Book Clubs
I’d love the opportunity to talk with your book club about 51%, The Necklace, or Killer Story, either in person or via zoom or phone. Please contact me.
Discussion questions for 51%:
) Do you think the world described in 51% might happen?
2) How did you feel about Haylee’s journey in 51%? What did you think of her betrayal of Juke?
3) Do you think the Red Queen has emotions? Do you think AI’s have emotions now? Do you think they might evolve one day to the point where they do have emotions?
4) Do you think good will ultimately triumph in the world, or will good and evil do battle in every generation?
5) Should public parks be privatized? Schools? Social Security? The Post Office?
6) Who did you like better, Juke or Safiya?
7) Do you know people like Karolyn? What did you think of her perspective on the world?
8) Do you think you’ll see rollup computers in your lifetime? Holographic ads filling the sky? Storefront walls that shimmer? Bugburgers for sale at fast food joints?
9) People in 51% often blame fifty-one percenters for being owned as if it’s their fault. Does that sound similar to many people’s attitudes today? What are you feelings about that?
10) Did you feel 51% has an ultimately positive message – good ordinary people, working together, can defeat the big corporations? Do you believe that message?
Discussion questions for The Necklace:
1) How did your feelings about Susan change during the course of the novel?
2) Susan is afraid she may have been very wrong about a person she loved. How can we be so wrong sometimes about people who are close to us? When in your life have you been surprised by someone, in a bad way – or a good one?
3) What obstacles inside herself does Susan have to overcome in order to have the courage to fight for the truth? What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
4) Why do you think Kyra and Robert decide to help Susan?
5) At what point in the novel did you know who did it? And once you knew that, what drove you to keep reading?
6) Susan and her mom still live together, despite the terrible tragedy that Susan partly blames her mom for. How has the tragedy, and the blame, affected their relationship?
7) Susan lives in an economically challenged small town. How does that affect her life and choices?
8) When the novel begins, Susan is a strong advocate for the death penalty. How do her feelings change, or not change? How do you feel about the death penalty?
9) What do you think Kyra will do after high school?
10) What do you think Susan’s life will be like after the novel is over?
Discussion questions for Killer Story:
1. After catching the killer, Petra gets sentenced to a year and a half in prison – one year with good behavior. Do you think she deserves a year in prison?
2. Sometimes, when Petra’s boss tells her to do something questionable, she does it despite her reservations. Do you think you would have had the courage to fight back harder against the boss?
3. Do you feel journalists have an obligation to tell the truth as they observe it, even at the expense of other people? For instance, was Petra right to out the gay football player and release a young woman’s juvenile criminal record in order to catch the murderer?
4. Petra has been repeatedly laid off, and all of her actions at the job are affected by that. Have you or a loved one ever gotten laid off? Did that change your point of view about Petra?
5. From your perspective, how did Petra’s childhood and upbringing affect her actions on the job?
6. In the end, Petra catches the killer and gets justice for the victim. In your opinion, does this redeem her ruthless tactics?
7. Jonah sees things in black and white, while Petra sees things in shades of gray. Which way is more like you? Is one way better than the other?
8. Are you glad that Jonah broke up with Petra?
9. Did you guess the killer? Who did you think did it?
10. Success in journalism now is often measured by how many clicks a story gets. How do you think this affects journalists?
11. Does Killer Story make you question the veracity of what you read in the newspaper, see on TV, or hear in podcasts? How do you try and figure out the truth about things you read about?
Read Killer Story and The Necklace Now!