Compare and contrast Naomi’s and Veronica’s expressions of motherhood, considering how their differing social and economic circumstances influence the methods they use to protect or reclaim Teddy.

Analyze the role that the Roth family home plays in the novel. In particular, discuss the specific spaces, like the backyard, Teddy’s bedroom, and the wine cellar, that function to reflect the themes of the novel.

Choose another novel in the domestic-thriller genre that you’ve read, like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl or Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train. Compare the narrative structures and use of dueling, unreliable perspectives in both novels. How does McFadden’s final reveal in the Epilogue build upon or subvert the established genre conventions?

Analyze the specific manipulations that Jeremy employs—such as distorting Naomi’s memory of appointments and planting evidence like the stabbed elephant—to evaluate how his strategies dismantle her credibility and mental well-being.

Analyze the character of Jeremy. How does his characterization shift over the course of the novel and as perspectives change? What conclusions does the novel come to about his motivations? Argue your position using evidence from his actions and his final confession.

Analyze the novel’s portrayal of friendship. Consider Naomi’s friends Ashlyn, Cheryl, and Cora and Veronica’s friend Lola in your discussion. What roles and functions do they serve in the narrative, and what is the novel arguing about friendship?

McFadden grounds the novel’s deceptions in verifiable medical and scientific concepts, such as DNA paternity testing and acetaminophen poisoning. How does this use of scientific fact contribute to the novel’s suspense and the plausibility of its most elaborate lies?

Ezra is presented as the story’s most morally upright character. Analyze his role as a foil to Jeremy, contrasting their motivations, ethics, and methods. How does Ezra’s fate serve as a commentary on the possibility of justice in a world corrupted by wealth and deceit?