Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel spans time from high school through college. Did you like that the book began with the high-school prom scene? How did you feel when the flashback to the same scene came later in the story?

2. How did the fact that the story is only told from Dani’s point of view affect your reading experience? Would you have preferred to hear from Levi as well?

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

1. The novel is concerned with how actions taken when the characters were in high school resonate later in their lives. Do you have a specific moment or incident from high school that has stuck with you? How and why has this moment been impactful on your life?

2. Dani and Levi initially bonded over their father’s deaths. Could you relate to Dani and Levi’s unique bond? Have you ever bonded with someone over a shared experience of loss?

3. Discuss Dani’s experience with feeling creatively stuck. Have you ever been through seasons of feeling imaginatively or creatively blocked? What did you do to break out of the stagnation?

4. Dani arrives at a crossroads when she has to decide whether to go to Paris or stay in New York. Have you had a similar experience of facing an exciting yet difficult decision at a pivotal time in your life?

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

1. An important part of Dani’s journey involves processing her grief and loss over her father’s death. How does the novel’s representation of this process intersect with current societal perspectives on the lasting impact of the loss of a parent on a young person?

2. The novel highlights a variety of friendships, from Dani and Levi to Dani’s relationships with Jia and Gabe. What does the novel assert about the importance of friendship?

3. How does Dani’s struggle with self-acceptance and confidence reflect the pressure that young people feel to find success immediately after college?

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

1. Discuss the novel’s use of its New York setting. How does the city play a role in Dani’s character development?

2. Trace Dani’s journey to finding love and acceptance. Which characters make the most impact on her transformation? Discuss the moments in the text in which she takes important steps along this journey.

3. Discuss Bella as the primary antagonist of the novel and a foil for Dani. Consider her importance to both the plot and the thematic developments of the novel.

4. Discuss Dani as the point-of-view character and the narrator. Why do you think the author chose to include one chapter rewritten from Levi’s perspective at the end of the story?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this book were adapted into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles of Dani and Levi? Consider who you would cast as the important side characters as well, including Jia, Gabe, and Bella.

2. Create a playlist that captures the mood of key moments in Dani and Levi’s relationship. Be sure to include a song for the prom scene and the ball dancing scene.