Thornwood is a sinister and impactful setting that creates vivid memories even though the characters only spend a few months there. Compare and contrast Thornwood with another significant literary mansion or estate; consider, for example Wuthering Heights (1847), Manderley in Rebecca (1938), or Hill House in The Haunting of Hill House (1959).

In the 1999 storyline, the six main characters are all in their early twenties, and Mia is a teenager in the 2024 storyline. How are youthful characters depicted and contrasted with older characters? Are they depicted as capable of achieving things that more mature characters are not?

Sexual jealousy is presented as a powerful force in the novel. Will is extremely jealous of Dominic during the summer of 1999, and Callum and Dominic subsequently end up as rivals for Amber’s affection. Analyze how jealousy functions to propel the conflict of the narrative and how it intersects with depictions of power and gender.

The novel includes several confessions, yet Sophie is the only original team member who reveals no major secret. Analyze Sophie’s role as a moral center or stable presence in the narrative. How does her relative innocence and steadfastness highlight the corruption and guilt of the other characters?

By the time of the dinner party, many of the original team members have had children of their own. How does the novel depict parenthood? How do Lily and Rohan’s attitudes toward their children set the stage to contrast with Georgina’s guilt?

Amber, Callum, and Eve all initially appear as hired help but take on more complex roles. Discuss how these character arcs contribute to a critique of social class. To what extent do the working-class characters remain more vulnerable than the wealthier ones?

Compare and contrast Professor Marlowe with other examples of the “obsessed genius” figure in literature, such as Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein (1818) or Doctor Moreau from The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896). What motivations typically drive these characters? Why are they unable to see the destructive nature of their actions until it is too late?

At the end of the novel, Sophie quips that there’s “nothing like a shotgun in your face to make you reassess your priorities” (387). How do the violent and traumatic events of the dinner party change the survivors? What do their new priorities reveal about how they had previously been held back?