We hope these questions help guide your group's discussion of this thought-provoking page turner!
Nature is a central theme in many of Inga Simpson’s works. How is this explored throughout The Thinning? What do you think are some of the other core themes of the novel?
Have you read any of Inga Simpson’s previous books? If so, how would you compare them to The Thinning?
What genre would you categorise The Thinning as? Do you think it could it be considered to be a number of different genres?
Now that you’ve read the book, revisit the three epigraphs. Why do you think Inga Simpson chose them? How do they foreshadow or explore the key themes of the novel?
How does the world Inga Simpson has created in The Thinning feel similar or different to ours? In what ways is it distinctly Australian?
‘Finley. You grew up beneath these stars. They’re part of you’ (page 31). How has Fin’s life been shaped by her deep connection with astronomy and astro-photography?
How does Terry change as a character through the events of the novel and their connection with Fin? How might their future have been different if they’d never seen Fin in the first place?
Hild’s parents made a very different choice to Fin’s about mandatory fertility testing. How have their decisions changed the lives of their daughters? Do you think there was a clear right or wrong choice, or were there shades of grey?
From the CIVIL TWILIGHT section of the book onwards, each chapter starts with a timestamp. How did this affect your reading experience? Did it hep build tension?
‘With him gone, nothing fits back together in the same way. My mother and I are stuck, orbiting each other like binary stars, a dark nebula of loss, devoted to the project of survival (page 143)’. How do we see Dianella and Fin process their grief? How does their mother-daughter relationship change as a result?
What do you think the future looks like for Fin and Terry and why?
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A dying world. A race against time. Two unlikely heroes. The paperback edition of the critically acclaimed novel from Inga Simpson, perfect for teens.
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