Barbury Castle circle from 2008 was a beautiful thing, regardless of it's origin. Very complex mathematics encoded in it, as well as being visually pleasing.
Very sad, but touching. The shell of the body can be kept alive for quite some time, but one the brain is gone... that which makes a person a person is also gone.
A bit pushy - but the only one in the story so far (apart from the nurse) who has paid any attention to anything he's said. Ending was sweet, and romantic.
Rule #1 of emergencies: Don't panic! You can freak out later once you're out of danger.
However, if you keep your head about you when all those around you are loosing theirs - perhaps you don't understand the situation.
Part towards the end of the chapter about Andrew's concern over Cody - and fear's that he would misunderstand why he drew the portrait - brought tears to my eyes.
@ Bill W - My friend who made that statement had the opposite view in mind, and I was actually thinking of the bully. A bit (ok, more than 'a bit') cynical, but his sentiment was that if they served no other constructive purpose in this life, people like the bully served to show others what can happen to you when you follow the wrong path.
You describe the lunch in Boston as strange and bizarre saying, "For one thing.." and mentioning Vinnie's silence; but that's the only thing mentioned, not one of several. His silence by itself seems rather normal and expected given the circumstance, not odd. Other than that, I enjoyed the chapter.
Given that your story is in this (or something indistinguishable from this) world, and the time frame it takes place, I don't think you could have not incorporated those horrible events into it somehow.
In the paragraph halfway-down that starts, "However, that situation quickly changed" , after four sentences it starts over with the first words of the chapter. It then continues on through the entire chapter again. So all of it gets repeated.
Was surprised to have not read any about how Pat dealt w. being around large groups of people in their last trip, or how others reacted to him and his scarring; or how his vision affected his enjoyment of the sights.
Description says one of the kids, "has a unique gift, which turns out to be a precursor to the family’s first major setback" I'd assumed the problem w. Patrick was the "major setback" but there has been no "unique gift" yet, unless I've missed it. Of course, I'm only 2/3rs the way through this Book so perhaps the items referenced in the description have yet to arise.
No, I was referring to the school counselor who talked to his parents. Getting his parents to relinquish custody in the aftermath was definitely necessary.
I hope Sally's friend had a chat w. the counselor too. That was a flagrant ethics violation. I have a friend who is a psychologist, If she knew of someone who had done that IRL she'd have filed a licensing complaint - if not verbally shred the person as well.