What Abigail Did That Summer Spoilertastic Discussion Thread

[definitely_not_an_alb]

What Abigail Did That Summer has been out for 10 days now!



I thought I'd give us all a thread to discuss what we thought! How do you feel? Does anyone already have any fic, meta, art to share?

I also made a short list of content warnings over here on my blog, and if I'm missing anything (or want to ask for something specific), comment here or there and I'll add to them.

Comments

[derien]

I loved it, and swallowed it so fast that I'm not sure I can remember which things confused me. Oh, one thing was that Abigail got memories from some of the people who had lived in the House, but other times the House seemed constrained by the understanding of the kid, Charles, who was the first. (First... part of the amalgam which became House?)

Thoughts?

[definitely_not_an_alb]

Huh, I can't actually remember House being constrained, but I might have the same problem as you!

[derien]

Well, when the characters from the past are about to kiss and do 'something else exciting, but she wasn't sure what' - I had the impression that it wasn't Abigail who wasn't sure what else was supposed to happen, but House, playing this scene with her. The scenes all seem to be things that happened at the house. But then at one point she gets the memories of the one woman making her first solo flight, and that's something that didn't even happen AT the house, but somehow House incorporated her memory... so why was House constrained to not know what that other exciting thing was that the characters were going to do after they kissed? Presumably because Charles's personality doesn't allow it to incorporate some memories? She plays the pregnant woman, and actually feels what it feels like to be pregnant, but isn't aware of sex when caught up in the memory plays. It's very confusing. :)

[lizbee]

I read it last weekend, and really enjoyed it, but especially:

- I generally dislike talking animals as a concept, but I love the foxes
- Abigail's deep cynicism towards the police
- the translations of UK youth slang
- Abigail in general is just a really great character to spend time with
- Abigail's relationship with Nightingale, and his relationship with her family

I had trouble following the plot in parts, but that's because I tend to speed read these books, and usually fill in the gaps on a second read.

[definitely_not_an_alb]

Abigails' Foxes are a delight, and so is she.

[philomytha]

I read it a few days ago and I adored it. I love Simon’s mum as an additional mentor for Abigail, I love how they size each other up and how Abigail gets her support in undercutting Nightingale for her rescue mission, I loved Nightingale giving Abigail a mission critique at the end, and Indigo and the foxes were absolute delights.

[definitely_not_an_alb]

Ngl, the Simon's Mum vs Nightingale Situation is giving me very entertaining 'ask your other parent mentor' vibes, lol.

[(Anonymous)]

Abigail, is as always, The Best. Hell yeah she's gonna dive into a freaky haunted house to save her friend (even though she is A Child and really shouldn't)

Simon's Mum intrigued me and I need to know everything about her.

I nearly shrieked when I realised we now know another way a genius loci is formed.

So we have Walbrook (sacrificed) Mama Thames (became one by choice, but didn't actually die?) Chess, (fertility magic stuff) and now House (magic pumped into a dying boy, presumably also a choice if they were cognizant of it)

I've been *convinced* since the first time I read Mama Thames describing how she became a goddess that we'd get an antagonist that will attempt to make themselves one, or forcibly make some one else a god(dess) (which would be spectacularly stupid because there'd be no way of controlling them but stupid is as stupid does) and this is just stoking the coals of that theory.

[lizbee]

If the Faceless Man had JUST sat down and thought about it for a while, instead of wanking to Arthurian fantasy...