Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Megan Lally is known for her dark, twisty thrillers. If you’ve read her other books, like That’s Not My Name, how did What We Did to Survive compare in terms of suspense and character development? If this was your first Lally book, did it make you want to read more from her?

2. The revelation that Jackson was a hallucination is a major turning point in the novel. Did you see this twist coming? How did learning the truth about Jackson’s fate change your understanding of Hannah’s journey?

3. What was your overall feeling about the Epilogue? Did you find the ending, with Hannah and Emmy beginning to heal, to be a satisfying conclusion to such a traumatic story?

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

1. Emmy’s decision to trust Ben, despite numerous red flags, is central to the plot. Think about a time when you had to decide whether to trust your intuition about someone or give them the benefit of the doubt. What factors influenced your choice, and how does that experience connect with Emmy’s initial faith in Ben?

2. The friendship between Hannah and Emmy is tested by extreme crisis and betrayal. Have you ever experienced a friendship that was strengthened or strained by a difficult situation? What did that experience teach you about trust, loyalty, or forgiveness?

3. Have you ever felt like the “cautious” one in a friendship, the way Hannah is often dismissed as “boring” by Emmy and Ben? How did you navigate that dynamic?

4. The characters are forced to make rapid, high-stakes decisions with incomplete information. When have you been in a situation that required you to act decisively under pressure? What did you learn about yourself from that experience?

5. Hannah survives in part because of her practical knowledge, resilience, and determination. Which of these qualities do you think would be most valuable in a crisis, and why? Have you ever relied on a similar strength during a difficult situation, or is there a skill you would hope to rely on if faced with a comparable challenge?

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

1. The novel uses the character of Ben to critique the corrupting influence of unchecked privilege. Where do you see similar examples of wealth or status being used to evade accountability in society today?

2. What does the novel say about the illusion of safety in seemingly idyllic vacation destinations and the hidden risks that can exist beneath the surface?

3. What might the novel be suggesting about the different expectations placed on young people when responding to threats from entitled or powerful individuals?

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

1. How does Lally use first-person narration to create an unreliable narrative perspective? What subtle clues, if any, did you notice that hinted at Jackson’s true fate before the final reveal?

2. In what ways does the poorly maintained sailboat, the Be-Yacht-Ch, serve as a symbol for Ben’s character and the superficial promises he makes?

3. What key moments or decisions best highlight the contrast between Jackson and Ben as character foils?

4. How does Lally use the claustrophobic setting of the damaged boat to build tension between the characters before the shipwreck?

5. At what point in the story did you feel the characters crossed a moral line from which there was no return? How does the novel explore the difficult moral choices that Hannah faces as she struggles to survive?

6. The dynamic between the stranded teenagers has echoes of other classic survival stories. If you’ve read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, how does Ben’s increasing use of fear, violence, and control compare to the character of Jack?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re tasked with creating a survival kit based on the events of the novel, containing not just five physical items but also three key pieces of advice. What would you include in the kit, and what would your advice be?

2. If you could write a final journal entry from the perspective of Captain Keith before the trip, what would he reflect on?

3. Hannah and Emmy decide not to speak publicly about the full ordeal after their rescue. If you were in their position, what parts of the story would you share with the world, and what truths would you reserve only for each other? Why?