Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you react to Lana’s calculated vigilantism? The series is often discussed within the “female rage” trope, alongside stories like Gone Girl or the film Promising Young Woman. Did you find her actions to be a justifiable response to injustice, or did they cross a line for you?

2. The series blends an intense, dark romance with a high-stakes thriller plot. Which element of the story did you find more compelling: the relationship developing between Lana and Logan, or the mechanics of Lana’s revenge and the FBI’s investigation? How did these two storylines affect each other for you?

3. What was your initial reaction to the series’s ending? Did you find the “happily-ever-after,” where Logan helps Lana continue her vigilantism, to be a satisfying conclusion for these characters? Why or why not?

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

1. Lana continues her father’s practice of using quotes from philosophers to make sense of the world and justify her actions. Do you have any personal mottos, quotes, or philosophies that you turn to when facing difficult situations? How do they help you frame your own experiences?

2. Hadley’s allegiance shifts dramatically after Lana delivers a form of justice that Hadley couldn’t achieve through the system. Think about a time you’ve felt a strong sense of loyalty to a person over an institution or a set of rules. What do you think inspires that kind of personal bond?

3. Logan’s identity is deeply tied to his career as an FBI agent, and he has a breakdown when that foundation is shattered. How much does your own sense of self relate to your job or a specific role you play in life? What challenges might arise if that role was suddenly compromised?

4. Jake is driven by an unwavering loyalty to Lana and the memory of her brother, Marcus. Have you ever felt compelled to support a friend or loved one on a difficult path, even if you had reservations about their choices? How did you navigate that balance between support and concern?

5. The narrative strongly challenges the idea that forgiveness is always possible or desirable. What are your own thoughts on the relationship between forgiveness, justice, and healing? Can one truly exist without the others?

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

1. What does the series’ viral success on BookTok suggest about contemporary audiences’ fascination with stories of female-led revenge, especially those aimed at systemic corruption and abuse?

2. Delaney Grove is depicted as a community where institutional power actively protects abusers and silences victims. Where do you see parallels in the real world, where systems or powerful individuals might create environments that allow wrongdoing to go unchecked?

3. The author, S. T. Abby, was a pseudonym for Christie Michelle Cunningham, who passed away at a young age. How does knowing this biographical detail, along with the book’s dedication “for the ones who lost their voice” (v), change or deepen your interpretation of Lana’s story of survival and reclaiming power?

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

1. Logan Bennett embodies the archetype of the brilliant FBI profiler, a figure popularized in works like Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. How does the series both use and subvert the conventions of this character type, especially his inability to see the truth about Lana?

2. How does the recurring symbol of mirrors and shattered glass reflect the theme of fragmented identities? Consider how this symbol is introduced during the assault on Lana and Marcus and how Lana later weaponizes it against the entire town.

3. Lana’s use of red paint transforms from a grim signature at her murder scenes into a tool of psychological warfare against Delaney Grove. How does this motif evolve over the course of the story, and what statement is the author making by having Lana use blood as her “paint”?

4. The narrative presents two very different serial killers operating at the same time: Lana and the Boogeyman, Gerald Plemmons. What is the significance of this juxtaposition? How does the contrast between their motives and methods shape your perception of Lana as a “morally gray” antiheroine?

5. Jake Denver’s feigned paralysis is a long-term strategic deception. How does this alibi function within the plot, and what might it suggest about the ways society can underestimate or overlook individuals who have disabilities?

6. The story is told almost exclusively from Lana’s point of view, which frames her vigilante acts as righteous. How might your interpretation of events change if the story were told from Logan’s perspective before he knows the truth, or from the viewpoint of a town resident like Diana Barnes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were casting a screen adaptation of The Mindf*ck Series, who would you choose to play Lana Myers and Logan Bennett? What specific qualities would you look for in the actors to capture the characters’ complex and intense dynamic?

2. The epilogue describes Lana and Logan’s annual tradition of hunting a predator as an “anniversary present.” If you were to write a short story about one of these hunts, what kind of criminal who escaped the justice system would they target, and how would their partnership function now that Logan is a willing participant?

3. Imagine you had to design a new symbolic “calling card” for Lana, something other than the red paint or the wax apple. What would it be, and how would it connect to her traumatic past and her mission for justice?