Second Glance Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. With a title like Second Glance, what can we immediately assume about the story, even before beginning reading? In what ways does this title help us to understand that this book is not only about revisiting the past, but also about exploring what we thought we knew, what we may have been mistaken about, and how things look different in hindsight?
2. In many ways Second Glance is a rumination on the delicate balance between life and death, suffering and happiness, and desperation and fulfillment. And while all of the characters must find a way to muddle through the madness, they do it in very different ways. Ross is desperate to die, while Ethan struggles with the painful knowledge that he will probably die young. But despite this fact, Ethan seems to be very well adjusted -- he has a sense of wisdom that certainly transcends his age. What might Ross stand to learn from his nephew about the value of life? Do you think Ross does learn anything about the nature of life and death?
3. What kinds of preconceptions and assumptions are challenged throughout this story? Meredith, for example, comes to question everything, thinking to herself, "Maybe the sky was not really blue, maybe science did not hold all the answers, maybe she was not happy with her life." Why is it that most characters in this novel must have their world completely turned upside down before they can begin to see things differently? Why do people become so anchored in their own version of "reality" that they cannot accept or even see things that lie outside of it?

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