1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How would you categorize this novel? Is this science fiction? Ecological fiction? Dystopian fiction? How does it compare to other books you’ve read set in a speculative future?
• Who were your favorite characters? 
• What was your favorite time frame to read about: pre-flu, the early days of the pandemic, or the society that is knitted together years later? Why?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• This novel was published six years before the Covid-19 pandemic. What are the differences between the fictional responses to the flu pandemic and the world’s real reaction to Covid? Did the subject matter hit too close to home?
• There is a debate within the new society that forms about how and whether to preserve memories of the past. What are the best reasons to hold on to and pass down events that came before? How do we strike this balance in our own lives?
• The graphic novel at the heart of the book becomes a kind of talisman for Kirsten and Tyler/the prophet. Have you ever felt this kind of deep connection to a piece of art or literature? How did it affect you?
• In the novel, there are several groups of people working to create some kind of functioning system.