Mate

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss your overall impressions of Mate. What were your favorite and/or least favorite aspects of the novel, and why?

2. Compare your experience reading Mate to your experience with Hazelwood’s contemporary romance novels. For example, what narrative and thematic parallels do you notice between Mate and titles like Love on the Brain or Love, Theoretically?

3. Compare and contrast Mate to other contemporary works in the same genre. How does Hazelwood’s interpretation of romantasy measure up to titles like SenLinYu’s Alchemised or Kim Harrison’s Black Magic Sanction?

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

1. How did you respond to the narrative revelation regarding the celibacy covenant? Have you ever discovered something similarly shocking that has changed the stakes of your romantic relationship? How did your response compare with Serena’s response to the covenant?

2. The novel explores themes of acceptance and belonging within the context of Serena’s hybridity. How does Hazelwood’s exploration of these themes align with or diverge from your own notions of home and belonging?

3. Compare and contrast Serena and Koen Alexander’s forbidden romance to your own love life. How do their investments in and hesitations surrounding the relationship resonate with your own notions surrounding romance?

4. Serena has a close relationship with Misery. Which aspects of their friendship were least or most relatable? How have your closest relationships changed as a result of time and circumstance?

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

1. Serena’s hybridity acts as a metaphor for marginalized identities and social classes. Discuss the political and social function of this extended metaphor, and its relationship to contemporary American society. How might Serena’s fight for recognition, humanization, and autonomy relate to recent social justice movements in the United States?

2. Discuss Hazelwood’s depictions of sex and intimacy. How does she either reinforce or subvert gender and power stereotypes?

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

1. The novel is written from Serena’s first-person point of view. Analyze the narrative and thematic effects of this perspective. How would the novel resonate differently if Koen’s perspective were incorporated, too?

2. Analyze the relationship between Fiona, Constantine, and Serena. How does discovering her parents’ identities and legacies influence Serena’s self-discovery journey?

3. Examine the role of micro and macro settings across the novel. How do interior and exterior spaces influence Serena’s character differently? How do these settings function as literary devices, revealing aspects of Serena’s interiority or developing the novel’s themes of belonging and identity?

4. Identify three symbols not mentioned in the guide and discuss their significance. For example, what do images of or references to Serena’s DNA test, the Den, or Serena’s necklace symbolize, and how do they further the novel’s themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Mate is the second book in Hazelwood’s Bride series. While the first book focused on Misery, this second book focuses on her close friend Serena. Sketch out a premise for the next book in the series. Who would you choose from the cast of characters to be the protagonist? What challenges would they face? In accordance with the romantasy genre, who would be the protagonist’s love interest?

2. Create a playlist that captures the evolution of Serena and Koen’s love affair. As you work, consider which songs would evoke the moments of conflict and intimacy that define their dynamic. Share your playlists and discuss your thinking behind each chosen song.