*Note to youth leaders and teachers: You can pick and choose the questions depending on the purpose of your instruction and the age group of your students/readers.
Character development:
Characters-specific: Determine which characters you wish to discuss, either from the list given or others- Benedict, Micah, Isabella, Sebastian, Tommie, Eva, Faden, Roy, David, Martha, Mr. Jones.
How did adversity affect each character?
How was past or current adversity resolved as the character developed?
Why did Benedict have such a difficult time letting go of his past?
Why did Micah have such a strong faith?
Why was Isabella really called “Mama Bella”?
Why did Sebastian resent his father?
What was Tommie most afraid of?
Why was Eva so afraid to sing?
How well do you think Faden handled his feelings for Tommie?
What do you think David’s biggest challenge was?
What was Martha’s biggest fear?
How important was Mr. Jones’ character and why?
How did Roy demonstrate that an adverse past can create a positive future?
Which character was your favorite and why?
Which character do you feel was the strongest emotionally and why?
Characters-general:
Were you able to relate to any of the characters portrayed and in what way?
Were the characters believable?
Was there any experience in the novel that you feel you can apply to your own life experience?
Do you find this novel valuable? Explain your response.
Which character made the biggest transition, in your opinion?
Which character made the smallest transition, in your opinion?
Spirituality:
In your opinion, how well does the author portray the presence of God in the everyday lives of the characters?
Is the author successful in presenting faith in a relevant and relatable way?
Give an example of each of the following Christian values and explain where they were best presented:
forgiveness, strong faith, honesty, loyalty, perseverance, purity, charity, compassion, tolerance
Book Structure:
Discuss some of the narrative devices that the author uses? E.g. Flashbacks, foreshadowing, first person narration, plot twists, dialogue, and imagery. Do they work?
Do these narrative devices help move the story along or are they just distracting to the story?
Style:
What can you say about the author’s writing style?
Discuss the narrative style.
What are some of the noticeable themes in the book? How did the author develop these themes? Were these methods effective?
The Author:
How well did the author take you into the story?
Was the use of description effective?
Could you envision each character?
Could you envision the setting?
Did you find this novel enjoyable?
Would you recommend it to a friend? Explain your response.
Does this book prompt you to want to read more from this author?
Quotes:
Which character quote did you find most effective?
Which character quote do you feel is the defining message in the novel?
Image Credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
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t.m. gaouette 