Velveteen (whose power is animating toys ... which is deadlier than you'd think) leaves them when she turns 18. And the stories continue from there.

Interesting. Kind of reminds me of Mur Lafferty's Playing for Keeps. The main character has a superpower that prevents anyone from taking anything that belongs to her--if they try, they get frozen in place until she releases them. This power is considered too passive and lame for her to be admitted to the organization of superheroes. But as the story progresses it turns out there's more to her powers than she knew.

I love the Velveteen books and think way more people should read them. Great superhero fiction.

Playing for Keeps is also great superhero fiction and more people should read it!

Just finished Gillian Flynn's first novel, Sharp Objects, for bookclub. We're doing horror/gothic lit this year and, sheeesh, this fit the bill. Very well written and dark as hell. She doesn't pull any punches that's for sure. I couldn't put it down but I'm not sure I want to read anything else of her's.

I read that a long time ago and, yeah, it's nasty (in a good way). I loved the hell out of Gone Girl, and now I want to read Dark Places.

Dark Places was my least favorite, but it was still pretty good. I liked most of the elements of it, I just thought there were too many for one novel. Sharp Objects I loved maybe most? It's hard to call - I like SO and GG both a lot for for different reasons.

I have to remember that I haven't read Sharp Objects, because I want to! I read Dark Places right after Gone Girl and then had to take a break, and then I keep forgetting which of hers I've missed.

Sharp Objects was my favorite, but I loved Dark Places.

She kind of reminds me of Laura Lippman, not really style-wise, but because she's so clearly written a woman's take on the suspense novel.

I confuse Sharp Objects and Dark Places too. I think I've read Dark Places. Whichever one is coming out with Charlize Theron in the lead. Liked it better than Gone Girl.

Charlize Theron is going to be in Dark places, i kept picturing Scarlet Johannson in that role when I read the book for some reason. There is talk of turning Sharp Objects into a TV show.