Society of Lies: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism, graphic violence, death, bullying, and emotional abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Society of Lies uses dual narrators from different time periods to build its mystery. How effective did you find this narrative structure in creating suspense? Which narrator’s perspective did you find more compelling?

2. The novel explores how elite institutions can foster corruption and dangerous secrecy. How does Brown’s portrayal of Princeton compare to other academic thrillers like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, where exclusive college groups also harbor deadly secrets?

3. The title, Society of Lies, operates on multiple levels throughout the novel. Beyond the literal secret society, what other forms of deception and dishonesty stood out to you? Which character’s journey with truth and lies affected you most deeply?

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

1. Maya’s desire to belong leads her to make compromising choices that have severe consequences. Reflect on a time when your own desire for acceptance or success led you to make decisions that conflicted with your values. How did you reconcile those choices afterward?

2. Both Maya and Naomi struggle with being authentic in spaces where they feel like outsiders due to their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Have you experienced environments where you felt pressure to conceal aspects of your identity to fit in? How did this affect your sense of self?

3. Family secrets and poor communication between the sisters ultimately leads to tragedy. How has openness or secrecy within your own family shaped your relationships and approach to difficult situations?

4. Greystone members justify their actions through the benefits they receive—connections, opportunities, and protection. Have you ever participated in systems or groups that required complicity or silence in exchange for advantages?

5. Several characters in the novel, like Amy, face public humiliation as a form of silencing. How have you witnessed or experienced attempts to discredit someone rather than address their legitimate concerns?

6. Margaret makes the ultimate choice to kill DuPont to protect Maya and her family. Have you ever faced a difficult moral choice where you had to weigh harm against protection? How did you navigate that decision?

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

1. Society of Lies draws parallels to the real-life college admissions scandal dubbed “Varsity Blues” after the covert FBI operation that exposed it. How does the novel illuminate the ways privilege operates in supposedly meritocratic institutions? What does this suggest about American social mobility?

2. The novel portrays how technology and social media can be weaponized—from hidden cameras to leaked videos and doxxing. How does this reflect current concerns about privacy, surveillance, and digital vulnerability in our society?

3. Throughout the novel, characters of color navigate predominantly white elite spaces and face various forms of racism and exclusion. How does the novel address the intersection of race, class, and power?

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

1. The novel uses F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, and other novels, as a recurring motif. How do these references—from Gatsby Night to Princeton’s literary heritage—enhance the themes of wealth, deception, and corruption in the story?

2. Maya, Lila, and Naomi are all presented as different archetypal figures challenging corrupt systems. How do their approaches differ? What does the novel suggest about the effectiveness and consequences of different forms of resistance?

3. Princeton itself functions as a symbolic landscape in the novel. How does Brown use physical spaces (Sterling, Terrace, Lake Carnegie, the cabin) to represent different moral and social worlds?

4. The novel includes several instances of doubling and mirroring, from the sisters’ parallel experiences to the dual timeframes. How does this literary technique enhance the themes and emotional impact of the story?

5. Brown integrates allusions to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre throughout the novel: Naomi shares her last name with Bertha Mason (love interest Edward Rochester’s first wife, whom he keeps locked in his attic), and Professor Williams’ cat is named Rochester. How do these allusions deepen your understanding of Naomi’s character and fate?

Encourage imaginative interaction with the text.

1. If Maya were to return to Princeton five years after the events of the novel—perhaps to speak to students about Greystone—what would her message be? Draft a short speech she might deliver about ethics, belonging, and truth.

2. The novel ends with Maya scattering Naomi’s ashes in the ocean, feeling a sense of peace but also wondering if they “contributed to this endless violence” (713). Imagine an epilogue set 10 years later—how might Maya’s perspective have evolved, and what might her life look like?

3. The eating clubs at Princeton represent different cultures and values. If you were to design your own eating club as an alternative to Sterling, what values would it embody, what traditions would it have, and how would it address the problems exposed in the novel?

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