What were your first impressions of Briar? Did your feelings about her change as the story went on?

Vivienne is larger than life. She’s glamorous, cruel, and impossible to look away from. Did you find her entertaining, terrifying, or both? Was there any moment you felt sorry for her?

The Belville Estate feels almost alive. The swamp, the gallery, the hidden rooms. How did the setting affect the mood of the story for you?

The story is told through Briar's eyes, but also through news articles, Reddit threads, podcasts, and TV transcripts. Did you enjoy that format? What did it add to the story?

Were you surprised by the ending? Looking back, were there any clues you missed along the way?

Briar's OCD-adjacent behaviors — compulsive cleaning, hand sanitizer, obsessive tidying — appear throughout. How does the author use these traits to reveal Briar's psychology? What is she really trying to control?

Vivienne's parenting is defined by favoritism, emotional manipulation, and cruelty, yet all four daughters still hunger for her approval. How does the novel depict the way childhood emotional abuse shapes adult behavior? Which sister's response resonated most with you?

The sisters were childhood stars on 'Star Sisters,' performing wholesome content while their home life was anything but. What does this contrast say about the gap between public image and private reality? How does fame complicate their identities as adults?

The note Odette leaves Briar — 'She's not who you think. You're next.' — takes on a different meaning once the full truth is revealed. What did you think the note meant when you first read it?

The book is full of dark humor, especially in how Briar narrates her family's dysfunction. Did the humor work for you? Were there moments that made you laugh even when you probably shouldn't have?

Briar and Owen have known each other since they were seven years old. How does that shared history shape the way they interact as adults? Does it make their connection feel more real or more complicated?

Briar spends most of the novel resisting her feelings for Owen. What do you think was really holding her back — fear of getting hurt again, guilt over his past, or something else?

Family loyalty is a major theme. For better and for worse. Where do you think the line is between protecting your family and enabling harm?

The novel's most shocking revelation is that Briar and Portia together murdered Ted and Ryan and that Briar participated willingly. How does the author prepare us for this twist without giving it away? Did you feel the twist was earned?

Briar tells herself the murders of Ted and Ryan were justified. It was about protection. Do you agree with her reasoning? How does the novel complicate the idea of 'deserving' justice?

The closing true crime docuseries frames Briar and Portia as survivors and heroes. What does the novel say about how media narratives are constructed and who controls them? How does it comment on our collective appetite for true crime stories?

Odette is the only sister who actively tries to do the right thing  and she dies for it. What does this say about the novel's moral universe? Is justice ever served in this story, and if so, for whom?

The women in this novel kill, protect secrets, and ultimately choose each other over everything else. Is 'Pretty Dead Things' a feminist novel? What does it say about female solidarity— its power, its cost, and its limits?

Vivienne and Elise were secretly drugging Juliet throughout the novel, which explains some of her strange behavior. How does this knowledge change your reading of the earlier scenes with her? What does it suggest about cycles of control in this family?

Portia is granted guardianship of Juliet at a court hearing, a deeply ironic moment given what we later learn. What future do you imagine for Juliet?

Owen is writing an unauthorized book about the Belville family behind Briar's back. When she discovers it, she's devastated. Do you think his feelings for her were genuine despite the betrayal. Or was the relationship always partly transactional?

After they sleep together, Briar finds Owen's ulterior motive and throws him out. Do you think she made the right call? Was there any version of events where she could have forgiven him? Could they have had a happy ending?

How did you feel about the ending? Will the sisters eventually be exposed? Will they ever break the cycle? How would you have preferred the story to end?