People Like Us Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The National Book Awards and our BookBrowse Review of People Like Us.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "People like us" is a refrain said by characters time and time again throughout the novel. What do the characters mean when they say it to The Author? Why do you think he always repeats the phrase back as a question?

2. "And, just like that, there I was. Freshly minted. A bona fide Author of Some Renown." The Author tells us this when he wins an important literary award, The Big One, near the beginning of the book. How does this win affect him, and the way others treat him?

3. Both main characters are trying to reckon with their pasts: the Author is being haunted by a physical manifestation of his fate even as he leaves America, and Soot spends his time reliving pivotal moments with his family. Do you think you can ever outrun your past? Can you ever fully understand it?

4. What questions does the novel raise about being Black in America? How do the characters grapple with their American identity and the meaning of home as Black men?

5. The story is told with elements of the fantastical, with characters time traveling and sea monsters beckoning from the deep. Why do you think these supernatural elements are woven into the narrative? What does it say about our characters' psyches?

6. What do you think the book is saying about our American fixation with guns? Why do you think our main characters own guns, when they live with the constant threat of gun violence? What effect does the mere presence of the guns have in the story?

7. The tone of the book is often funny and the pages are filled with irreverent comedy, even as the story deals with serious themes. How does humor help us understand the meaning our characters are trying to make of the world, even in the face of all its brokenness?

8. Where do our main characters look for peace and belonging in a world that has precious little of that to offer? Do you think they succeed?

9. People Like Us is often self-referential to itself as a book, with allusions to the construct of the story and the presence of an author. What do you think the book says about the power of fiction and the role of the author in our world?

10. Why do you think Jason Mott chooses to share his own story in the final chapter of the book? Do you see the fictional characters and their journeys differently after learning about the author's own experiences?

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