Beat Dawkins and Melody Gallard first meet when they are 16 years old. Analyze how their initial meeting sets a precedent for their subsequent relationship. Consider the characters’ physiological and emotional responses to one another as teenagers and as adults, using textual evidence to support your answer.

Fletcher Carr is an antagonistic force in the novel. However, he occupies a peripheral presence in the narrative rather than being a central character. How does he augment the narrative tension? How does his looming presence contribute to Navigating and Repairing Fraught Familial Dynamics?

Analyze how the “Wreck the Halls” project challenges Beat and Melody to balance their public and private lives. How does the project expose the protagonists? How does it complicate their evolving romance and contribute to The Complexities of Love Under the Spotlight?