Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor

1. The best I can hope for is that I will find what I have always needed; what I realize I am looking for even now: a story I can live with. (p.7)
   
   Throughout this book Finn reshapes events so they become something she can accept and live with. The story of the Ship of Theseus is used to explain this idea. Do you think we all do this, to some degree? Can you think of an example from your own life?
2. Her skin shone white in the moonlight. According to Daphne, the ancient Greeks were always going on about white skin in their poems. (p.46)
   
   Throughout the novel Daphne is connected to Greek mythology and ancient Greece. In the Greek myth, Daphne is disgusted by all things romantic. How do we see this dynamic played out in Girl Falling? What other connections to ancient Greece or Greek mythology can you find?
3. I liked this version of myself, the one that walked next to Magdu. I wanted someone to see it. But wasn't that fucked up? Was I congratulating myself on her being brown, on what that said about me? Or was it because she was a girl, because we were both girls together, and that was something, wasn't it? (p.34)
   
   This is one example of Finn seeking external validation. What events in her past and what other relationships in her life set her up as someone who needs external validation more than most? How do we see this play out in her relationships?
4. She seems like a lovely girl, Mum had said when she first met Magdu. (p.38)
   
   We see many different reactions to the Finn/Magdu relationship throughout the novel. Discuss some of the things that can impact how people react to this relationship.
5. The old fear – that she would have a glass of brandy with her smoke – moved through me. (p.40)
   
   In the Before chapters we see Finn in several situations where she has to be responsible at a young age. How does that affect her later in life?
6. "You say that Daphne has done so much for you, but I don't see it. Maybe when you were in high school, but not lately." (p.175)
   
   Daphne waved a hand. "Why are we talking about this, anyway?" You were the one who brought it up. I thought the words but couldn't say them. (p.191-92)
   
   We see Daphne use manipulation and gaslighting techniques throughout the book to get what she wants. Discuss how she does this with not only Finn but other characters. How does this dynamic play out in her relationships?
7. "Fuck, Finnbo. You act like you've never lost control. Like you've never wanted to look inside a box you knew you weren't supposed to." (p.47)
   
   This is another example of Greek mythology and references Pandora's box – in the original myth the box is gifted to the first woman on Earth and contains all the evils of the world. How does this myth connect to Finn/Daphne when Daphne finds the engagement ring?
8. It was an old Looney Tunes bit, when one of the characters smells a pie cooling on a shelf, the smell indicated by two little lines that dance, and follows it, nose first. (p.49)
   
   Throughout the book we see Finn make reference to Daphne using kids' cartoons. Compare this to how Daphne often uses Greek mythology. How does this set up the dynamic between the two girls? How does this portray different aspects of their character?
9. "I was so angry at my sister," Daphne said. "For what she did. That's the part no one lets you talk about." (p.51)
   
   The book shows grief as it is experienced by different characters (Finn, Daphne, Finn's mum, Sunita). How is each character's experience different? What do these different expressions show about the characters' personalities?
10. She spoke softly but deliberately. "Sometimes I get so angry at myself for thinking I can do this." "Do what?" "Life." (p.63)
    
    One of the book's main themes is mental health. Discuss how this is explored through various characters.
11. "I wonder what I would hear if I could get inside your head." (p.127)
    
    Magdu makes this comment off hand and in passing, but if each character had a superpower, what do you think it would be?
12. She'd died loving me, and even in that sad, cold room, some part of me knew I'd won something. (p.139)
    
    In this situation what did Finn win? Do you think there are winners and losers in love? What does this say about Finn as a person?
13. All of the characters in this book can be boiled down to either villains or heroes. Looking at Daphne and Finn, discuss how they are both villains and heroes in different situations and in different ways.
14. The timeline of the novel jumps back and forth throughout. What did this do for your understanding of the plot as it unfolds?
15. Who would I be now if I'd been born into this house? If they'd carried me home and placed me in a room with white carpet, everything would have been different. (p.270)
    
    There are several examples in the book of different experiences of growing up. How can a child's situation, their parents, the parenting styles used to raise them and the experiences – including traumas – of their childhood have long-lasting effects on their lives? Discuss.
16. How does the Australian mountain landscape play a role/character in the novel?
17. Like Hayley Scrivenor's first book, Girl Falling opens with a character's death. Why do you think the author has done this?

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