PS: I Hate You

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

1. Which scene—whether it was related to grief, romance, or self-realization—hit you the hardest emotionally? Why do you think that moment resonated so deeply with you?

2. Did Maddie’s struggle with vulnerability or grief reflect anything from your own life? How did the book’s depiction of personal growth and emotional risk align or clash with your own values or outlooks?

3. What would you do if you had a relationship with a family member similar to Maddie’s with Cecilia or Florence? Do you understand why Maddie reacted the way she did in key moments? Would you have done anything different in her position?

4. How do the portrayals of influencer culture, toxic family dynamics, and workaholic environments mirror real-life societal issues? What commentary, if any, do you think the novel makes about how grief and vulnerability are handled in modern life?

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

1. How does the road trip across contemporary America influence the pacing and development of Maddie and Dom’s relationship? Would the story have unfolded differently if it were not set in the United States?

2. How do the themes of grief, vulnerability, and seizing the moment connect with challenges or values in your own life or society at large? Are the emotional journeys of Maddie and Dom relatable on a larger, universal scale?

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

1. How does the organization of the novel into seasonal parts mark the passage of time and mirror Maddie’s emotional evolution and her journey through grief? What does structuring the story around Josh’s letter-driven road trip add to the pacing and emotional stakes of the novel?

2. Discuss Maddie’s use of humor and sarcasm as shields against deeper emotional truths. How did your perception of her coping mechanisms change over the course of the novel? Similarly, what moments softened or deepened your understanding of Dom beyond Maddie’s guarded perspective?

3. Connolly moves Maddie and Dom through numerous settings across the United States. Discuss each state’s unique physical and emotional challenges. Which setting has had the most profound impact on Maddie’s growth, and why?

4. Analyze Connolly’s use of symbolism in the novel, such as puzzles, sweatshirts, crying, or even the emphasis on clocks and time. How do these objects illuminate Maddie’s character, internal state, and personal evolution? Did any one of the symbols you’ve discussed stand out as particularly powerful in tying the story together?