The Truth about the Devlins

Analyze Scottoline’s use of TJ and John as foils. In what ways does she juxtapose their characters, and how does it amplify the thematic meaning of the novel?

Family is a central topic of The Truth About the Devlins. How does Scottoline use the Devlin family to explore the nature of family dynamics? What conclusions, if any, does the novel come to?

Discuss Scottoline’s depiction of addiction and recovery through TJ’s story. Trace TJ’s journey, analyzing how he approaches recovery, and what he learns about it during the course of the novel.

Explore how the Devlins’ family history impacts their present relationships and circumstances.

How does Scottoline explore class issues in The Truth About the Devlins? Be sure to consider not only the larger manifestations of class in the novel, like the Holmesburg case, but also the Devlins’ own experience with class.

How does Scottoline’s background as a lawyer inform The Truth About the Devlins?

In the novel, Scottoline explores the intersection between ethics and the law. What conclusions does the novel draw about how these two concepts merge, and where they diverge?

Trace the development of TJ’s character over the course of the novel. How does he change, both personally and professionally, and how do his changes in these two areas of his life intersect and complement each other?