Deep Cuts

The novel utilizes a mixtape-like structure, giving each chapter the same title as a song that appears in it. How does this structure parallel Percy’s tendency to use songs to clarify the narrative of her life?

Much like Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Brickley’s novel traces a creative partnership over several years. What are the characteristics of strong collaboration? How do Percy and Joe exemplify (or fail to live up to) the standards that Brickley imposes on them? How might their partnership be compared to the one in Zevin’s novel?

The novel captures the anxiety that marked the War on Terror and the Great Recession. How does the novel use these events to frame the politics of music consumption? Is Percy a politically passive character, or does her experience exemplify ways to navigate troubling times?