book club guide...book club guide discussion questions: 1. from the first chapter, evan presents his...
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BOOK CLUB GUIDE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:1. Fromthefirstchapter,Evanpresentshisstrugglewith“thetrueme”(p.8).Butthatstruggleisn’tuniquetoEvan.
Howdoeseachcharacterstrugglewithbeingtruetohimselforherself?
2. WereyouangrywithEvanfornottellingthetruthabouttheletter?Aretherebenefitstoperpetuatingthelie?
3. HowdoesEvan’sramblinginnermonologuechangeoverthecourseofthenovel?Howdoesitreflecthismentalstate?
4. Thewritinginthisnovelisfromthefirstpersonperspective,bothfromEvan’spointofviewandfromConnor’s.Howdoesthisnarrativetechniqueimpactthestory?Howdoesitmakeitmorerelatable?Doesitmakeyouwishyoucouldhearothercharacters’innermonologuesaswell?Whyisitimportantthatwedon’tgetto?
5. Socialmediaisanintegralpartofourdailylives,butitplaysanespeciallymajorroleinthisstory.Issocialmediareallysocial,ordoesitfurtherdisconnectcharacters?Inwhatwaysdoesitpositivelyimpactthecharacters?Howdoesithaveanegativeeffect?
6. HowisZoe’sgriefoverConnor’sdeathandhermourningprocessdifferentthantherestofherfamily’s?Howdoessheprocesshermixedemotionsandcomplicatedrelationshipwithherbrother?
7. “WhatIdoknowforsureisthatthesepeopleallseemtohaveadesperatedesiretoconnectwithsomeone.Theyfeelinspiredtosharetheirincrediblypersonalstories”(p.262).WhydopeoplerespondtoTheConnorProjectwhentheydon’tknowanyofthepeopleinvolved?Whydoesitbecomeaphenomenon?Canyouthinkofareal-lifeexampleofsomethingsimilar?
8. Evanhascomplicatedrelationshipswitheveryone,fromhismothertohisclassmates,butwhatdoesthatsayaboutrelationshipsingeneral?Aren’tallrelationshipscomplicated?HowdoesEvanrealizethis,andwhyisthatrealizationimportant?
9. Whydosimpleliessometimesspiraloutofcontrol?Whydopeoplewhotellliesbelievethatlyingisoftenlessdamagingthanthetruth?Whatkindofreliefcomeswithtellingthetruth,evenifthetruthispainful?
10. HeiditellsEvan,“Noparentknowswhattheirkidisreallyupto....We’realljustdoingthebestwecan”(p.374).WhydoesHeiditellEvanthis?Howdoesthisstatementextendbeyondparenthood?
11. Whatkindofresolutionisreachedattheend?Whyisitimportantthateverythingisn’tneatlyresolved?
12. Whyisthisnovelsoimportant?Howdoyouseeithelpingpeopleconnectwithothers?
13. Ifyou’veseenaperformanceoftheDear Evan Hansenmusical,howdoesthisnovelexpandonthestoryfromtheshow?Howdoesthemusicaffectthestory?
14. Todayisgoingtobeanamazingday.Why?
Book Club Pick
DEAR EVAN HANSEN, TODAY’S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING DAY AND HERE’S WHY . . .
WhenaletterthatwasnevermeanttobeseendrawshighschoolseniorEvanHansenintoafamily’sgriefoverthelossoftheirson,Evanisgiventhechanceofalifetime:tobelong.HejusthastopretendthatthenotoriouslytroubledConnorMurphywashissecretbestfriend.
Suddenly,Evanisn’tinvisibleanymore—eventothegirlofhisdreams.AndConnorMurphy’sparentshavetakenhiminlikehe’stheirown,desperatetoknowmoreabouttheirenigmaticsonfromhis“closestfriend.”AsEvangetspulleddeeperintothefamily’sswirlofanger,regret,andconfusion,heknowsthatwhathe’sdoingcan’tberight,butifhe’shelpingpeople,howwrongcanitbe?
Nolongerincapacitatedbyanxietyorhidingfromthedisappointmentinhismother’seyes,thisnewEvanhasapurpose.Andconfidence.Everydayisamazing.Untileverythingisindangerofunravelingandhecomesface-to-facewithhisgreatestobstacle:himself.
Asimplelieleadstocomplicatedtruthsinthisbigheartedstoryofgrief,authenticity,andthestruggletobelonginanageofinstantconnectivityandprofoundisolation.
#DEHNovel | Join the conversation at theNOVL.com
by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul