The novel presents a stark generational divide between the proactive children and the largely passive adult evacuees. What makes the young protagonists better equipped to resist institutional control than most of the adults?

What does the evolving Wizard of Oz motif in Away convey about the novel’s themes, particularly with regard to the relationship between knowledge, deception, and power?

In what ways does the fictional crisis in Away comment on historic or contemporary events in the real world, such as the early-20th century California “water wars” or the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II?

How do the friends’ separate but complimentary skills illustrate the value of community? Are any of their contributions more important than others? What do these specific skills suggest about what is required for effective resistance against authoritarianism?

Discuss the symbolic function of the Colorado landscape in Away, contrasting the characters’ memories of a vibrant, natural world with the artificial environment of Camp Rogers and the government’s digitally fabricated “uninhabitable zone.”

What does the novel suggest are the roles of journalism and filmmaking in opposing authoritarian control? What moral or ethical obligations does this role impose on journalists and filmmakers?

The novel’s epilogue details the protagonists’ successful adult careers. What narrative and thematic intentions does this epilogue serve?

How do Ashanti’s frequent allusions to Greek mythology provide a framework for understanding the moral and psychological challenges of displacement?