Discussion Questions for The Captive
1. Mya and Jake have a hard time working together at first.
Have you ever had a difficult co-worker? How did you resolve the situation?
2. Mya has missed
living in Algiers and thinks of it as home, even though she hasn’t lived there
since she was a young girl. Where do you consider home? When was the last time
you were there?
3. Jake grew up in a
foster care situation. How does that situation shape him as a person?
4. Even though
Chivonn and Jake aren’t biological siblings, they still treat each other that
way. Do you have a person in your life that you treat as a sister or brother
that isn’t related to you?
5. Some members of
the task force are from Canada. Do you know very much about Canada? Could you
name all the provinces and territories? Can you name any famous Canadians?
(Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, Kiefer
Sutherland, Ryan Gosling, Howie Mandel, Carly Rae Jepsen, Keanu Reeves, Alex
Trebek, Christopher Plummer, Michael Buble, Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, to name a
few.)
6. Mya is still struggling over the death of her mother. How
does grief change you and your perspective on life?
7. Cooking helps
alleviate stress for Mya. What is your go-to stress reliever?
8. Algerian pastries
are a comfort food for Mya. What’s your favorite comfort food?
9. What was your
favorite part of this book? Was there a line or conversation that stood out to
you? What part kept you turning pages when you should have been in bed?
10. If this book were
made into a movie, who would you choose to play Mya and Jake?
Discussion Questions for All Fall Down
1. Rafe is having a hard time thinking about starting a new career. Have you ever had to start over? What did you do to make the transition easier?
2. Rafe’s brother is kidnapped by terrorists and he will do anything to get him back. How far would you go for your brother or sister?
3. Claire feels a lot of guilt over her brother’s death. How do you deal with regrets?
4. Claire’s father has been mostly absent. How do you think an absentee parent affects you emotionally?
5. Do you feel like Claire and Rafe changed or grew from the beginning of the book to the end?
6. When I was a young girl, I went to see the movie, Return of the Jedi. I didn’t like the ending, and thought the celebration should have been for Han and Leia’s wedding. If you could change the ending of All Fall Down, how would you end it?
7. Did you learn anything while reading this book? About the military? Or Afghanistan? Or computer forensics? Relationships?
8. What was your favorite part? The funniest line? The part that made you keep turning pages when you should have been in bed?
9. Claire is a strong woman in her profession as a hostage negotiator and it is difficult at first for her and Rafe to learn to work together. Do you ever feel like strong women have more to prove, or that we’re in a “man’s world?” Did you like how Rafe handled the situation?
10. If this book was made into a movie, who would play Claire and Rafe? (My personal choices are Henry Cavill and Jennifer Garner. Your turn!)
1. Mya and Jake have a hard time working together at first.
Have you ever had a difficult co-worker? How did you resolve the situation?
2. Mya has missed living in Algiers and thinks of it as home, even though she hasn’t lived there since she was a young girl. Where do you consider home? When was the last time you were there?
3. Jake grew up in a foster care situation. How does that situation shape him as a person?
4. Even though Chivonn and Jake aren’t biological siblings, they still treat each other that way. Do you have a person in your life that you treat as a sister or brother that isn’t related to you?
5. Some members of the task force are from Canada. Do you know very much about Canada? Could you name all the provinces and territories? Can you name any famous Canadians? (Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, William Shatner, Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, Ryan Gosling, Howie Mandel, Carly Rae Jepsen, Keanu Reeves, Alex Trebek, Christopher Plummer, Michael Buble, Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, to name a few.)
6. Mya is still struggling over the death of her mother. How does grief change you and your perspective on life?
7. Cooking helps alleviate stress for Mya. What is your go-to stress reliever?
8. Algerian pastries are a comfort food for Mya. What’s your favorite comfort food?
9. What was your favorite part of this book? Was there a line or conversation that stood out to you? What part kept you turning pages when you should have been in bed?
10. If this book were made into a movie, who would you choose to play Mya and Jake?
Discussion Questions for All Fall Down
Discussion Questions for Dangerous Connections
1. Tyler is trying to find peace in his life after his tour of duty in Iraq, but seems to be thwarted at every turn. With war so prevalent in today’s world, is finding peace a central theme for everyday people?
2. The U.S.A. and the French have a unique relationship in that they have helped each other during crises, yet sometimes no support has been offered. Did you feel like the book presented a fair view of both countries and their attempts to win the war on terror?
3. If you could insert yourself as one character from the book, who would it be, and why?
4. Isabella feels a lot of responsibility for those around her and is struggling with feelings of guilt. How does she cope with this and do you feel like she found some solutions to her problems by the end of the book?
5. If you could rewrite the ending, what would you change?
Trivia Questions for Dangerous Connections:
1. How did the French help the Continental Army during the Revolutionary war?
2. What did Isabella cook for Tyler in the safehouse?
3. What three famous Parisian tourist attractions does Tyler visit in Paris?
4. What was Devigny’s motivation for becoming a traitor?
5. What was the name of the airport where the hangar blew up?
Discussion Questions for All’s Fair
1. What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story? Could you imagine yourself in Iraq? Massachusetts?
2. What specific themes did you feel were emphasized throughout the novel? What do you think the author was trying to get across to the reader?
3. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
4. How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
5. Did the book present a different world view to you?
6. Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
7. How did you feel about the distance between Kristen and her father? Did her “daddy issues” affect her decision making?
8. Did you agree or disagree with Brandon’s decision to operate on Sayed Fahim? Would you do it differently?
9. Which character in this book would you most like to meet? What would you ask—or say?
10. If you could rewrite the ending, how would you end it?
If your book club meeting is within the Wasatch Front area, please invite me! I’d love to come discuss my books or the current book market and upon request I will bring a free book for a drawing at the end of the evening. Use the contact form on the website for my availability.