![]() Toward the end of the novel, Del meditates on the justice of Hattie’s case. How have their personalities, and not just their circumstances, led them to this rupture in their marriage?ġ2. How are they similar? In what ways do their personalities diverge? How have Hattie’s conflicting personas, the good daughter and the rebel, been shaped by her family?ġ1. Describe each member of the Hoffman family. How do they use their power and influence in positive ways? In negative ways?ġ0. Analyze what types of power each of them wields and where the power comes from. Our three main characters each hold a certain kind of power, whether formally recognized, such as Del’s job, or simply understood, like Hattie’s popularity. How is obsession portrayed throughout the novel? In particular, discuss the obsessions of the three narrators, Hattie, Peter, and Del.ĩ. Hattie thinks of herself as more mature and sophisticated than her peers (and most adults in her hometown), but when and how is her naiveté revealed?Ĩ. Discuss the typical reasons this type of relationship is considered transgressive and whether those reasons hold true here.ħ. One of the most significant relationships in the book is a taboo relationship. A taboo is something that is banned for reasons of morality or taste, or that which constitutes an unacceptable level of risk. Compare and contrast Hattie and Mary in terms of the evolution of their identities and ambitions.Ħ. One of the book’s themes is identity and self-actualization. In what ways does Hattie move from an affinity with Jane at the beginning of the book to an affinity with Lady Macbeth at the end?ĥ. How is Hattie similar to Jane? Do you think she has anything in common with Bertha Mason?Ĥ. Hattie and Peter originally bond over Jane Eyre, which is similarly focused on hidden identities, deception, and unconventional women. Macbeth isn’t the only famous work woven into Everything You Want Me to Be. How do the play’s themes resonate in the book?ģ. Although the “curse of Macbeth” didn’t kill Hattie, as her classmate suggests early on, the play’s themes, such as the price of unchecked ambition and the difference between appearance and reality, do run throughout Mindy Mejia’s novel. How do her descriptions of the natural world and the change of seasons reflect the internal states of the characters?Ģ. Mindy Mejia grew up in Minnesota and knows its landscape well. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the bookġ. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. This reading group guide for Everything You Want Me to Be includes discussion questions and ideas for enhancing your book club. Does love lead to self-discovery-or destruction? Reading Group Guide The question is: Did anyone else know? And to what lengths might they have gone to end it? Hattie’s boyfriend seems distraught over her death, but had he fallen so deeply in love with her that she had become an obsession? Or did Hattie’s impulsive, daredevil nature simply put her in the wrong place at the wrong time, leading her to a violent death at the hands of a stranger?įull of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town’s darkest secrets come to the forefront…and she inches closer and closer to death.Įvocative and razor-sharp, Everything You Want Me to Be challenges you to test the lines between innocence and culpability, identity and deception. It soon comes to light that Hattie was engaged in a highly compromising and potentially explosive secret online relationship. When she’s found brutally stabbed to death, the tragedy rips right through the fabric of her small-town community. But Hattie wants something more, something bigger, and ultimately something that turns out to be exceedingly dangerous. Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good girlfriend. "Readers drawn to this compelling psychological thriller because of its shared elements with Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) will be pleasantly surprised to discover that Mejia’s confident storytelling pulls those themes into an altogether different exploration of manipulation and identity.” - Booklist (starred review)ġ2 Books Gone Girl Fans Should Have on Their Wish List - BookBub “Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl will devour this fast-paced story.”- InStyle The Wall Street Journal’s Best New Mysteries ![]()
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