the secret life of cee cee wilkes, chapters 1-10.

book beginnings and bookends.

go check it out.  it's a blogging book club spearheaded by rachel & erin.

i decided to participate because the last book club i was in sort of fizzled out {one book & we were done?  yeah, that actually happened}.  hopefully, once grad school starts i'll be able to keep up with the demands of bb&b. 

anyways, the first inaugural read is:

{source}

i am not going to lie.  i read the whole book.  it took me maybe two days.  so, so good.  the fun part will be keeping myself from spilling the beans, so to speak.  for now, let's just discuss the first ten chapters, shall we?

1. What was your first impression of Tim?  too good to be true.  seriously.  good looking, hard working student.  but, in my opinion, he came on a bit strong.  clearly there was an age difference so it got me wondering what his intentions were with ceecee. 

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?  i'm thinking back to when i was sixteen.  yeah, i did some boneheaded things, but nothing that was remotely close to what ceecee became involved in.  i think that we all do foolish things when we are in love, but we really have to question our hearts when our morals are being put on the line.  i know that i could never help someone {boyfriend or not} in the same capacity that ceecee helped tim.  but, i think a lot of that can be contributed to my upbringing & knowing that i don't have to compromise myself and my beliefs in order to feel accepted and loved.

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?  she's young.  she's in love {for the first time ever}.  she had such a hard life growing up that i think she doesn't want to lose this "good thing."  tim is too good to be true in her mind.  he seduces her with money, love & what seems to be trust.  he is her way out of the life she is currently living {if that ain't a foreshadowing of what's yet to come, then i don't know what is!}.

4. Who do you think has it harder? Tim or CeeCee?  ceecee.  and i'm not just saying that because i read the whole book already.  she's being coerced into a situation that she knows is wrong.  but, she doesn't have the guts to stand up to tim.  besides, she doesn't want to lose that "good thing" they've got going on.  tim kept telling her she was naive.  boy, is she ever.

5. What character trait(s) about CeeCee stuck out the most to you in these first ten chapters?  her willingness to trust.  her independence.  her survival.  the way she opens up to tim.  her relationship with ronnie {ceecee seems like such a good girl compared to ronnie}.  her perseverance. 

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?  in certain ways, ceecee is mature.  she's living {essentially} on her own, holding down a job & trying to get herself into college.  she was only twelve when her mother passed away from breast cancer.  i think that by surviving her mother's death & years in foster care, ceecee has this inner maturity deep within her core.  however, when it comes to love & trust, i feel that she's actually a bit on the immature side.  she's young.  she's willing to open herself up too quickly.  she hasn't been jaded by men, relationship issues, etc. 

chapters 11-20 will be discussed next monday.  and, if you want to join the book club, please do so!  you'll be able to catch up in no time.  promise.