Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Black Hole is a coming-of-age graphic novel. How might you compare it against other graphic novels exploring similar themes, such as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis?

2. What do you feel about the Bug’s function in the novel? Do you think the Bug could have played a larger role in the story, or do you think it served its purpose?

3. How did you feel about the way the narrative was structured? Did you find its nonlinear arrangement confusing, or were you able to enjoy the novel regardless of its chronology?

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

1. Is there a particular place that is significant to you in the way the beach is for Chris? What gives it its emotional weight?

2. Consider Chris’s reluctance to confide in her family about the Bug. Were there things you kept from your parents as a teenager? What motivated that choice, and do you regret it in hindsight?

3. How did Chris’s and Keith’s relationships resonate with your experiences of first love and intimacy? Did they ring true to what you experienced? Why or why not?

4. What is your personal relationship with change? Do you fear change or do you welcome it? How did the events of the novel resonate with the events in your life that influenced your approach to change?

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

1. Much like the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson, this novel explores the stigmatization that people with illnesses experience. How does Black Hole depict society’s perceptions of illness? Do the characters in the novel see illness as a personal failing? How does Burns interrogate this phenomenon?

2. In Black Hole, many of the male characters view their relationships with the female characters as being transactional in nature. Where does this assumption come from, and how does Burns critique it over the course of the novel?

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

1. Discuss whether the antagonists, Dave and Rick Halstrom, deserve any of your sympathy, given their backstories. Why do you think Burns complicated their characterization in this way?

2. The novel frequently uses foreshadowing, presenting visual elements out of context the first time they appear. What do you think Burns is trying to say about the nature of adolescence with this technique?

3. Do any of the characters’ physical mutations function symbolically in the context of their respective characters’ narrative arcs? Why do you think the novel encompasses such a range of mutations?

4. Discuss Keith’s attitudes toward the Bug. How might you contrast his reaction to the news that Chris has the Bug with his attraction to Eliza and the solidarity he extends to the camp residents later on? What do you think caused the change in his opinion?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are directing the film or series adaptation of Black Hole. How would you describe your creative approach to the adaptation? Are there visual elements you would retain from the novel? How might you diverge from the original work in terms of visuals?

2. The novel is set in Washington state, isolating the impact of the Bug to a small suburban community. How would your community react to the phenomenon of the Bug? Would there be a public health response or any effort to mediate community dynamics by considering the lived realities of people who have the Bug?