Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Isabella's Not Dead by Beth Morrey

1. Isabella's Not Dead explores the death of a best friendship and the hunt to figure out what happened. Why do you think it's important to highlight these types of stories or narratives? What was one lesson you learned from this novel?
2. As Gwen searches for answers, she's joined by a wacky cast of characters, including her eccentric mother-in-law. Who, if any, of Gwen's companions do you think you'd be friends with in real life?
3. Have you known anyone like Isabella in your life? Can you understand Gwen's desperation to have Isabella in her life, and repair the rift? Why or why not?
4. What was your favorite scene in the novel, and why?
5. As the novel unfolds, you come to know Gwen and her feelings of inadequacy in comparing her life choices with Isabella's. How do you think this has affected Gwen over the years and fed into her need to find out why Isabella disappeared from her life?
6. Have you ever been ghosted by a friend, or ghosted a friend yourself? If so, why do you think that happened, or why did you decide to end the friendship that way?
7. Who was your favorite character, and why?
8. What do you think changed for Gwen throughout the course of the novel?
9. How far would you go to find answers to a mystery like Gwen's? Do you think she goes too far?
10. What were your thoughts on the ending?

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