Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why do you think Griffin and Jackson are so immediately drawn to each other? Would they be friends—much less more than friends—if Theo hadn't died?
2. When a break up occurs, what's the best way to move on? Reliving the history, as Griffin does, or forgetting the past? Is the latter possible for Griffin? For anyone?
3. How does Griffin's OCD manifest, and what are the misconceptions that surround that condition? Were you surprised at how this played out in the book?
4. Griffin says "I'm not a big fan of secrets. Secrets can turn people into liars..." Do you agree? Or are secrets more often a way of keeping safe the ones we love? What are some examples of each kind in the book?
5. Liking flowers: manly or not manly?
6. Relationships, houses, and futures, among other things, are all described in the book as being completed or notably incomplete puzzles. What do you think is the significance of this recurring image?
7. So often in novels, particularly young adult novels, absent or negligent parents are a part of the plot. How does it change the novel that Griffin and Theo's parents are all together and fairly happily married? Does it detract in any way that they're so involved in Griffin's grief?
8. Would you have broken up with Theo when he left? Why? Why not? Did Griffin do the right thing?

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