Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Think about your first reaction to the sudden, total collapse of technology. What expectations did the opening chapters set for you as a reader? How did the rest of the story either meet or subvert those expectations?

2. The novel plunges you directly into the chaos of the collapse with a very fast pace. How did this narrative speed affect your reading experience and your connection to the characters as they navigated the initial crisis?

3. How does Walters’s portrayal of societal collapse and the attempts to rebuild compare to other stories you’ve read in the genre, such as William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1954)?

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

1. Adam’s old, computer-free Omega car goes from a “piece of junk” to a vital community asset. Think about a time when an old object you own proved to be unexpectedly useful. In what ways do you find older technology to be better than more modern items?

2. Herb Campbell justifies closing the community’s gates with his lifeboat analogy, arguing that they can’t save everyone without sinking themselves. How did you feel about this decision, and what moral challenges do you think are involved in balancing compassion with self-preservation?

3. Throughout the story, Adam is forced to mature at an accelerated pace, taking on immense responsibilities. Can you think of a time in your life when you had to step up in a way that felt beyond your years or experience?

4. In the text, Herb argues that “[c]risis doesn’t change people; it reveals them” (325). What aspects of your own personality might be revealed if you found yourself in a similar crisis?

5. In your own experience, what are the most important elements for building a strong and resilient community?

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

1. Walters’s story hinges on a catastrophic failure of all computer-based systems, a scenario that taps into modern anxieties about technological dependence. How plausible did this premise feel to you, and what present-day vulnerabilities did it bring to your mind?

2. What does the novel argue about the relationship between infrastructure and social order? The story suggests that “civilized behavior is nothing more than a thin veneer” that cracks when desperation sets in (47). Where do you see evidence for or against this idea in your own society’s responses to crises?

3. The community of Eden Mills essentially creates a new government from scratch, complete with a leadership committee, a census, and a court. What does their process of rebuilding suggest about the essential foundations of a functional society?

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

1. Herb is a complex figure who acts as a mentor but uses morally questionable methods. Is he ultimately a positive or negative force in the story? Is he really as ruthless and calculating as he seems?

2. How do the leadership styles of Captain Kate Daley, Herb, and Adam contrast with one another, and what does each contribute to the community’s survival?

3. Walters tells the story from Adam’s first-person perspective. In what ways does this narrative choice limit or enhance your understanding of the events and other characters, like Herb or Lori?

4. Unlike the rigid, top-down society in a book like Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games (2008), the community in The Rule of Three attempts to build a more collaborative and democratic society. In what ways does their new government succeed or fail in living up to Adam’s ideals of justice and fairness? What challenges does it face?

5. The titular “rule of three” serves as a recurring motif. How does this survival principle shape the community’s ethical framework and justify its most difficult decisions, such as hoarding resources or turning away outsiders?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The community renames itself Eden Mills, suggesting the idea of a safe haven. If you had the chance to choose a different name for the fortified neighborhood, what would it be, and why?

2. Imagine you are tasked with designing the first edition of the community’s newspaper, The New Neighborhood News. What would be your headline story, and what other two or three articles would you include to inform and rally the residents?

3. If you were to write a new scene from the perspective of a minor character, such as Todd, Lori, or Mr. Peterson, which event would you choose to show through their eyes?