I think that my BB sequel depends on the reader not only having read the first, but also caring about the characters -- the clique in particular -- and wanting to know what happens to them, and hoping that they can get back together. But seven years after the story was originally posted, readers have forgotten the story, forgotten the characters, or at least don't care any more about them.
Big, heavy, depressed sigh.
Comments
Briefly
I just scanned these with the intent to revisit them later. I really appreciate the overall sense of justice that permeates your take on BB.
I have to say that the first time I ever 'wore' something it was my sister's brownie uniform, but the second was sadly several years later when I wore her dark pink one-piece bathing suit. Having no point of reference, even in the brief time I looked your story over I still I imagined I was Lucy in a bikini; especially when she was helping Wendy.
BUT the real appeal was when I - 70 year old that I am - identified with grandpa getting to be the suddenly young twin sister. It felt safe. And it leads me to want to take some time to revisit your work. Thanks!
Love, Andrea Lena
'Ware Spoiler
I appreciate your appreciation of my stories.
I guess that the older one gets, the more appealing is the notion of being regressed to a child. (A literal metaphor? What would a psychologist think?)
In the first novel, except for the first two getting together (Carol and Vanessa) everyone makes her way to the clique because of the major crime hovering behind them all. Consequently, Grandmother and Anya's final solution disperses everyone except the first two. I could have gone whole hog: the crime could even pushed Carol to Vanessa, in that Nancy and Cindy were away attending Jill's memorial leaving Carol lost and alone.
In this story, they're reconnecting pretty much for the sake of reconnecting. Five of the current eight are of the original six, and only one is a truly new character.
It's now Glenn Matsumoto with crimes hovering over him.
-- Daphne Xu
I remember reading the first story...
I remember reading the first story, but it was quite a while ago, and I don't remember all of the characters. I did (and still do) feel somewhat overwhelmed by all of the Christian Scientist stuff, though it was essential to Ma's actions in the first story. She seems to have mellowed some since then. Since the first story ended with a massive reality shift which pretty much undid everything that had happened up to then, I don't know how much any of the people in this new story remember of that time.
Memory
Supposedly only Grandmother and Anya would remember what was behind the wall. There was that (apprentice mage?) who processed Peter's original 8-year pass -- she might remember. Other mages might remember before, and sense a reality-shift having occurred. (One of hundreds? Thousands? Billions?)
But two characters in the story are getting leaks of the past.
I've already posted Glenn's visit, and Ellen's daughter is in this post I'm trying to edit.
I'm having to complete progressively more of each part now, meaning that they'll come less often. Maybe I'll push through the blocks now.
-- Daphne Xu