Book Summary and Reviews of El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott

Book Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout comes a simmering, atmospheric novel of friendship and betrayal, following a women-led pyramid scheme in suburban Detroit.

All I want is to be innocent again. But that's not how it works. Especially not after the Wheel.

The three Bishop sisters grew up in privilege in the moneyed suburbs of Detroit. But as the auto industry declined, so did their fortunes. Harper, the youngest, is barely making ends meet when her beloved, charismatic sister Pam—currently in the middle of a contentious battle with her ex-husband—and her eldest sister, Debra, approach her about joining an exciting new club.

The Wheel offers women like themselves—middle-aged and of declining means—a way to make their own money, independent of husbands or families. Quickly, however, the Wheel's success, and their own addiction to it, leads to greater and greater risks—and a crime so shocking it threatens to bring everything down with it.

Megan Abbott turns her keen eye toward women and money in El Dorado Drive, a riveting story about power, vulnerability, and how desperation draws out our most destructive impulses.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Which sister did you relate to the most? Why?
2. How does the seemingly idyllic suburban setting of El Dorado Drive contribute to the story's overall mood and tone? What is the author trying to say about life in the suburbs?
3. Which was your favorite scene in the book, and why?
4. How about your favorite line or paragraph?
5. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are central to this story—was there a scene or a reveal you thought was particularly surprising?
6. Did your opinion of any of the characters change from the beginning of the book to the end?
7. How might El Dorado Drive have read differently if it were told in the first person? What might you have learned it if had been told from Debra's POV? What about ...