54 pages • 1 hour read
Reckless Girls: A Novel
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What were your overall impressions of the group dynamics on Meroe Island? Were you surprised by the way that these characters’ identities evolved as the novel progressed?
2. Which characters were your most and least favorite? Were you swayed by any of the first impressions that turned out to be less-than-accurate representations of the characters’ identities?
3. Compare this book to The Wife Upstairs (2021), The Villa (2023), or The Heiress (2024). Does this novel engage with similar themes or use any common symbols, motifs, or plot devices?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. How did you feel when Robbie’s, Nico’s, and Amma’s bodies were found? Did those deaths confirm any suspicions you had about any of the other characters? How does Hawkins foreshadow these deaths?
2. How does this book’s depiction of trust and betrayal resonate with you? Have you ever been betrayed or helped a loved one deal with having been betrayed? How do your experiences compare to any of the betrayals portrayed in the novel?
3. Do you think that Brittany’s reaction to Amma’s lies is justified? How might she have handled the situation differently or better?
4. What kind of values do each of the characters embody in the novel? How would you characterize their personal belief systems or the way that they behave in relationships?
5. Did you empathize with Eliza at all? How did Jake’s treatment of her impact how you responded to her as a character?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Meroe Island’s dark history of cannibalism is fictitious, but it still plays an important role in the novel’s engagement with the darker side of human nature. Are there real-life media stories you are familiar with that narrate breakdowns in group dynamics? How do they compare to the plot of Reckless Girls?
2. How did Meroe Island function in each of the character’s imaginations prior to their trip? How does the reality of life on the island compare to what they expected?
3. How does this novel’s depiction of wealth resonate with contemporary ideas about privilege, power, and equality?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. How did the novel’s flashbacks impact your reading of its various characters? How might they portray the characters in a more (or less) sympathetic light?
2. Other than Lux, are there any truly sympathetic characters? Why or why not? What pieces of textual evidence can you point to in your assessment of each character’s personal ethics or lack thereof?
3. How does the symbolism of Meroe Island’s various dangers speak to the novel’s interest in psychology and human nature?
4. Discuss the novel’s depiction of vigilante justice. Do you agree or disagree with the notion that extra-judicial revenge can be justified?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Do you think that this book would make a good film? What details would your adaptation of it include, and who would you cast in the leading roles?
2. Imagine a sequel to this novel. What does Lux do next, and where does she go?
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