Discuss the novel’s commentary on objects as channels for grief and growth, using Coley’s relationship with her mother’s belongings to anchor your discussion.

How does the novel position Trenton as a product and enforcer of his small-town environment? What critique is author Hayley Kiyoko trying to put forth about this kind of milieu?

Why did Kiyoko choose to set the novel in the recent past? What would have changed if she set the novel in the present day?

How does the novel function as an expansion of Kiyoko’s original 2015 music video? Analyze what specific dimensions of character the novelistic form allows Kiyoko to explore.

Examine the parallel journeys of healing undertaken by Coley and her father, Curtis. Does the novel ever suggest that Curtis can heal on his own, or is Coley’s presence a necessary requisite for him to complete this process?

Analyze Faith and Blake as contrasting representations of LGBTQ+ identity.

The train tracks serve as a recurring motif and a sanctuary for Coley and Sonya. Discuss the importance of making Coley and Sonya’s sanctuary a liminal space. What does this suggest about the value of liminal spaces in general?

Evaluate Sonya’s poetry, contrasting her ability to express meaningful ideas in them against the challenges she faces in doing the same thing face-to-face with Coley.