Do Not Become Alarmed Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Cruise Ship Catastrophes and our BookBrowse Review of Do Not Become Alarmed.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Do Not Become Alarmed is about a family that encounters sudden and unexpected danger. What do you think this says about the world around us, and about the way we perceive safety?
2. There is also a global aspect to the book, as the disaster occurs while the families are traveling. How might our countries of origin affect our understanding of safety? As Americans, is there a sense that we live in a bubble, that we are sheltered from many harsh realities?
3. The children in Do Not Become Alarmed vary in age—how do you think they each process the events of the novel, and to what extent does it change them? What do they learn?

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