An Academy for Liars

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

1. Lennon struggles to fit in at Drayton when she arrives. Describe a time that you struggled to fit in within a new community. How does your experience compare to Lennon’s journey?

2. The examination of power—personal, magical, institutional—is central to An Academy for Liars. What commentary does Henderson make about the nature of power, and how does that commentary match up (or not) with your lived experience?

3. Dante and Lennon’s mentorship relationship is complicated. Have you ever had a mentorship relationship? Reflect on its complexities and similarities/differences to Dante and Lennon’s.

4. How does the culture of Drayton foster academic competition? Compare Lennon’s time at Drayton to your own academic journey.

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

1. An Academy for Liars draws on dark academia tropes like elite institutions, hidden knowledge, and morally gray characters. Which tropes did you find most compelling, and how did Henderson’s take on the genre stand out?

2. Discuss Henderson’s examination of racial tension present at Drayton and in larger society.

3. How does the setting of Savannah, Georgia, impact the novel? How do Henderson’s personal connections to Savannah shape her depiction of the city?

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

1. Discuss Lennon’s character development throughout her time at Drayton. Examine three instances in her character arc that show how she grows as a character.

2. How do Lennon’s dreams and visions break up the narrative structure of the story? How do the glimpses into the past create foreshadowing and suspension?

3. How does the use of persuasion and manipulation shape Lennon’s understanding of the world, morality, and selfhood?

4. Discuss how the symbolism of the moth enhances characterization.