Call It What You Want

Analyze how the novel uses Sloane’s relationship with Reese Thompson not just as a foil to Ethan, but as a direct challenge to Sloane’s own definition of love. How does her inability to feel “enough” with Reese reveal her conflation of emotional intensity with genuine intimacy?

The novel gradually reveals the details of Ethan’s traumatic past, first through his internal thoughts and later through Graham’s exposition. Analyze how this fragmented delivery of information shapes the reader’s empathy for Ethan and complicates judgment of his actions toward Sloane.

Examine how Call It What You Want uses alcohol as a catalyst for emotional crisis. When does alcohol appear in the novel, and what are the ramifications for characters who use it to excess? Does this tie in with other social commentary in the novel?

Analyze how the parallel relationship between Lauren and Graham serves as a structural and thematic counterpoint to the central dynamic between Sloane and Ethan.

Using evidence from his point-of-view chapters, argue whether Ethan is a tragic figure trapped by his past or a manipulative antagonist who knowingly exploits Sloane’s hope.

What does Call It What You Want add to the New Adult genre? What aspects of the novel are in keeping with the genre’s tropes, and which subvert readers’ expectations? Compare and contrast the novel with another popular title, like Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us.

How does Sloane’s professional ambition define her as a character? Is she portrayed as uniquely driven or are her aspirations portrayed as typical of recent college graduates?

The novel opens with the final breakup before flashing back two years. How does this frame structure, combined with recurring settings like Ethan’s car for pivotal conversations, contribute to the novel’s emotional arc? Do the repeated scenes and images feel confining, or do they take on new meaning as the novel progresses?