I Have Some Questions for You

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of sexual violence and harassment, bullying, death by suicide, death, and racism.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel blends elements of a crime thriller with a deeper exploration of memory and complicity. Which aspects of this storytelling approach did you find most compelling, and why?

2. Many readers have compared this book’s examination of memory and perspective to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, another novel set at an elite educational institution and centering on a death. What similarities and differences do you see between these works in how they handle privilege and culpability?

3. How did your understanding of justice evolve as you followed the failed attempts to secure a retrial for Omar throughout the novel?

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

1. Bodie experiences a profound shift when she realizes that her former mentor, Mr. Bloch, was a sexual predator. When have you had to reconsider your perception of someone you once respected?

2. How has your understanding of your teenage decisions evolved as you’ve gained distance and perspective, similar to how Bodie reexamines her high school years?

3. The boarding school setting creates a tense environment in which harassment and bullying flourish under the guise of tradition. What aspects of your educational experiences mirror or contrast with the culture portrayed at Granby?

4. Bodie’s podcast, Starlet Fever, examines abuse in Old Hollywood, while she simultaneously defends her husband against similar accusations. In what situations have you found yourself holding contradictory positions when personal connections were involved?

5. The book portrays how survivors of harassment like Beth and Bodie process their experiences differently over time. How have your perspectives on difficult past experiences changed as cultural conversations have evolved?

6. Which character’s relationship with memory and truth resonated with you most strongly and why?

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

1. The #MeToo movement forms the crucial backdrop for Bodie’s reevaluation of her past. To what extent does the novel capture the broader cultural reckoning with power, gender, and accountability that began in 2017?

2. Omar’s wrongful conviction highlights how race and outsider status influenced who became the primary suspect in Thalia’s murder. What does the novel reflect about systematic inequalities in how justice is pursued?

3. Granby exemplifies how elite institutions protect their reputations at all costs. Which real-world examples of institutional self-preservation came to mind as you read about Granby’s handling of Thalia’s murder?

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

1. The novel’s structure includes Bodie addressing an unseen “you” (Bloch) in some sections. What effect does this direct address create?

2. The performance of Camelot serves as both a timeline marker and a symbolic element in the novel, much like the green light in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby functions as both a physical object and a representation of Gatsby’s dreams. What specific connections exist between the Arthurian legend and the dynamics at Granby?

3. Kurt Cobain’s death by suicide emerges repeatedly throughout the narrative. What role does this cultural touchpoint play in developing the novel’s themes?

4. Makkai includes interludes in which Bodie imagines different scenarios for Thalia’s murder. How do these speculative passages contribute to the novel’s exploration of truth and narrative construction?

5. Bodie’s professional expertise as a podcaster both helps and hinders her search for the truth about Thalia’s murder. Where do you see this dual nature most clearly in the text?

6. The pay phones at Granby symbolize early investigative tendencies and foreshadow Bodie’s future. What other symbols did you notice throughout the novel?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you’re creating the final episode of Britt and Alder’s podcast, She Is Drowned. What key elements would you include to wrap up the story while acknowledging the lack of justice?

2. Visualize writing a letter to one character in the novel, offering them advice or asking them a question based on your reading experience. What might you write?

3. The novel ends without Omar receiving justice, even though the truth about Robbie comes to light. What alternate ending might provide accountability while maintaining the novel’s complex themes?

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