Lowboy Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Lowboy.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How does the author demonstrate in writing what Will is going through, what the world looks and feels like to him? How does the tone and style in Will’s sections differ from the sections that follow Lateef or Violet?
   


2. How much responsibility do you think Violet bears for what happens to her son? How much of his behavior is genetically driven, and how much is a result of Violet’s influence and the circumstances of his upbringing?
   


3. Look at the scene in the cupcake shop on pages 130-133. What goes wrong in Will’s communication with the girl behind the counter that sets him off? What are some of the triggers throughout the story that cause Will to lose touch with the world as others see it?
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Picador. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.