The novel focuses almost exclusively on the three male friends’ perspectives of events, leaving Jacy’s voice largely absent. How does this stylistic choice reflect the patriarchal biases that shape the narrative? Is this pattern a deliberate choice or a display of Russo’s own innate biases?

How do secrets operate as mechanisms of power and survival throughout the novel? Be sure to consider the concealed truths about Jacy’s abuse, Teddy’s erectile dysfunction, and Mickey’s life in Canada.

How does Martha’s Vineyard exemplify the many class differences that are addressed throughout the novel?

What aspects of Jacy’s behavior during the fateful weekend in 1971 foreshadow the later revelations of her troubled family life and ongoing issues with trauma?

How does Russo use the novel’s various manifestations of violence to examine competing models of “masculine” response to threat and injustice?

How does Chances Are… engage with the literary tradition of novels about male friendship disrupted by trauma?

Russo incorporates documentary evidence such as newspaper articles, photographs, and official records. How do these materials contribute to (or hinder) the characters’ pursuit of truth?

What do the three friends’ different career paths suggest about their individual approaches to reconciling youthful ideals with adult realities?