Cackle

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you like best about the book? What did you like least?

2. How does this text compare to others that focus on witches and/or female friendships?

3. Were you surprised by the ending? Did you expect Annie to return to her life with Sam, or did you think that Sophie and Annie would part ways?

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

1. Sophie is treated like an outsider by many of the townspeople. Have you ever been in a place or situation where you felt like you didn’t quite belong? How did your experiences compare to Sophie’s?

2. Annie’s friendship with Sophie changes her life and self-perception in important ways. Consider the most empowering friendship you’ve experienced in your life so far. What made it empowering for you? How did you grow as a result?

3. Annie initially dreads the big changes in her life at the novel’s opening, but ultimately realizes how fulfilling those changes have been. Has there ever been a big change in your own life that influenced who you are and how you live? What was it, and what impacts did it have?

4. Annie realizes toward the novel’s end that she has spent too much time trying to “appease” Sam instead of being her true self. Have you ever experienced a relationship or friendship where you felt pressured to be passive or compliant to keep the peace? How did you handle it, and what did you learn from that experience?

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

1. Sophie hints at her hope that society will change and people will become more accepting of women who defy the status quo, and she also relates her disappointment that things haven’t changed much. In what ways is her assessment accurate or inaccurate when applied to contemporary culture?

2. Annie often struggles with being alone because she has been taught by societal expectations to view singlehood in a negative light. How are single people treated in your own society? How does the book comment on, or contribute to, cultural discourses around expectations and pressures surrounding romantic relationships more generally?

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

1. The novel examines how society can pressure or judge people, sometimes in subtle and sometimes in more overt ways. How does the novel explore these different forms of social pressure and judgement? How do different characters perpetuate, or challenge, these norms?

2. The text is written from Annie’s first-person point of view and in the present tense. How do these narrative choices impact the plot, pacing, and/or characterization of the story? What are the strengths and limitations of using these techniques?

3. Analyze the use of time and seasons in the novel. How do the changing seasons reflect Annie’s changing sense of self? How does her relationship with time change, and why?

4. The novel centers the female friendship between Sophie and Annie, but also features other, more minor instances of female solidarity or women acting against one another. What are some of these instances? How do they reflect the novel’s interest in women’s social norms and relationships more generally?

5. Explain the significance of the settings, New York City and Rowan. How is each one depicted? How are they different or similar to one another, and what role do they play in shaping Annie’s arc?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are the casting director for a film adaptation of this text. Who would you cast to play Annie, Sophie, Sam, as well as the people from the town: Oskar, Tom, Rose, and Deirdre? Explain your choices.

2. Sophie doesn’t know much about modern media. What do you imagine her response would be to stories set in the 21st century, especially romantic comedies or sitcoms? What contemporary music do you think she might enjoy, and why? What would go into her “heavy rotation” playlist?