MASQUERADE Read-Along: Second Week's Discussion Questions

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For this second round of questions, 

the hosting blog is

Candace's Book Blog!!!

Week 2: Chapters 8 to 16 Discussion

Questions

1.)  Sam is admittedly drawn to Heven before they even meet.  Why do you think this is?

I think it's the fact that he believes he's a bad boy.  Her innocence and goodness attract him.  Sam is not really bad, but the important thing is that he thinks he is.  He wants to protect Heven from anyone who might harm her -- including himself.  'Bad' boys are usually drawn to innocent young girls, and vice versa!   And, of course, we romance addicts lap it all up!! 

2.)  In an earlier chapter, "The Hope" states that Sam must prove himself.  During these chapters, Sam does some things -- bad things -- covering up murder, fighting,  hiding a body, etc., all to protect Heven and his true identity.  Do you think he was right to do these things?

Well, I do think that Sam is walking a very fine line between ethical and unethical behavior.  I particularly dislike the fact that he's hidden a body.  The dead person's family surely have a right to know what happened to their relative.  I must admit that I felt very uncomfortable with this, despite liking him a lot.  I think he should have allowed the police to find the body, even if the resulting investigation might have eventually pointed to him. 

3.)  In Chapter Twelve, Kimber says some things to Heven that make the reader wonder about their friendship.  Do you think there is any truth in Kimber's drunken confessions?  If so, where do you think Heven and Kimber's friendship goes from here?

It's commonly known that heavy alcohol consumption lowers a person's inhibitions.  This allows people to say what they really think, what's truly in their hearts, with no regard for the consequences or anyone else's feelings.  I was surprised and shocked by Kimber's hurtful statements to Heven, who clearly doesn't deserve to have her best friend say such things to her!  

Heven is a very kind-hearted person.  Her low self-esteem is also a factor.  So I think she'll probably end up forgiving Kimber, whom I must say I've really started to positively dislike by now!   

4.)  Heven is changing, becoming more confident.  Do you think that after something like this -- an accident and disfigurement -- happens to someone, that person can ever go back to being who he/she was before?  Do you think Heven will want to? 

A person's inner strength and outer support system have a lot to do with their recovery.  People have been known to recover from such a harrowing experience, although I don't think they can ever be who they were before the experience.  They can emerge as stronger, more resilient, but they will inevitably have changed, mostly on the inside.  Some people can be totally destroyed by such an experience, as well.  

In Heven's case, her inner strength has been sapped.  Her outer support system was, until recently, practically non-existent, since her own mother has rather weird, fanatical ideas about the cause of her condition.  (I actively dislike her, as well!)  Thank God Heven now has her wonderful grandmother's total suppport!  And of course she's also got Sam!  So, she'll definitely pull through.

Heven has begun to realize that, although she's currently disfigured, her friends had never truly pushed her away.  So, after some time for recovery, she certainly could have gone back to the way things were before her accident.  However, she's changed inside; she's become more of an inward person, and she now spends more time pondering things.  Furthermore, she's realized that inner beauty is much more important than outer beauty.  She has matured quite a bit, so, even if she wanted to go back to the way things were before, I don't think she really can, because she's not the same person.   

5.)  Toward the end of this set of chapters, Heven finds out Sam's secret -- who he really is.  She has a strong reaction.  Do you think you would react the same way?  Why or why not?

Oh, I think I would have been a  total basket case.  Such a revelation would be a very strong shock for me!  Heck, I can't even watch horror movies (I can't stand them!), because I'm such a sensitive person!

Eventually, of course, I would have come around, and accepted Sam.  Nevertheless, it would have been a huge shock.

Since this is a blog hop, be sure to visit 

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to see how they answered.

Also, I'd love to get your comments

on my own answers!