Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Think about the book’s blend of genres. It moves from a supernatural ghost story to a psychological thriller and a revenge plot. Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling, and how did the shifts in genre affect your reading experience?

2. Riley Sager is known for his shocking twists. How did the dual reveal about the revenge plot and the historical truth about Daisy compare to twists in his other novels you may have read, such as Final Girls (2017) or The Last Time I Lied (2018)?

3. What did you think of the novel’s ending? Were you satisfied with Marin’s transformation and her final choice to leverage the SD card for her career, or did you hope for a different outcome for her and Violet?

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

1. Marin’s desire “to be known” is the driving force behind her final actions (343). Think about a time when you felt a strong ambition for recognition, either personally or professionally. Did you ever feel the need to compromise anything for the sake of this goal? How does this help you understand Marin’s final actions?

2. Many characters, from Marin and Violet to Roderick Semple, are haunted by their pasts. What are the ways you’ve tried to navigate or reckon with the guilt that you carry in your life? Do you think it’s useful to carry guilt or not?

3. The hauntings on New Avalon are personalized. Marin is haunted by her sister, Molly, while Violet is driven by the loss of her daughter, Elise. Have you ever felt that a past event or a memory had a powerful influence on your present life? How would you describe your relationship to your past?

4. The group of actresses bands together to seek justice for their friend. Think about a time when group solidarity or friendship was essential in helping you navigate a difficult situation. What were the challenges you faced in working together? How did you overcome the problem of that situation?

5. The actresses willingly embark on an immersive retreat to help them better embody the roles they are playing. How do you think you would handle the kind of isolation they experienced? Do you feel that you would argue for maintaining possession of certain devices like your phone for safety’s sake, or would you give in to the immersion?

6. Violet masterfully performs a version of herself in order to get Marin to do her bidding. In what kinds of situations in your own life do you find yourself balancing different roles to engage with certain types of people? Do you perform a different self at work, for instance?

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

1. How does the novel’s depiction of Ronan and the actresses’ revenge plot engage with the conversations sparked by the #MeToo movement? In what ways does the story reflect real-world issues of power, exploitation, and the challenges of holding influential figures accountable?

2. The story’s historical timeline is rooted in the 1920s Spiritualism movement, a response to widespread grief after World War I and the flu pandemic. What does the novel suggest about how societies turn to the supernatural to cope with collective loss? Do you see any parallels in how people seek comfort today?

3. By reframing a supernatural horror story as a psychological tragedy rooted in dissociative identity disorder, the novel shifts its focus from ghosts to the real-world impact of trauma. How does this twist challenge or reinforce common cultural ideas about mental illness?

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

1. What effect does the dual-timeline structure have on the story’s suspense and themes? How did your understanding of the New Avalon mystery change as you read Daisy’s diary entries alongside Marin’s modern-day investigation?

2. How do the competing narratives of Daisy’s diary and Ruth’s journal explore the theme of truth being malleable? Have you encountered a similar use of conflicting documents in other books, perhaps in classic Gothic novels that use letters and diaries to build suspense?

3. Trace Marin’s character arc from the insecure “unknown” to the Oscar-nominated star. What key moments or decisions define her transformation? By the end, would you classify her as a hero, an antihero, or something else entirely?

4. What significance does the isolated setting of New Avalon hold? How does the island itself seem to absorb and reflect the trauma and psychological tension of its inhabitants across different time periods?

5. In what ways do cameras and recordings function as instruments of power? How does the novel trace the control of the narrative from Ronan’s secret tapes to the camcorder footage that ultimately gives Marin the upper hand?

6. How does the lightning-scarred oak tree function as a central symbol in the novel? What does its consistent use as a marker for the “vanished” women in both timelines suggest about the cyclical nature of trauma and memory?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were adapting The Unknown for the screen, which scene would you be most excited to direct? What creative choices would you make with cinematography, sound, and lighting to capture the atmosphere of that moment?

2. Imagine a conversation between Marin and Violet five years after the Academy Awards ceremony. What do you think their relationship looks like now? Are they still bound by their secret pact, or has the dynamic between them shifted again?

3. Picture yourself creating a museum exhibit about the New Avalon legend. What five key items would you include to tell both the mythical ghost story and the true psychological tragedy? How would you present them to the public?