Compare the romances of Avery and Jameson, Hannah and Tobias, and Libby and Nash. How do their similarities and differences contribute to the themes of the collection? Trace the development of these characters, considering how their love affairs change them as people.

Does the Hawthorne boys’ brotherhood help them overcome their fraught legacy? Consider their relationships with each other and with their grandfather. How do they relate to each other, and how is their dynamic affected by their relationships with Tobias?

Games, puzzles, and riddles feature throughout the collection. Analyze the narrative, symbolic, and thematic significance of these pastimes. Consider what the games offer the characters and how the games impact their relationships.