno.) 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Final talk this Sunday !!! 🤫🤐

Anyone who has read the book welcome to join in!

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vlwelser

The Comeback | Ella Berman

pick

I kind of loved this but I'm not sure I can pinpoint why exactly.

#SundayBuddyRead with @TheBookHippie
Final discussion Sunday. Until then, 🤐🤐🤐

#BookSpinBingo square 3
@TheAromaofBooks

Alfoster I loved this one!❤️ 3y

TheBookHippie I feel the same . 3y

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

Final talk on this book this Sunday- anyone who has read the book welcome to join in! Until then 🤐

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Sargar114 Still only in the second section…definitely in a slump right now…maybe it‘s too hot to read 🤣😂🙈😓🥵 3y

TheBookHippie @Sargar114 well it‘s a weird book. My grandma would say it‘s hot as a whore in church …..BaHAHAHAHAHA….. 😳FYI I‘m looking forward to the ghosts and August 😂😂😂 3y

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mollyrotondo

The Comeback | Ella Berman

so-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one moved a little too slowly for me. I really liked the beginning, but then the book dragged. I very much enjoyed discussing this book with the #sundaybuddyread as always! One more discussion on Sunday!!

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

NOW WHAT?!

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

See you next week for the END!!!

vlwelser I'm excited to see where this goes. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser ME TOO!!!! I have no clue what to even hope for! 3y

DebinHawaii Looking forward to seeing how it all ends up! 3y

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sprainedbrain Couldn‘t help it… I finished it today. 😳 3y

TheBookHippie @sprainedbrain 😂😂😂I wait until everyone comments here so I don‘t spoil it. Usually Tuesday I read. 3y

sprainedbrain I‘m not going to spoil anything. 🤐 3y

TheBookHippie @sprainedbrain I would without meaning to 😂😂😂 I‘m not even sure on this one though. No clue how this ends up. Usually I have an idea by now ! 3y

TheBookHippie @sprainedbrain this was such an interesting way to write this story. 3y

sprainedbrain @TheBookHippie yes! It was a very interesting approach. I really liked the ending. 😉 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I'll be trying to finish this in the office at lunch the rest of the week. I'm intrigued to see how it all wraps up, but I need SOMETHING to happen. This has been rather uneventful for the end to sputter out. 3y

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Why is Able staying away? Or is he not and this is a trap?

Why Christmas Eve?

vlwelser He's also pretty self absorbed. It may have something to do with the fact that Grace has made sure there are pictures of her with his family. Otherwise I'm not sure what her goal is there. 3y

Kimberlone Seemed to be a continuation of his manipulative and controlling behavior. Grace also seems to think she is influencing Able from afar with her actions. 3y

DebinHawaii I wonder if he doesn‘t want to see Grace & wonders if she will try to confront him. It seems like he is never at home anyway, it‘s easier to do your evil deeds when you aren‘t in your own backyard. 3y

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rjsthumbelina I'm not sure yet. Part of me thinks that Grace is successfully getting him to stay away, but another part thinks that Able is waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Grace's life to go off the tracks so he can come back either to 1. manipulate her or 2. really rub it in 3y

mollyrotondo I think he‘s dead 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I really want Molly to be right!! But I wonder if folks would come calling if he really was no where to be found. his is where the story goes from promising to dull for me. At 75% of the story, I need more than just a will she or won't she ponderance and paparazzi photos. I need Able to have a pulse. I need more to happen than an uninformative inner monologue. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick It‘s an interesting slow burn to show what #metoo is about before #metoo I think this book predates the movement .. 3y

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The code? The one who makes the money makes the rules?

DebinHawaii Money = Power = Control and the more someone has the more ability they have to make and break the rules. 💰 💵 3y

mollyrotondo Yeah the moneymaker holds all of the power which is why men like Able don‘t want their wives working. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Many breadwinners like to think so. They should try putting up with my shit. Mwahhahahaha. 😂 When you have money, people can be bought, giving you power & control. It sucks. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Why do people think they own Hollywood stars or have rights to them or their time ?

Kimberlone While I love stories about Hollywood and going to the movies is one of my favorite activities, I really hate the celebrity industrial complex and the way that people do feel ownership over their favorite celebrities. Social media has made this even worse, giving us the ability to “follow” famous people into their lives even more. 3y

Deblovestoread Yes, that and reality tv. 3y

DebinHawaii Yes, it‘s out of hand how people feel like celebrities owe them for watching their movies or series, buying their music, etc. The lines of reality are so blurred sometimes & yes, social media & everyone having a smart phone with a camera on them & ready to post at any time make it all the worse. (edited) 3y

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mollyrotondo Too many people think that a celebrity is their friend because they see them every week on tv or in every movie they are in and they relate to the characters the actor plays. People connect themselves to the celebrity because the exposure might be more than some people have to their own family or friends. There is probably a psychology book about why we feel connected to celebrities 😆 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick So much I could probably mull over on this. Whether it's an actor, musician, or personality, they rely on YOU spending money on THEM. If their project is a success, they get more money and can do it all over again. I think this cycle of interviews, photo shoots, etc, needs us to care, but then many can't draw the line. Unless it's a fan event or they solicited a conversation beyond me telling them I appreciate them, I try to leave them alone. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo we need the book I guess so we can all know 😂 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I‘ve heard and read horror stories of nurses in hospitals asking for pics or autographs how awful that would be. I too leave them alone if “out in the wild” 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I've met Jose Canseco, surf guitarist Dick Dale & some wrestlers at my hotels. Other than acknowledging I know who they are and that they're stay is confidential, I only chat if they initiate. Many do one they see I'm a but unimpressed. The only pic taken was with Jose because the GM was playing the role of ultimate fan-boy. 🤣 Dude had zero chill. 3y

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie yes! I should do some research to see if there is a book out there 😂 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Grace is she self absorbed ? Did she have a choice?
Do you like her ?

vlwelser Lol. I think I just answered at least 3 questions implying that she is. She's just so immature. And self absorbed. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I keep thinking is it because she was so cloistered in and not allowed any outside influence. Was she created this way? She is still so young. 3y

Deblovestoread Abuse creates a hole so large it is impossible for normal maturity to happen. And when you begin to heal you can become self absorbed in trying to battle your way to a better self that you can live with and love. It is a long hard road. I think the author does a good job of showing that. One minute Grace is still the lost girl who was told how to do everything and the next she‘s reaching out for friendship and making good choice and so on. 3y

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TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 perfect explanation. 3y

Kimberlone I find myself going back and forth between feeling sympathy for her for having to endure the abuse of Able and the system, which totally f‘d her up, and feeling extremely frustrated by her actions as an adult. Her lack of awareness for the feelings of others and inability to build strong relationships is clearly a consequence of her abuse, but it feels hard to excuse when she is able to have a more mature outlook on how messed up the industry is. 3y

Deblovestoread @Kimberlone I think I would feel that way if she were older..in her 30‘s but she is only 22 - abused, immature, no self esteem, waffles between self blame and a desire for revenge with no one who really knows. Those that are trying to help don‘t understand what the real issues are. The girl needs therapy! 3y

Kimberlone @Kdgordon88 100% she needs therapy 3y

DebinHawaii I get frustrated with her & her immaturity but then I remember her age & her stunted emotional growth & mostly feel sorry for her. I don‘t think anyone in her same situation, with the same lack of a support structure, would be a healthy functioning adult. I mostly want to shake her first, then give her a hug & get her LOTS of therapy (not group therapy with Dr. Rosen though—just sayin‘! 🤣🤣🤣) 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 she is so young! 3y

mollyrotondo @DebinHawaii 🤣 no Dr Rosen!!! 3y

mollyrotondo I don‘t not like her but I don‘t like her either. She definitely needs therapy especially if she doesn‘t want to tell anyone else in the “industry” and she needs to stop sabotaging herself with drugs and alcohol. She went through trauma and needs to get proper help from professionals. 3y

kspenmoll At first I did not like her but as I see her in her own messed up way try to cope…I feel empathy for her & hope she can survive all the craziness emotionally ok —there is no way she can be emotionally healthy without tons of therapy-any good people who truly have her interest at heart, not there for personal gain. It just takes one heart to help heal an other. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick She's selfish & immature, not my favorite MC we've read about, but I don't think I'm supposed to love her. Being surrounded by “yes men“ & no parents early on, talking about herself in the press circuit, worrying about her image, pleasing Able and the crew, etc...I think it's hard to imagine how she would've turned out normal given the circumstances. I still think the best thing she could do is move to middle of nowhere and learn self-sufficiency 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Lauren what do you think…..

vlwelser Do you mean Laurel? I think she would be a friend but Grace is pretty caught up in her own head. 3y

Deblovestoread I‘m still on the fence. 3y

Kimberlone The book seemed to set her up as a frenemy in the beginning, but is revealing along the way that she might actually be a better friend than Grace realizes; it‘s actually her own immaturity and relationship sabotaging that makes her think Laurel is a bad influence and selfish friend. 3y

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DebinHawaii I still don‘t like her & think while maybe not an out-&-out foe, she is at least a bad friend & enabler for Grace & vice-versa. She is the one that brought the booze & drugs to Grace so they aren‘t good for each other but Grace would also be a hard friend to have with her self-absorption & all her issues. 3y

rjsthumbelina It feels like they have a toxic friendship. Like they maybe want the best for each other, but their patterns with one another are just bad. Plus, did we ever clear up whether Laurel is still getting paid to be in Grace's life? 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina No -unless I‘m constantly reading over it. Is she infatuated with her? That would make sense but I take it as it‘s her job. I plan to go back and reread it‘s one of the unresolved things in my notes. 3y

mollyrotondo I still don‘t like Laurel. She‘s an enabler and wants to blame Grace for her regression into bad behavior. It‘s her own fault. They have too much of a toxic friendship and need to leave each other alone into they both mature and have healthy lives. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I still think Laurel was/is on Grace's payroll, but they have also developed a fondness for each other. They aren't necessarily great for each other, but it sounds like Grace could use a few friends, even if they aren't stellar. Laurel has seemed to direct Grace well in regards to her public image after reemerging, so there's that. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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They don‘t want you to win . Is this true in just Hollywood or life? Is this true between women or men as well? Why can‘t anyone succeed without people wanting them to fall?

Deblovestoread It‘s so pessimistic. If they win the movie does well everyone makes money 💰. I think it‘s more if someone does something that breaks the illusion then that person is out rather than offering help. 3y

DebinHawaii I think it‘s especially true in Hollywood but true in other cases as well. I think anytime someone is succeeding & others are not &/or they feel they are losing out (whether it‘s just perceived or reality) there are always those who don‘t want them to have that success, that try to pull them back down. 3y

mollyrotondo Yeah I think this is true in most workplaces especially. Nowadays no one wants you to move up. People who are in control want to stay in control and keep everyone else beneath them in their place. It‘s cynical but it‘s everywhere. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sad but true in a lot of settings, but I think there are genuine people out there cheering you on...unless you're just a total jerk. I'm confident in me, so I am happy for my friends and co-workers, but if I didn't feel comfortable that I was doing well, I probably wouldn't want anyone else doing well, either. I think that entire Hollywood scene is about being Numero Uno and competition is not welcome, but you have to kiss ass. 3y

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John -the director -are all these men snakes?

vlwelser That's a real possibility. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I‘ve yet to read a Hollywood memoir where people aren‘t raped, molested or it was attempted.. 3y

Deblovestoread Me,too. It sounds like every last one of them is a creep but I‘d like to believe there a good men in these positions. 3y

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DebinHawaii Unfortunately it seems like a majority of them are creeps. The Hollywood setting with the power, money & fame, & people willing do anything for those things make it a natural hunting ground for the sleazes & monsters. 3y

rjsthumbelina Everyone seems to be out to increase either their fame or power.Unfortunately, that seems to include sexual power here. It's interesting, bc no one in this story ever seems happy. But I mostly don't want them to be! 3y

mollyrotondo John is another sleaze ball. Hollywood is run by vain, power hungry people. Most of them being men. I‘m sure there are some good guys out there but the majority have this power issue. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sleezeballs, the lot of them! At least John seems like the sort to test his luck, but still mostly keep his hands to himself. There should be a rule that there must be 5 people of mixed genders in a room at all times over in Hollyweird. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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The trying on of dresses and Esme asking Grace if she‘s still going to do it…
Thoughts ?

vlwelser This is why I think Esme knows what's going on. 3y

Kimberlone @vlwelser it seems like Esme, and many others around Grace, have suspicions about her relationship with Able, she is just the most willing to push Grace to admit something was wrong and that she should want to get some sort of revenge for it. Esme is the most honest person in Grace‘s life, which is dominated by liars and manipulators, so she has a hard time being confronted with honesty. 3y

Deblovestoread But Esme is a kid herself. It shouldn‘t be her job to figure out what‘s up with Grace. 3y

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DebinHawaii I think Esme has an idea of some of it, but not all of it or the extent. 3y

rjsthumbelina Esme seems like the only character who is willing to face the uglier sides of reality 3y

mollyrotondo I thought it was nice to see Grace except her body in this scene. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Esme has to suspect something. I can't imagine she's fangirling that Grace might be at the event so it must be to see how Grace reacts on stage with Able receiving an award. As for the dresses, poor Grace probably gained 7 pounds and went up to a size 4 but they're showing her grandmother of the bride options. UGH. How any gets out of Hollywood alive is amazing. I hope she gets to wear the sequin gunmetal dress as she plays the smoking gun. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Wren and Grace and Dylan
Thoughts ?

Dylan
Now what ?

😅couldn‘t help but think of this song although I don‘t actually think anyone‘s in love.

vlwelser I like Wren. This was a bit weird though. 3y

Deblovestoread Another great song! I don‘t think anyone‘s in love. Wren‘s drinking was too the max…is that normal behavior for a girls night out….not in my world. I like Wren but feel this part isn‘t important to the story. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 I don‘t think we needed her in the story either. Too much. 3y

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Kimberlone The love triangle stuff seems unnecessary. Especially adding in that Wren is also a person with substance abuse and eating disorder problems. I‘m not sure what any of this plot adds to the story. 3y

DebinHawaii I feel sorry for Wren in terms of her realizing Dylan wasn‘t over & likely won‘t ever be over Grace, but I agree that I don‘t think it added to the story. 3y

rjsthumbelina The whole Wren subplot got weird quickly. At first, it seemed like Dylan had really found his 'happily ever after,' but then it turns out that Wren is just as broken as Grace, and that Dylan's not over Grace at all! This lost the plot a bit for me. But I think that the author is either trying to make the point that no one is as perfect as the facade (like the glass house) or Dylan is maybe going after 'troubled' girls on purpose? Haven't unraveled 3y

rjsthumbelina ⬆️...that whole part yet. It's too soon to say if I think it works with the rest of the story. The whole plot is sloppy for me so far, but it's like the author is doing it on purpose maybe? 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina I do think it's on purpose. Unhinged matched with evil slow moving plot? 3y

mollyrotondo @rjsthumbelina I agree with everything you said and I feel sloppy plot too but I‘m just hoping it all culminates to something big and shocking. 3y

mollyrotondo Oh and this is one of my favorite movies ever!!! 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @mollyrotondo So I'm not the only one thinking about The Wedding Singer? 😂 I liked Wren up until their girl's night out. She seemed to make a huge swerve toward fighting her own demons. I get it, we all have them, but it doesn't seem to be adding to the plot, just taking away from the reveal. Will Dylan and Grace now pair up again? I don't know. Should they? Probably not, which means they very well might. A grounding thing more than love. 3y

mollyrotondo @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The Wedding Singer is an all time favorite 🤣 Julia Gulia. Priceless 😂 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @mollyrotondo My guy & I probably quote it way too often and say oh Glenn Gulia is in this show/movie, but I wouldn't have it any other way! 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I use to sing it constantly in 1980-1 to my friend who was in this situation I had no clue about the movie 😂 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Camila the reporter. What‘s she after? Is she trying to help Grace? What did you think of the interview and Emilia being there ?

What do you think of Grace throwing the pills and Emilia staying with her instead of going to Able?

Strange ? A plot? A game?

vlwelser I think this is all part of her weird plan. Or she's a selfish child. I prefer the former. But it does seem a little unfair to Emilia. We shall see. 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser Right? It has to be some sort of plan on her part. 3y

vlwelser I like that I have no idea what she's up to. 3y

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TheBookHippie @vlwelser Me too I love imagining what it could be! 3y

Deblovestoread I am not sure she has a plan. I think there is some immaturity and a need to have someone choose her over anybody else but there‘s also the feeling of triumph of getting one over Able. 3y

Kimberlone Even though she plays it like she just wants to help Grace tell her story, she also has an agenda and her actions show that her intentions are also self-motivated. 3y

DebinHawaii I think Camila is after her story more than a focus of helping Grace. I think the pills were a two-fold, Grace wanting someone to put her first as @Kdgordon88 mentioned & also a cut to hurt Able—not having his wife at a big night. I don‘t know that I think it‘s part of a grand plan yet, I still feel like Grace is thinking/acting more with her emotions than strategically right now. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y

rjsthumbelina @Kdgordon88 @Kimberlone @DebinHawaii I agree with all of you. It doesn't seem like Grace has a plan - she's just playing it as she thinks of things. And as for Camila, she's trying to help her career by getting the expose about Able. She's flattering Grace to try to get what she wants from her 3y

mollyrotondo @Kdgordon88 @Kimberlone @DebinHawaii @rjsthumbelina I agree that Grace doesn‘t have a plan. She‘s just winging it as she goes. But it sound super interesting if Grace was really playing everyone. But I don‘t know. And Camila is just another nasty person trying to make a buck off of Grace. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I don't think Camila is being totally selfless in wanting to tell Grace's story. She would get the kudos for breaking the exclusive story, but I also wonder if she's seen something. Was she covering a party and caught some sort of scandalous interaction or overheard a conversation? Does she just suspect bad blood due to the age difference and Grace's dependency on Able? I think the pills were just to say Emilia chose her over Able. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Grace bringing the kids to school and the photo op?! What is she doing ?

vlwelser I think she's sending Able some sort of message. Though this seemed slightly weird to me. It's like something a young person would do. Which I guess is on trend. 3y

Deblovestoread Maybe giving him the finger…look what I can take away from you? 3y

Kimberlone @vlwelser 100% this is one of the actions that really seems to show Grace‘s immaturity in dealing with her situation and feelings. 3y

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DebinHawaii Yes, I think it was a “f#*% you” to Able & a “see what I can do, how close I can get to your family” taunt like having the interview at his house, but I think it is short-sighted of her in terms of the “proving” the story of his abuse if-when she goes forward with it. I agree with everyone, it‘s an immature move that I don‘t think will serve her well. 3y

rjsthumbelina It was definitely her intentionally stepping into the limelight with his kids. I think she wanted exactly the response she got from him (the text message). I don't necessarily like the action, mostly bc she's using those little girls, but I found that it was satisfying to see Able respond the way he did 3y

mollyrotondo She definitely wanted to taunt Able. But this action bothered me as well. The first thing I thought of was how Emilia, her new friend, could get hurt by this especially since the media started to say that maybe Grace was Able‘s mistress and was taking over from Emilia. That hurts Emilia. But we still don‘t know if we can trust Emilia. Idk. The whole thing felt like the wrong move. I‘d rather she just out Able instead of involving his wife and kids 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Absolutely a dumb move. This felt immature, purely a way to flip the bird to Able, but I don't think she considered how this could affect her and friendship with Emilia, if it's authentic. I'm finding that this late into the book, we still aren't fully aware of anyone's motivations, the “big reveal“ is slow to unfold, and this was just another ambiguous WTF moment. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Grace giving Esme the camera and their conversation .. think Esme knows about Able?

vlwelser Esme seems pretty intuitive. She probably does. 3y

Deblovestoread If she doesn‘t know she is beginning to realize something isn‘t right. She‘s a bright girl. 3y

DebinHawaii I think she at least suspects something at this point. 3y

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rjsthumbelina I think she knows that something bad happened to Grace while she was making movies. I'm not sure if she has it all figured out though 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina I am sure of that too. She knows it's bad but probably not to what degree. 3y

mollyrotondo I think Grace gave Esme the camera so that she could have an outlet to voice her truth without it being spread all over the internet. I definitely think Esme knows something went down between Grace and Able. She noticed that Grace never said Able‘s name that one pivotal night. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I think she's piecing things together more, especially since she realized how quickly people will take advantage of you after she shared the nude photo. Being on the outside, and not close to Grace, Esme may have read some celebrity magazines or blogs and being so current, likely came across some #metoo gossip about Hollywood. 3y

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Esme. Why can‘t the mom know the girls are together ? It would hurt the moms feelings ? Seriously ?

vlwelser I think they think too much about the mother. Why does it matter what she thinks? 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser like she‘s a piece of glass? Or to be revered ? It‘s sad really. 3y

Deblovestoread Mom probably blames Grace for everything that‘s wrong in her(mom‘s) life. She may restrict Esme‘s outings if she knows they are meeting. 3y

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Kimberlone I think Grace is too hard on her mother. She wasn‘t around when she was a kid, but that wasn‘t entirely her fault. Grace also pushed her away and caused a lot of the resentment between them. I think Esme is a lot more perceptive about their mom‘s feelings than Grace is. 3y

Deblovestoread I can‘t give the mom a pass. It was easier to turn Grace over to these strangers than stand up and be part of the process. 3y

DebinHawaii Yeah, I don‘t have a lot of sympathy for the mother at this point. Although children can have completely different experiences with a parent based on their relationships, she doesn‘t seem like a great mom to Esme either. 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii not a fan of her either 😝 3y

rjsthumbelina I feel like we are definitely still missing some information about the mother. She doesn't make sense to me yet 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina I agree it is either that or she is just who she is. I'm hoping there is a reason she is acting the way she is. 3y

mollyrotondo Their mother has a lot of issues and both daughters need to just connect with one another and leave their mother as far removed from their lives as reasonably possible. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick It's sad that sisters can't tell their mother that their hanging out together. The mother has LOTS of issues, but we still don't know much about her. Right now she's just a mess and I can't feel sympathetic toward her. I'm a strong person and would just tell her outright, but I think Esme is still trying to find her strength and needs a place to live. As goofy as the parents are, I don't think living with Grace would be ideal, either. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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Asking Grace to introduce Ables award….
In a month…
Interesting ?

vlwelser It adds intrigue to the plot. Like what is she going to do? Will she ruin him or chicken out. 3y

Deblovestoread Will she or won‘t she? What‘s the fallout to exposing him in this most public way? It won‘t just damage him. His wife and children will experience repercussions and she herself may lose everything due to those who will victim blame. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 It‘s huge that‘s for sure. If she doesn‘t what cost is it to her? 3y

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Deblovestoread She has to expose him for herself and for potential other victims. It would be hard to control the narrative in such a public manner…would the tv producers allow her speech to continue or cutaway to a commercial once they understood what she was saying? 3y

mollyrotondo I find it more interesting that Emilia asked her to present the award. What is Emilia‘s agenda? 3y

DebinHawaii @mollyrotondo Yes, I find Emilia‘s motivations very interesting. Now that she seems to be colder towards Grace since the interview & staying back with her, does she regret asking her or does she want Able exposed or is it all just for the aesthetics of having her present the award & she doesn‘t think Grace would have the guts to do it? So many questions! 🤔 3y

mollyrotondo @DebinHawaii yes! Does Emilia hope she exposes Able or is she setting up Grace to embarrass herself? It‘s hard to tell which side Emilia is on 3y

rjsthumbelina It seems like, either way, Grace loses on this front. If she presents him with the award and doesn't ruin him, she will hate herself. If she presents him with it and does tell all, her career is likely over, and she loses her relationship with Emilia and her daughters. If she doesnt go, she feels the rumor mill. Emilia has put her in a hard situation 3y

TheBookHippie @rjsthumbelina Is it purposeful to get information or try to make Grace crack? That was one of my thoughts. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Grace will be damned either way she plays it. Don't out him now and she'll leave the door open for another girl to likely suffer the same treatment, Grace continues to silently stew, and Emilia may be none the wiser. Tell all and she's a pariah, at least for the immediate future, as everyone only wants her story, not Grace Turner the actress. With no marketable skills, she can't just move to Wisconsin and become a cheese farmer. 3y

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TheBookHippie

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They want to be Columbus or Armstrong stick a flag into it and own it …

regarding men…

Thoughts ?

vlwelser I think this is definitely the case for some men. Dylan doesn't seem to be like this though. Just one example. 3y

Deblovestoread I loved this line and think especially in the past it was accurate. I think it‘s changing as more women find their voice and begin to use it. One of my favorite songs to sing along with. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 mine too. Showing my age a bit. Still so accurate. 3y

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mollyrotondo Able definitely thinks this way. I‘m not sure about Dylan. Guys are either possessive or indifferent. It‘s hard to find a guy who isn‘t one extreme or the other. I feel lucky to have finally found one of the rare caring but not possessive guys 😆 3y

DebinHawaii I think it is true for some men for sure, definitely in the past and even today. I highlighted this line in the book & you chose the perfect song for it @TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 —it‘s a great song to sing along to. 3y

rjsthumbelina @vlwelser I definitely don't want Dylan to think like this, but I think it's maybe too soon to know for sure about him? But Able and John definitely seem to think this way. 3y

kspenmoll @TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 Great line in the book & yes great song. Abel is beyond possessive & controlling-any idea of who she was he totally disassembled. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I think many men think themselves conquerors, looking for women to control, but not all of them. Able is definitely a conqueror, having stuck his metaphorical flag into Grace years ago. “She's my find, my protege, my muse...“ I don't think Dylan is like that from what we've seen so far. Listening now to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, I was reminded of how many things a woman couldn't do without her husband's consent. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I‘ve had 3 people tell me to read that book. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The narrator has a cool voice that carries that Appalachian accent but is sweet & crisp, but the story itself is just OK. Cute enough but a little meandering in that it's a portrait of a slice of life. I'm not sure it'll be memorable to me. I know you like the older stories so it may hit the right note for you being set in the 1930s. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Emilia asking about Dylan and trying to help Grace.
Is she helping ?

vlwelser I have no idea what she's up to. 3y

Deblovestoread She seems genuine wanting to make up for her past inattention. But it‘s hard to know because we don‘t know what Able has said and how he might be influencing her behavior. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kdgordon88 I‘m with @vlwelser I have no clue but the pessimist in me thinks she‘s evil but then maybe she‘s searching for answers too? 3y

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Kimberlone Both Grace and Emilia seem to have their own agendas for why they are trying to be friends. It‘s not entirely clear what Emilia‘s endgame is, but it does seem to be partly genuine and partly selfish. I think she knows that Able isn‘t a good person but also wants to protect her family and what she has from the danger that Grace poses to them. 3y

DebinHawaii I left last week‘s section firmly convinced Emilia was playing w/ Grace for nefarious purposes of her own or Able‘s probably suspecting an affair between the two. This week I‘m less sure about that, but I do feel like she thinks something went on between them & is likely manipulated by Able to believe Grace instigated it & the interview convinced her if it. I think she will be trouble for Grace to keep her own life intact & is not to be trusted. 3y

TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii she may know deep down the truth and not be able to admit it to herself because what would that say about her, or she‘s a victim too. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y

mollyrotondo I think Emilia killed Able. I definitely think she is afraid of him at the very least. He is probably very abusive (I‘m thinking more verbally abusive) and she is looking for another woman to cling to who probably understands. I am really hoping she killed him. We still haven‘t seen Able in present day and he was supposed to come home but Emilia said he couldn‘t. I think Emilia is hiding something. 3y

rjsthumbelina @Kimberlone I agree - I think this book is showing characters as more nuanced, rather than just having good or evil intentions. @mollyrotondo I don't think I would have ever thought of that! He did send her a text after she dropped his daughters off at school, though... 3y

rjsthumbelina I cant help but think that Emilia knows more than she is saying. She seems to be playing a role like Grace is 3y

kspenmoll @mollyrotondo It never occurred to me able might be dead. Grace moving next to them & being so “available”to Emilia seems manipulative on her part.But then again, she is so traumatized I think she also may not be conscious of her actions. Just drifting & reacting in the moment. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I think Emilia's intentions began purely enough, though perhaps encouraged by Able. However, I am starting to feel that as the truth surfaces about Able & Grace, that Emilia may turn on Grace or blame her for what happened, if she hasn't already. Able seems hugely manipulative and likely has been planting seeds all along so that if the truth surfaced he could try to put the blame on Grace. 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I would guess yes. It seems so odd to me. Or it‘s a grand plan and master manipulation 😱 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

The entertainment news this week and this book 🤯

🤐🤫 chapters 31-44 discussion Sunday

Kimberlone Catching up this week to join in the discussion!! 3y

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Kimberlone

The Comeback | Ella Berman

Catching up so that I can take part in the #SundayBuddyRead this weekend!

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

https://people.com/tv/drake-bell-sentenced-two-years-probation-child-endangermen...

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

During the hearing, Bell's victim, now 19, spoke publicly for the first time to read a statement in which she called the Drake & Josh alum "the epitome of evil." She accused Bell of grooming her from the age of 12 before allegedly sexually abusing her when she was 15.

?? we are all reading just a relevant article.

GingerAntics Sexually grooming a child is fine then? 🤬🤬🤬 Sexual assault of a minor is fine? Why the 🤬 was he allowed to plead to such a reduced charge? This is sickening. 🤮 3y

sprainedbrain So disgusting. 3y

TheBookHippie @sprainedbrain yup. Normal happening. Just breaks my heart. 3y

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TheBookHippie @GingerAntics yup. It‘s why no one reports. 3y

GingerAntics @TheBookHippie and then the powers that be use not reporting as proof that women and children are just making things up. It‘s ridiculous. 3y

TheBookHippie @GingerAntics Yup. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

Next up chapters 31-44 🤍 #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

I‘m anxious to keep going. I feel a little like this is a mystery or a puzzle and we just keep getting pieces.

Thanks as always for going along in the reading adventure with me/us.

So much fun reading together. Im glad we‘re breaking this book down I don‘t think it‘d make as big an impact if I read through it quickly.

Happy SUNDAY!

JaclynW As usual, I am having a hard time not going ahead!! (Plus my library holds sometimes dictate that -when I have to take the book back early!) I got a few chapters ahead this week but because I was loving it. 3y

JaclynW I agree that the slower pace helps with the enjoyment. It is nice to dissect it and get other perspectives as to what is going on and why. This is totally a book that I could devour though in a day or two. 3y

Deblovestoread I agree the impact wouldn‘t be the same if I didn‘t read and discuss in sections. 3y

DebinHawaii Another great book pick & great discussions! 🤗 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Grace telling Esme she‘s brave…

Wren. Thoughts ?

How do you like the way the story is unfolding ?

Do you like this writing format ?

vlwelser I love this one so far. I have no idea how you picked it but I'm glad this made the list. I may not have read this otherwise. 3y

Karisa I‘m hoping Grace develops a stronger relationship with Esme and Wren. They both seem strong and honest. I‘m enjoying the book a lot and like @vlwelser probably would not have read it otherwise. 💗 3y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I was curious as I heard it described a slow malevolent accurate story … I was intrigued. So far I‘m very much liking it. 3y

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TheBookHippie @Karisa 🤍 3y

JaclynW I'm loving this story too. What a great pick @thebookhippie !! I like the format and how the story is unfolding. This book had me from the first page. I actually really like Wren and think she is a genuine person (the husband too). They may be the only “true friends“ is what I am thinking so far. Everyone else is so iffy that I can't read their true intentions yet. Everyone can be brave - but will we actually ACT brave? 3y

Karisa @JaclynW I‘ve been thinking about capabilities too. Sometimes people are good and want to help but just can‘t actually give what others need at the moment. Helping in the right ways does take insight and bravery. 3y

JaclynW @Karisa Yes. Some may want to help and have good intentions but the follow through does not work. It is hard to know the best way to help. Insight and bravery, yes! 3y

Deblovestoread Really liking it so far. I think Wren is interesting and I am not sure of her motivations…isn‘t it odd to want a girls night out with your boyfriends ex? Is she wanting to be a star and is hoping for some fame to rub off or an opportunity to warn her off rekindling her relationship with her husband? Not enough info to know yet. 3y

DebinHawaii I am liking it so far too—although it is stressing me out a little worrying about Grace & what‘s going to happen & deciding who is helping versus hurting her. 😱 @Kdgordon88 I think we are lined up on our suspicions on motivations in this book with both Wren & Emilia! 😆 I think Wren is a little too “nice” & think she is jumping in as a way to protect Wren‘s relationship with Dylan. (edited) 3y

mollyrotondo I don‘t understand Wren either. I actually don‘t trust her at all. I was liking the book at the beginning. But this section moved a little too slowly for me. I might not be in the mindset though right now to read it and appreciate it hence why I‘m so late on last week‘s reading. But loved everyone‘s thoughts on the book so far. This will help me look at this week‘s section differently. Thank you everyone! 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo I don‘t get her either! 🤷🏻‍♀️ it helps me to see how everyone is reading as well. 3y

mollyrotondo @TheBookHippie yeah reading everyone‘s viewpoint is helping me focus a bit more on parts that I think my brain was skimming over. This week‘s section is a little more intriguing now. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo the writing is interesting I think she‘s purposely drawing us in to the manipulation and it‘s results ..so we can relate better. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I like Wren and hope she's acting genuinely. Grace left without a word. I wonder if Wren feels a little guilty about the situation and sees that Grace needs help, leading her to try. Grace & Dylan didn't have a gross, messy divorce... they're young & she left. Clearly she's feeling with some shit. Why not be nice to the ex? I passed on the book when it was a BOTM selection but I'm glad I decided to join you when I got an ebook deal. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Hairdresser
I know somebody hurt you. Now it‘s time for you to fuck shit up.
What do you think of It all?
Is Able doing this or is it really Emilia?

vlwelser I think and hope this is all Emilia. And I love the hairdresser. 3y

Karisa I liked the hairdresser a lot too. We need more of that character. 💇‍♀️Finally a couple of people who are helping her instead of just putting Grace down. I hope Emilia is really helping and doesn‘t have some other agenda. 3y

JaclynW I loved the hairdresser too! I hope she keeps coming back. I HOPE Emilia is doing this out of genuine concern....I still don't know. Grace really does need to take the hairdresser's advice. Will she?? (In a healthy way!!) 3y

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Helen19 Maybe if Emilia showed half the concern for Grace before then she wouldn‘t need as much looking after now! 3y

Deblovestoread That line gave me chills and I hope it lights a fire for Grace to find her power. 3y

DebinHawaii I still suspect Emilia‘s motives for helping Grace. Besides her bringing her over to fix Grace‘s hair, I‘m not sure the hairdresser‘s “pep talk” had anything at all to do with Emilia & was not something the hairdresser picked up on herself. Either way, I think it was good for Grace. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y

mollyrotondo I did not like this scene at all. Grace does not need a Courtney Love or Kurt Cobain moment. Those are people who hit rock bottom. Grace already hit rock bottom. She needs to come up now. I totally think Able is behind this “transformation.” 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo I agree with you. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I liked the hairdresser and hope her pep talk goes home with Grace. I'm cautiously optimistic that this was Emilia being helpful. 🤞 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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I thought I was suppose to like myself by now …Grace

Graces agents?
Is anyone safe to her?
Anyone on her side ?

AmyG Everyone is just busy looking out for themselves. 3y

JaclynW What @amyg said!! We can see in this book how this is a real life problem to so many in this industry. This book really shines a light on all of this. (I am thinking again of Britney.) 3y

TheBookHippie @JaclynW all the Harvey Weinstein victims … even Judy Garland ..Marilyn Monroe …all the way back in time….it‘s just insidious. 3y

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DebinHawaii No one really is on her side. I think Dyan may be the closest at this point & I think he has given up, doesn‘t know what to do with her. I think Esme will be, but isn‘t there yet. Again, I suspect Emilia‘s motives & everyone else is in it for the money & benefits that Grace & her fame can provide. 3y

JaclynW @TheBookHippie Oh ya! Makes you sick to think about. Heartbreaking really. 3y

mollyrotondo I‘m hoping her sister will end up being a person Grace can be close with going forward. But there is no one on her “team” that cares about her health and safety. They want money and fame. They aren‘t interested in the actual person, they are interested in the benefits an actor can provide them. 3y

TheBookHippie @mollyrotondo Exactly. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Grace can't like herself because she doesn't know who she is yet. She's an amalgamation of what everyone else around her expects her to be. Can Dylan & his girlfriend come around more? It's not an ideal situation, but I think they would at least be supportive and try to help Grace positively. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Laurel
Employee, Friend, Foe?

vlwelser Friend definitely. 3y

Karisa Enabling friend? Not a great employee (clueless at best) 3y

AmyG Friend. 3y

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JaclynW I haven't decided yet. Sometimes she seems like a friend. And sometimes, like @karisa said, she is an enabling friend that makes me think money is also driving her actions. I don't know!! How is Grace supposed to know?? How confusing for her!!! @amyg @vlwelser 3y

Deblovestoread I‘m on the fence…I want her to a be a friend but some of her actions don‘t line up for me to believe it. 3y

DebinHawaii I am fairly firmly in the foe camp with her—not leaning to malicious intent (yet) but at least suspect motives—a bad enabling friendship for money at best. She made a comment about Grace not paying her & I took that as Abel is, or it somehow she is paid through his machinations. Even if not—bringing the cocaine & alcohol—she‘s not at all good for Grace! 🤬 3y

mollyrotondo I do not consider Laurel a friend. She is an enabler. She doesn‘t care about Grace‘s well-being. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I think Laurel thinks she's being Grace's friend but she's not a very good one. However, she provided a little more help than some others in her life so, as misguided and hurtful as she is, I think she's a friend. 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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What does Emilia know?

vlwelser This one is tough. Possibly nothing but maybe she suspects things. She certainly isn't dumb. 3y

AmyG I always thought she suspected but without facts just dismissed it. So many don‘t want to see or believe what is in front of them. 3y

JaclynW Super tough question. I am not sure. In one way, she has to think something is up, right? How could you not?? Is she that naive? If she does know and is letting him “get away with it“ that is just sickening and my brain doesn't want to go there. I think these situations get complicated because so much is involved and at stake. For some people, they see it as a matter of survival and so they let the behavior continue. It takes courage to speak---> 3y

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JaclynW out and stop things like this. Not everyone has that. Or do they have it but don't think they do? Or are just so afraid of what they will lose? Abusers can often get away with their abuse. As we have seen in so many cases recently in the news. 3y

DebinHawaii I think she knows but to what extent I‘m not sure yet. I agree that she has to feel/see the inappropriateness on some level. But as I said in an earlier question, I wonder if she has some darker motives & blames Grace at least in part for anything she suspects that happened between her & her husband. I think if she questioned anything, Able would gaslight her & make it Grace‘s fault-she has a crush on him, he‘s trying to let her down easy, etc. 3y

mollyrotondo So in reading this discussion thread, a thought just occurred to me. Have we seen Able in present day in this book? I wonder if Emilia killed him? 😲 she found out what he was doing with young teens or he was abusing her mentally or physically and killed him somehow. I‘m probably totally totally wrong but I‘d like to see this turn into a thriller 🤣 Emilia probably knows and is looking to help but doesn‘t know how 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @mollyrotondo OMG! I'd love to find out that Emilia had Able locked in a room, maimed, and at the end she & Grace bury him in the California desert. If I remember correctly, he was fairly young when he discovered Grace. I wonder if she's his first grooming and as years pass Emilia is realizing what happened. Maybe not to the full extent, but I keep hoping she's helping Grace out of genuine kindness. 3y

mollyrotondo @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I am so convinced that a murder or your scenario has already taken place and no one has figured it out yet in the book. 🤞 🤣 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @mollyrotondo OMG ! 🤯 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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Was Graces mom too envious to see the obvious or did she know and think it was worth the price ?

vlwelser I think the mother is fairly self centered and possibly jealous. I don't get why they didn't go back to the UK. 3y

Karisa Ha! That photo is perfect for Grace‘s mother! She‘s definitely jealous and so cold. Doesn‘t fit with the “center of the party” description of her in the UK that Grace remembered… I agree, @vlwelser why didn‘t the parents go back to (or just stay in) the UK? Seemed happier there and they were so hands off anyway. 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa i couldn‘t help myself 😂😂that‘s how I picture her in my mind. 3y

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AmyG The mother is so screwed up. She is a bit of a narcissist. With Grace‘s fame she can feel famous again. I also think she is a bit jealous. 3y

JaclynW I surely hope that she doesn't know what is going on!! If she does know and think it is worth it....ugh....that makes me ill. Clearly she is not winning mother of the year anytime soon. I agree @vlwelser @karisa @amyg that she may be jealous because her career fizzled. Her mother is not mature at all and not able to “mother“ anyone. People like this shouldn't have children. Sigh... 3y

JaclynW This picture gives me chills. (not in a good way) Haha! 3y

Helen19 Oh gosh, I hope not. I wonder if part of it os the hurt from Able having made Grace completely alienate anyone she cared about. But then, as soon as she turned up on the doorstep needing help, shouldn‘t that all be forgotten?! 3y

DebinHawaii I hope she doesn‘t know or even suspect what was going on. I think it is her desire to be the main character & then have her daughter become it instead & then be pretty much cut out of her life that fuels her cold anger towards Grace. 3y

mollyrotondo I think her mother wanted to ride her daughter‘s coattails. She couldn‘t sustain fame and attention but she saw a chance in her daughter and thought she could relive it all through her. But when Able alienated Grace from her parents, the mother became resentful and blamed Grace. She is a very selfish person. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The mother is a shitshow! I think she's both jealous and was hoping to revive a bit of her career thanks to her daughter's (then) new found notoriety. Able keeping Grace away from the parents just made mom more mad. As I previously mentioned, I can't believe mom is clueless as to what was going on, having been a model. Unless she only did a couple of Boscov's circulars. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Also, this picture makes me think of Jambi from Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Mekka Lekka Hi Mekka Hiney Ho. 🤣 3y

TheBookHippie @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick 😂😂😂😂 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Grace has no life skills- is this on purpose?

Esme to Grace
“Didn‘t anyone ever teach you to stand up to bullies?”
Think Esme is going to get Grace into the real world ?

vlwelser I think there are definitely people in this story that want to help her. It sucks that she lost a year with those useless parents. 3y

Karisa It is odd how little life skills Grace has. Even no phone? Really? Esme could at least help her there, but Esme shouldn‘t be the main one responsible for helping her older sister. Grace reminds me more and more of Britney Spears without anyone stepping (overstepping in) 3y

TheBookHippie @Karisa I keep thinking of her as well … 3y

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AmyG @Karisa good point about Spears. 3y

JaclynW @Karisa @thebookhippie @amyg Oh my goodness!! Totally a Britney Spears comparison!! Like I said in an earlier post, I think this has more to do with the people who surround her and what their ultimate goal is = money, not her welfare. I think this is a common thing in this industry and why so many struggle. There is no real life skills being taught or lived. 3y

JaclynW I think Esme will be able to teach Grace a few things. Esme still is so young though that she hasn't gotten it figured out yet either! Maybe they can learn together?? 3y

Deblovestoread I hope Esme and Grace can learn and grow together. 3y

Helen19 She‘s always been surrounded by people who need her to need them. If she was able to do all those things herself then a lot of people would have been out of work 3y

DebinHawaii In addition to it being a celebrity thing, lacking skills most of us take for granted, I definitely think it is part of isolating her & making her rely on Abel & his people. She certainly wouldn‘t get any life skills from her parents. 3y

mollyrotondo I think Able purposefully groomed her to not have life skills. He made her feel dependent on him and pushed so many other people away from her so she really wasn‘t able to experience the world. I really believe Grace snd Esme need each other but Esme can‘t be responsible for Grace. Grace has to help herself a little before she can be a partner in any type of relationship 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick All a part of Able's grand plan! Keep her clueless and isolated and she'll always reply on you. She takes one wrong step and he can punish her in a myriad of ways so that she comes running back apologizing because she needs him and his support (team). 3y

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TheBookHippie

The Comeback | Ella Berman

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#SUNDAYBUDDYREAD

Almost drowning …testing fate?

Karisa That was a scary scene. Poor Grace another scene where she‘s just so lost and alone 3y

Karisa Ocean waves are a great metaphor for her life at the moment though… 3y

AmyG @Karisa yes, a great metaphor. And Grace is just so lost and in so much pain. 3y

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JaclynW This was crazy!!! What was she thinking?? Someone needs to really help her! I am not sure she can do it on her own. (Especially because she hasn't done much on her own. She has been made to feel helpless and she always has “people“ to do everything for her.) 3y

JaclynW @Karisa So true!! 3y

DebinHawaii Part testing fate, part wanting the pain to be swept away—very scary. I want someone to get her some real help. 3y

mollyrotondo @Karisa I also looked at it as a metaphor. But it is of course very sad. She‘s too depressed to be on her own too much. 3y

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Some find the ocean calming. I wonder if she wanted to feel free at first but then some of the demons started to whisper in her ear. 3y

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