Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The story kicks off with Caroline’s very public and messy jelly-donut mishap. What were your first impressions of her and the book’s tone from this opening scene? How did the novel either meet or subvert the expectations you had at the beginning?

2. Did you previously know about the literary scandal surrounding Couples? How did the literary shadow of John Updike (whether through his novel Couples or other works like Rabbit, Run [1960]) shape your reading experience? Did it make you more or less sympathetic to Caroline’s decision to write about her friends?

3. What did you think of the novel’s ending, with the jelly donut reappearing on Caroline’s car? Did you find this gesture from Van to be a hopeful sign for their future, or did it feel more ambiguous?

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

1. The Greenhead friends have a bond forged in high school that gets severely tested by adult life. Think about your own long-term friendships. In what ways have they had to evolve to accommodate new partners, children, and personal growth?

2. Fran grapples with feeling like she carries the entire mental load for her family, leading to deep resentment toward RJ. Have you ever felt a similar imbalance in a partnership or family dynamic? How did Fran’s journey toward renegotiating her relationship with RJ resonate with you?

3. Caroline moves to Greenhead to escape her famous mother’s influence and build an identity of her own. Can you relate to the experience of trying to step out of someone else’s shadow or reinvent yourself in a new place? How so?

4. The novel’s central motif is the “shampoo effect,” where old feelings for a person can quickly lather up again. Have you ever experienced a “shampoo effect” dynamic in a relationship, where a connection from the past proved hard to completely wash away?

5. Augusta’s desire for a perfect marriage is deeply influenced by the pain of her parents’ divorce. How has your own family history shaped the expectations you bring into your adult relationships?

6. Bailey chooses a non-traditional path, first as a single mother and later as a co-parent with Van. Have you ever been in a position where you chose to defy a tradition because it encroached on your agency or other values? What was the impact of your decision?

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

1. The novel is set in real locations like Ipswich and Gloucester, featuring local landmarks like the Crane Estate and traditions like the Greasy Pole competition. How does this strong sense of place anchor the story? What might it suggest about class, history, and community in coastal New England?

2. After Caroline’s story is published, it goes viral, and she faces significant online backlash. What does the novel seem to say about “cancel culture” and the public’s appetite for passing judgment on private lives, especially when art imitates life?

3. From Augusta’s initial ideal of monogamy to Fran and RJ’s renegotiated partnership and Bailey and Van’s co-parenting, the book presents a spectrum of modern relationships. What do these different family structures reveal about contemporary ideas of commitment, fidelity, and what it means to build a life with someone?

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

1. Caroline’s decision to fictionalize the secrets of the Greenhead group is the book’s central ethical dilemma. Is her choice an act of artistic necessity, a justifiable response to heartbreak, or an unforgivable betrayal?

2. What role do the recurring observations of animal behavior, such as the infertile swans, the aggressive greenhead flies, and the “queen ball” of bees, play in the novel? How do these moments from the natural world reflect the characters’ own primal instincts and social dynamics?

3. In what ways does Augusta’s journey, from her paranoia over the blue lace underwear to her reconciliations with Colin and Eben, challenge the idea of a “perfect” suburban life?

4. How did the use of multiple perspectives from Caroline, Augusta, Fran, and Bailey shape your understanding of the story’s events? Did you find your allegiance shifting depending on whose point of view you were reading?

5. Ned Clark evolves from a sleazy agent into a pragmatic mentor for Caroline. What is his function in the novel, particularly in how he complicates the theme of art versus commerce?

6. The novel explores the secrets and lies simmering beneath the surface of a wealthy, tight-knit community, which is a popular theme in contemporary fiction. How did you feel The Shampoo Effect’s approach to this theme compared to other books or shows you’ve encountered, like Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies (2014)?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were writing a short epilogue set five years after the book ends, which character’s perspective would you choose? What do you imagine has happened in their lives, particularly between Caroline and Van?

2. Picture yourself as the casting director for a film adaptation of The Shampoo Effect. Who would you cast in the lead roles of Caroline, Van, Bailey, Augusta, and Fran, and what makes them the perfect fit?

3. Caroline ultimately writes a successful satirical novel about herself and the publishing world. Based on what you know of her journey, what title would you give her debut novel?