Consider Summer struggle against Institutional Protection of Harmful Behavior. Does Kennedy narrative suggest institutional reform is possible? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your argument.

To what extent is Fitz’s transformation self-directed versus externally motivated? Can a case be made that the novel undervalues the introverted identity by treating it as something to be overcome? Why or why not?

Compare and contrast Hunter and Fitz as potential romantic partners for Summer. What techniques does Kennedy employ to suggest Fitz is the right choice?

Compare The Chase with another novel that employs the opposites attract trope, such as Emily Henry’s Funny Story or Talia Hibbert’s Act Your Age, Eve Brown. What similar elements or themes emerge?

Does The Chase subvert or reinforce the key elements of New Adult fiction? Cite external research and specific examples from the text to support your argument.

How does Kennedy’s use of dual narrators impact the narrative? Would the novel be more or less effective if told from a single perspective?

The Kappa sorority and the university administration both fail their members, but they do so in different registers—social versus bureaucratic. Which failure does the novel treat as more redeemable, and what does that prioritization reveal about the kinds of institutional harm the book is most invested in critiquing?

Compare and contrast Kennedy’s portrayal of Summer’s learning difference with another literary portrayal of The Challenges of Navigating Neurodivergence in Academia, such as The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion or The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.