We hope these questions help guide your group's discussion for this unforgettable debut. We’ve done our best to avoid spoilers, but don’t read this Guide unless you’ve finished The Names – you don’t want to run the risk of ruining any reveals!
- Do you think the cover accurately reflects the book? If so, how do you think it’s particularly evocative?
- What did you think of the book being divided into three lives of Gordon, Julian and Bear? How did it affect your reading experience?
- Have you read another book with a ‘sliding doors’ narrative? If so, how was The Names similar or different to it/them?
- Was the prologue effective for you? What did you think of the illustrations at the start of each character’s story?
- What genre would you describe The Names as fitting into? What novels would you compare it to? Delve into genre specifics if applicable
- Did you find Florence Knapp’s depiction of the various settings authentic? Are any of the settings similar to or different from any places you’ve visited or lived in?
- Name the core theme/s of The Names? Do you feel the author handles them effectively?
- Use a quote from The Names as a discussion catalyst.
- How do Gordon, Julian and Bear grow and change because of the events of the novel? Did your opinion of them change as the book progressed?
- Did you see any of the book’s dramatic twists coming? Did any revelation surprise you more than the others?
- What did you think of the ending? Did it surprise you? Do you feel everything was resolved?
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The unforgettable debut novel that became an instant global sensation, The Names asks how a name can shape the course of a life and explores the single what-if moments that can overturn a person's fate
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