Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did Lillian’s voice shape your reading experience? At what point did you become aware that she wasn’t a reliable narrator? Did you find yourself rooting for her at any point, or did you see her as an anti-hero from the beginning?

2. A Good Person fits into a modern tradition of the “unlikable female protagonist.” How does Lillian compare to similar characters you may have encountered in other books, such as Amy Dunne in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl? What do you think is the appeal of characters who defy traditional expectations of likability?

3. What did you think of the novel’s chilling final scene, where Lillian traps Jamie in her apartment? Did you find this ending satisfying or unsettling? What do you believe it signals about who Lillian has become?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Nora expertly curates her identity online, turning her grief into a viral article and gaining social capital. Have you ever felt pressure to present a certain version of yourself online? How did you navigate the tension between your real and online personas? 

2. Lillian has a habit of rewriting her own history to cast herself as a victim, a pattern established in the prologue with the gorilla pen incident. Think about a time you might have retold a story to put your own actions in a better light. Where did you find the balance between managing your narrative and outright self-deception?

3. The workplace culture at Fizzle, with its focus on “vibes” and performative wellness led by Candice, is portrayed with sharp satire. Have you ever been in a professional environment that felt similarly superficial? What aspects of this portrayal resonated with your own experiences?

4. The brief, strange bond Lillian and Nora form is based on their shared trauma and resentment toward Henry. Have you ever formed an unexpected connection with someone over a shared difficult experience? Did this bond continue, or did it peter out, like Lillian and Nora’s? 

5. Jamie offers Lillian almost unconditional support, providing money for a lawyer and a constant listening ear, only to be exploited. Consider a time you may have felt a friendship was unbalanced. How did you address this and shift the dynamic? 

6. Lillian’s mother refuses to hear her daughter’s veiled confession, choosing a comfortable fiction over a disturbing truth. Have family dynamics and learned patterns of communication ever shaped your ability to confront difficult realities about yourself or your loved ones?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel relentlessly satirizes influencer culture through the character of Bekah, the Wellness Witch, who admits her spiritual brand is “mostly crap.” What critique do you think the author is making about the commercialization of wellness and the search for authenticity in the digital age?

2. When the police close Henry’s case, they attribute the murder to a nameless unhoused man. What commentary does the book offer on privilege, justice, and how society often assigns blame to its most vulnerable members?

3. Nora’s Teen Vogue article transforms her private tragedy into public, shareable content. What does this narrative arc suggest about how our culture engages with grief and trauma in the era of social media?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Kirsten King has a background in screenwriting for film and television. How did you see this influence in the novel’s plot, dialogue, and structure? Did the story feel cinematic to you?

2. Lillian is a classic unreliable narrator. What were the first clues that made you doubt her version of events? How does King use Lillian’s self-deception to build suspense and manipulate your perceptions?

3. Nora McCormick serves as Lillian’s primary foil. In what ways do the two women act as mirror images of each other, particularly in their use of performance and social media? Where do their motivations and morals fundamentally diverge?

4. How does the use of alcohol function in the plot? Do you see it as a catalyst for Lillian’s impulsive actions, or does it play a deeper role in the novel’s exploration of memory and denial?

5. How does Henry’s monogrammed towel take on different meanings for Nora and Lillian? What does it represent in their battle over Henry’s memory and the life he led?

6. How does the prologue’s revelations about the incident at the gorilla pen establish Lillian’s character? How does it establish patterns of rationalization and blame that she uses to justify her actions throughout the rest of the novel?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to cast a film adaptation of A Good Person, which actors would you choose for the roles of Lillian, Nora, and Jamie? What specific qualities would make them perfect for bringing these complex characters to life?

2. Imagine you are a detective who is unconvinced by the official police report. Write a short memo to your superior outlining why you believe Lillian O’Malley should remain the primary suspect in Henry Davis’s murder, referencing key pieces of behavioral evidence from the novel.

3. The book concludes on a suspenseful cliffhanger. What do you think happens in the five minutes after Lillian menacingly asks Jamie if she can make her a drink? Does Jamie escape, or does Lillian find a way to silence her for good?