The novel explicitly engages with the slasher genre codified by films like Scream and novels like Stephen Graham Jones’s I Was a Teenage Slasher and Final Girls by Riley Sager. How does Thompson’s integration of romantic comedy tropes into her debut novel alter the traditional role and motivations of the Final Girl archetype?

Analyze the novel’s portrayal of masculinity using the characters of John, Wes, Stu, and Curtis. How does Thompson’s portrayal of each of these men contribute to the novel’s thematic exploration of Using Romantic Tropes to Justify Violence?

How does the nightclub’s transformation from “Cravin’” to “Serendipity” allow Thompson to explore the disorienting nature of modern romance? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

How does Jamie’s metafictional narration, which incorporates the academic language of film theory to apply the rules of fiction to a real-life crisis, heighten or diffuse the novel’s horror elements?

Both Wes and John conceal their true identities from Jamie. Compare and contrast their methods and motivations for deception. What does the novel ultimately argue about the nature of authenticity and trust in forming relationships?

How does Thompson’s use of literary and cinematic allusions impact the story? How would the novel be different without the many references to popular rom-coms and slashers?

How does Billie and John’s murderous partnership complicate the traditional “lone wolf” slasher villain archetype? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Explore how the novel uses the conventions of the “closed circle” horror story to critique contemporary dating culture and the vulnerabilities inherent in the search for intimacy.