Full Measures

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1.  The story begins with an intense, tragic event that immediately establishes a tone of grief and responsibility. How did this opening affect your reading experience and your initial connection to Ember?

2.  Rebecca Yarros is the author of the massively popular romantic fantasy novel Fourth Wing. For those who have read it, what similarities did you notice in her writing style or thematic concerns? How does Full Measures feel different from Fourth Wing or from her other work?

3.     What part of Ember’s journey (from her struggle to care for her family to her personal path toward accepting her father’s death) did you find the most memorable?

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

1.  The novel deeply explores the illusory nature of control, as events in Ember’s life shatter her life plans. Have you ever had a life plan that unforeseen circumstances disrupted, and how did this experience change your perspective on planning for the future?

2.  How did you feel about the immense responsibility Ember takes on for her family? Did you ever have to step into a familial role you didn’t expect? What did you learn from that experience about yourself or your family?

3.  Josh provides a quiet, steady form of support that Ember’s family desperately needs. Who are the “Josh” figures in your own life? Have you ever found crucial support from someone outside your immediate family or circle of friends during a difficult time?

4.  Ember hesitates to read her father’s final letter, fearing the finality of his last words. Why do you think people sometimes delay or avoid moments of closure? If you wrote a letter of advice to be read after you’re gone, what is the most important message you would want to leave behind?

5.     Toward the novel’s end, Ember realizes that Josh is her home. Do you most often consider “home” a physical place, a feeling, or the people you are with? Why?

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

1.  The book offers an intimate look at the culture of modern military families, including the immediate response from the unit’s “care team.” Did this depiction give you a new perspective on the support systems within these communities? How does this internal support contrast with the family’s interactions with the civilian world, like with Uncle Mike and the news crew?

2.  What is the effect of grounding Lieutenant Colonel Justin Howard’s death in the specific political reality of a “Green on Blue” attack in Afghanistan? How does this detail add realism and complexity to the family’s tragedy, particularly in conveying the senselessness and betrayal involved in such deaths?

3.     How do the formal military rituals of loss, such as the funeral service and the folding of the flag, help the family process their grief in a public way? What do these traditions communicate about the values of sacrifice and remembrance in military culture?

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

1.  Riley and Josh are character foils. In what specific ways does Josh’s quiet, action-oriented support highlight the superficiality and selfishness of Riley’s character, and how does this contrast help Ember redefine what she values in a partner?

2.  How does the first-person narration, confined to Ember’s perspective, intensify the story’s emotional weight? What are the limitations of this perspective, particularly in understanding Josh’s motivations before his secrets are revealed?

3.  Military uniforms are a significant symbol in the novel. How does their meaning evolve for Ember? How do they transform from a representation of devastating trauma by the novel’s end?

4.  The hockey rink is a setting throughout the story. How does it provide stability for Gus? What deeper meaning does it take on in the context of Ember and Josh’s relationship?

5.  How does Full Measures engage with the conventions of the military romance genre? For those who have read other books like Nicholas Sparks’s Dear John, in what ways does its portrayal of love and the anxieties of military life differ from Yarros’s novel?

6.     Did the revelation that Ember’s father was the surgeon who saved Josh’s life feel like a meaningful twist of fate, or did it stretch your suspension of disbelief?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1.  Reimagine a chapter of the novel from Josh’s perspective. Which scene would you most want to experience through his eyes, and what new insights might it provide about his feelings or his decision to conceal his military service?

2.     What kind of future do you imagine for April after her honest conversations with Ember and her decision to seek therapy?