Bitter in the Mouth employs several reveals, but the most prominent reveal is likely the protagonist’s ethnicity at the end of the first part. Why does Truong delay this for so long? How does this information alter the reader’s perception of events in the first part, and how does it shape the narrative moving into the second part?

Although race isn’t explicitly addressed until Part 2, it forms a key part of the text. What is Linda’s experience growing up looking Asian in the American South? What claims does the novel make about race and racism in America?

The novel addresses themes of femininity and misogyny, particularly from the perspective of Linda and Kelly trying to make their way as atypical girls. What claims does the novel make about the experience of women in America? How do Kelly and Linda handle their experiences differently? To what extent are their pressures different?