How to Make Friends With the Dark is a work of young adult fiction. Pick another novel of the same genre and compare and contrast how the two novels tackle problems specific to young adults. What characteristics do the two novels have in common? What is specific to characters and subject matter?

The novel is narrated mostly in first-person voice. Where, how, and why does the book deviate from this narrative style? Trace the chapters that are written differently and explain what effect they have on the larger story.

The novel explores grief largely through Tiger’s story. Which other characters are also grieving? Does their grief manifest in similar or different ways compared to Tiger’s?