Paperback Posse | Big Little Lies Book Club Discussion

FINALLY!

I’ve been dying to discuss this book in detail with you guys. Do not read through if you haven’t finished the book yet!

There was so much going on in this story, I can’t even begin to cover it all in five questions.

There was so much I liked about it. It dealt with some really heavy themes (a murder, abuse, bullying, family dynamics, body image), yet it managed to be really funny without making the issues at hand seem trivial.

I also really enjoyed that while there was a ton of cattiness and drama between the women in the book, at its core it was a book about female friendship. In the end, even women who didn’t see eye to eye came together and stood up for each other.

I was struck by how much I could relate to these women—even the women I didn’t particularly want to relate to. Madeline was one character that I started out unsure of and grew to love. On the surface, she’s all show with her attention-grabbing outfits and explosive personality. But once you get under that a little bit, you realize how fiercely loyal she is and how passionate she is about protecting the people she loves.

She also has some great lines. “Oh calamity” was a group favorite. I also really liked when Madeline found out about the petition to get Ziggy kicked out of school:

“It’s outrageous,” said Madeline. “I am incandescent with rage.”

I highlighted entirely too many little snippets like that from this book and I refuse to bore you with all of them, but I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say.

I’m going to list all of the questions here and then slowly trickle a question a day in the Facebook group (which is where most of our chatter goes down). Feel free to answer here or on Facebook, whichever is easiest for you. That said, if you aren’t part of the Facebook group, you’re missing out! Click over and request to join, we don’t bite. 😉

1. Why do you think the author chose to include snippets of the reporter’s interviews throughout the book? What purpose do you think she hoped it would serve? Do you think it was effective?
2. We get to see the events that unravel in this book through a lot of different perspectives (starting from the very beginning when we see Madeline and Jane’s initial meeting from both points of view). How do you think that influenced your impression of what was happening and your feelings about each of the characters?
3. Did you guess at any point who died or who had caused the death? Or were you surprised at the end? Did you suspect any of the characters throughout the course of the story? If so, why?
4. Bullying was a major theme throughout the book—from the schoolyard, to mothers, to the bullying that Celeste and Jane dealt with. What do you think Moriarty was trying to say about bullying? Are all types that same? Are some types less harmful?
5. We talked about this in the Facebook group a little, but what were your thoughts on the ending? Were you satisfied? Was there anything you would have liked to see end differently?

I can’t wait to hear what you guys think! And in case you missed it, I announced November’s pick earlier this morning!

Join our super squad!

If truth bombs & humor are your thing, you'll fit right in.

Your information will never be shared. No spam. Pinky promise.

Related posts:

Paperback Posse | November’s Book Club Vote Paperback Posse | October’s Book Club Vote Paperback Posse | November’s Book Club Pick Paperback Posse | This Is Where I Leave You