MARISSA FINCH

1. All three characters in this book had dark sides and kept secrets. Who do you think was the real villain? Whose crimes were the worst?

 

2. When James and Aurora have their final confrontation in the woods, Aurora is surprised to see him tear up when talking about Lily. Do you think James really loved Lily? Why or why not?

 

3. Do you think Lily loved James? Why did she stay with him even though he was abusive toward her?

 

4. Even though Lily had killed someone in the past, did you feel sympathetic toward her? Why or why not? Do you think she was right to run after the incident with her father, or should she have stayed and faced the consequences? How might her life had turned out differently if she’d stayed?

 

5. Were you surprised to find out that it was not Lily in the hole? Did the author ‘play fair’ in creating that twist? Were there any clues that it was someone other than Lily?

 

6. James was left alone in the woods where he starved / died of dehydration at the bottom of the hole. Did he get what he deserved? 

 

7 What did you think of the ending? Do you believe Aurora ever loved James, or did she just hate him and want to punish him?

 

8. Do you think Aurora will end up in prison? Does she deserve to?