Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think of how this book reworks the tale of Little Red Riding Hood? What were some of your favorite or least favorite connections?

2. What other fairy tales do you see alluded to in the book (for example, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty)? What do these allusions add, for you?

3. Compare this book to other dark fantasy novels that incorporate fairy tale retellings, like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, which draws on the tale of Beauty and the Beast, or Cinder by Marissa Meyer, which is based on the Cinderella story. How are these retellings similar or different?

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

1. Neve and Red have a powerful bond, but their paths begin to diverge over the course of the novel. Have you ever had a particularly close bond with a relative or friend in your own life? How has that dynamic influenced you, and/or changed over time?

2. The novel often interrogates how myth and/or religious belief can guide a person’s choices. What are some of the beliefs you grew up with that were important in shaping who you are and your worldview? Have you ever had an experience of questioning or changing a core belief, the way Red does?

3. Neve initially trusts Kiri and works with her in the belief that Kiri will help her get Red back, only to realize too late that Kiri had other motives. Have you ever had a similar experience where you felt your trust in someone had been betrayed or misguided?

4. Eammon wants to have a relationship with Red, but his sense of duty leads him to assume that it would be better to hold back to protect her. Have you ever felt torn between your personal feelings and sense of duty? How did your experience compare to Eammon’s, and how did you resolve this dilemma?

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

1. The myth of the Five Kings is key to the religious culture Red grows up in. What are some of the important cultural, religious, and/or ethical beliefs in your own society and community? How does the novel speak to some of the wider debates between tradition and change in society?

2. For the Wolf contributes to a well-established tradition of feminist retellings of traditional fairy tales. How does this book—and the genre more generally—reflect debates and changing conceptions around femininity and gender roles?

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

1. How does Wilderwood function literally as a setting, and/or figuratively as a metaphor or a symbol? How do its changes over time reflect changes in the characters themselves?

2. Analyze the development of the romantic partnership between Red and Eammon. How does the novel conform to, or diverge from, some of the key tropes of fairy-tale romances?

3. Explore the idea of agency and choice in the novel. How do various characters experience agency, or the lack of it? How do the characters experience the strengths and limitations of their choices?

4. Consider the motif of blood and blood-letting in the novel. What is its wider role and significance in the text?

5. Compare and contrast Neve and Red. How are they characterized? How are they different or similar? What do their individual character arcs demonstrate?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine some of the titles and descriptions for the books that Red takes with her from the library in the Palace into the Wilderwood. What do you think she would choose to read, and why? Explain your choices.

2. Write a short Epilogue that continues the story of Lyra and Fife. What do you imagine happens next for them?

3. Red complains that the Shrine is “nothing but a stone room full of candles and branches. No comfort. No absolution” (60). If you were the High Priestess, how would you liven up the place? What kind of rituals, dress, music, and/or art would you introduce to reflect the core beliefs of the region and the importance of Wilderwood?