How to End a Love Story

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death and mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did Kuang’s portrayal of grief and healing in How to End a Love Story affect you as a reader? What moments felt most authentic as the characters’ processed their shared trauma?

2. The novel weaves together romance and tragedy through Helen and Grant’s relationship. In what ways does Kuang balance these elements compared to Emily Henry’s Beach Read or Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts which similarly combine romance with deeper emotional themes?

3. Which aspects of Helen and Grant’s relationship did you find most compelling as it progressed? Were there moments in their journey that particularly resonated with or surprised you?

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

1. Helen struggles with the expectations that her parents place on her as a Chinese American daughter especially after losing her sister. How have cultural or family expectations shaped your own decisions about relationships or career paths?

2. Throughout the novel, Helen avoids vulnerability and emotional intimacy due to her past trauma. When have you found yourself building similar walls and what helped you move beyond them?

3. Grant experiences panic attacks triggered by reminders of Michelle’s death—particularly car accidents. What did you think of how Kuang portrayed his anxiety, and how has anxiety manifested in your own life or the lives of those close to you?

4. Helen writes letters to Michelle as a way to process her grief and move forward. What forms of creative expression have helped you navigate difficult emotions or significant life transitions?

5. Helen’s grief over her sister’s death makes her believes she doesn’t deserve love with Grant. How have your own past experiences influenced your beliefs about what you deserve in relationships?

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

1. Helen navigates the tension between her Chinese American identity and her desire for independence throughout the novel. How does Kuang address the challenges faced by children of immigrants who must balance cultural heritage with individual choices?

2. How does Kuang’s novel contribute to diverse representation in romance literature? What impact might stories like Helen’s have on readers from similar backgrounds?

3. The novel portrays the pressures Helen faces to be a “good girl” or “guai nui” after Michelle’s death. How do these cultural expectations compare to broader societal pressures on women to fulfill certain roles, especially after family tragedies?

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

1. How does the motif of food and meals throughout the novel illuminate the characters’ relationships? What significance do Helen’s favorite angel food cake hold during her reconciliation with her mother?

2. The novel alternates between Helen and Grant’s perspectives. How does this narrative choice affect your understanding of their relationship and individual journeys toward healing?

3. What role does Michelle play in the story despite being deceased? How does her absence and the characters’ memories of her shape the narrative?

4. How do the geographical settings in the novel—Los Angeles, New Jersey, and the spaces in between—reflect the characters’ emotional states and transitions?

5. The novel uses the romance trope of forced proximity when Helen and Grant must work together. In what ways does Kuang utilize or subvert common romance conventions to tell this particular story?

6. Helen initially views Grant as a high school cliché. How does Kuang develop both characters beyond their initial impressions, and what does this suggest about the danger of reducing people to stereotypes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Write a brief letter to Michelle as Helen might have included in her manuscript. What would you want her to know about Helen and Grant’s relationship?

2. Helen and Grant’s creativity flourishes after they reconcile. What new books or screenplays do you envision them creating in the years after the novel ends?

3. The novel ends with a sheep named Michelle trying to eat Helen’s wedding dress. How would Helen and Grant’s life together progress after their wedding?

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