What are your thoughts on Sky's changing personality?

Use this forum to discuss the June 2019 Book of the month, "Cynthia and Dan: Cyber War" by Dorothy May Mercer.
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Lisa A Rayburn
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What are your thoughts on Sky's changing personality?

Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. At times he was very gentlemanly. Next thing you knew he was acting like Joe Ordinary trying to get laid. And of course, there was the somewhat stalkerish (and creepy) aspect. I'm sure I've left out other aspects as well. It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
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Post by cpru68 »

I didn’t like his character at all. First, the way he shows up in Cynthia’s life was weird. And she goes to his apartment with him. I kept thinking of a vampire when I read the description of him at first. Like he was going to take advantage of her and dump her. Then it was the long syrupy letters. Needless to say, I thought he was odd, and her falling head over heels for him was even weirder.
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Kelyn wrote: 02 Jun 2019, 12:52 Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. At times he was very gentlemanly. Next thing you knew he was acting like Joe Ordinary trying to get laid. And of course, there was the somewhat stalkerish (and creepy) aspect. I'm sure I've left out other aspects as well. It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
This is how I felt about Sky's character as well. I don't know how Cynthia found his controlling ways endearing, but it left me scratching my head. I really didn't like his attitude. He tried to lay the sweetness on really thick, but it just ended up making him seem very weird.
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Post by Priya_dharshini1999 »

Sky's character was very suspicious and unsettling from the beginning. I mean nobody offers a stranger to lock their car and take them out to lunch! I was expecting him to kidnap Cynthia any moment.
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Post by BuzzingQuill »

I mentioned this somewhere on another thread, but I felt like the author intended for Sky to be this mysterious and mature counterpart for Cynthia and thus framed him in such a way, but when time came to push the two together romantically it feels like Mercer just negated his initial build up so the relationship between him and Cynthia seems more healthy. I also really liked him at the beginning of the book, he was a fun character to read about, but then he just kind of devolved into a generic love interest at the end
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

cpru68 wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 02:05 I didn’t like his character at all. First, the way he shows up in Cynthia’s life was weird. And she goes to his apartment with him. I kept thinking of a vampire when I read the description of him at first. Like he was going to take advantage of her and dump her. Then it was the long syrupy letters. Needless to say, I thought he was odd, and her falling head over heels for him was even weirder.
I know! ~poof~ He's suddenly just there! Where the heck did he come from? Thin air? I thought maybe he was some kind of mesmerist or something (possibly vampire, good call!) because Cynthia just suddenly loses all her common sense. I mean, who goes home with an obviously smooth talker that they have just met a few minutes before??? Then he evolves (devolves?) into the creepy stalker persona and she's still enamored with him! *shudder* :? I didn't find it believable at all. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 08:53
Kelyn wrote: 02 Jun 2019, 12:52 Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. ..... It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
This is how I felt about Sky's character as well. I don't know how Cynthia found his controlling ways endearing, but it left me scratching my head. I really didn't like his attitude. He tried to lay the sweetness on really thick, but it just ended up making him seem very weird.
I think it was the honey sweetness that made him seem just creepy to me as well. It seemed like his personality aspects were sometimes mutually exclusive but somehow got mixed into the same person. A creepy stalker who's also a perfect gentleman...hmmm. Thanks for sharing your thought with us!
Books are my self-medication. 8)
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Lisa A Rayburn
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

BuzzingQuill wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 15:14 I mentioned this somewhere on another thread, but I felt like the author intended for Sky to be this mysterious and mature counterpart for Cynthia and thus framed him in such a way, but when time came to push the two together romantically it feels like Mercer just negated his initial build up so the relationship between him and Cynthia seems more healthy. I also really liked him at the beginning of the book, he was a fun character to read about, but then he just kind of devolved into a generic love interest at the end
Well, she nailed the 'mysterious' part at least! I didn't really know what to think of him at first but was willing to give the enigmatic stranger a fair chance. Sadly, as you said, things just slowly devolved and he just wasn't that great of a character. I never did find their relationship particularly healthy though. Odd, and not in a good way. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!
Books are my self-medication. 8)
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Post by Brenda Creech »

i didn't like Sky from the very first when he took control of Jenny and manuvered her into the coffee shop. And, I didn't understand how Cynthia, a strong, independent woman fell right under his control! He was definitely a strange character!
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Post by briellejee »

cpru68 wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 02:05 I didn’t like his character at all. First, the way he shows up in Cynthia’s life was weird. And she goes to his apartment with him. I kept thinking of a vampire when I read the description of him at first. Like he was going to take advantage of her and dump her. Then it was the long syrupy letters. Needless to say, I thought he was odd, and her falling head over heels for him was even weirder.
Uhh, same sentiments. When Sky first appeared, whisking Cynthia away like that, and acting like a mafia boss, was downright yech. Even in the end, I just didn't like him.
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Kelyn wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 16:01
Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 03 Jun 2019, 08:53
Kelyn wrote: 02 Jun 2019, 12:52 Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. ..... It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
This is how I felt about Sky's character as well. I don't know how Cynthia found his controlling ways endearing, but it left me scratching my head. I really didn't like his attitude. He tried to lay the sweetness on really thick, but it just ended up making him seem very weird.
I think it was the honey sweetness that made him seem just creepy to me as well. It seemed like his personality aspects were sometimes mutually exclusive but somehow got mixed into the same person. A creepy stalker who's also a perfect gentleman...hmmm. Thanks for sharing your thought with us!
Yes and anyone who is that sweet all the time is hiding something! If things seem too good to be true, they usually are!
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Post by Julie Petitbon »

I did not like his character. I think the author was trying to make him charismatic and charming, but he came across as predatory and controlling. His overbearing personality made Cynthia appear weak and easy to manipulate, which seems to contradict her personality in other parts of the book. Both personalities were a bit all over the place, in my opinion.
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

Julie Petitbon wrote: 04 Jun 2019, 19:37 I did not like his character. I think the author was trying to make him charismatic and charming, but he came across as predatory and controlling. His overbearing personality made Cynthia appear weak and easy to manipulate, which seems to contradict her personality in other parts of the book. Both personalities were a bit all over the place, in my opinion.
That got me too. Cynthia is presented as this strong, independent go-getter. That's totally at odds with how she reacts to Sky. It just didn't make sense with the type of character she was supposed to be. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!!
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Kelyn wrote: 02 Jun 2019, 12:52 Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. At times he was very gentlemanly. Next thing you knew he was acting like Joe Ordinary trying to get laid. And of course, there was the somewhat stalkerish (and creepy) aspect. I'm sure I've left out other aspects as well. It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
His characterization was that of the everyone's man and it left a lotvto be expected from it.
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Post by Lisa A Rayburn »

Ferdinand_otieno wrote: 05 Jun 2019, 00:27
Kelyn wrote: 02 Jun 2019, 12:52 Sky was a puzzle. He was many things, few of them good. At times he was very gentlemanly. Next thing you knew he was acting like Joe Ordinary trying to get laid. And of course, there was the somewhat stalkerish (and creepy) aspect. I'm sure I've left out other aspects as well. It was like he either had DID or the author simply wanted him to be everything for everyone and didn't do a particularly good job of making him anyone's anything. Thoughts?
His characterization was that of the everyone's man and it left a lotvto be expected from it.
Precisely. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Books are my self-medication. 8)
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