Discussion Questions for Book Groups: Cirque Du Freak (book one)

Overall Question: 1. Is this a coming of age story? Why or why not (and a simple yes or no is not adequate if you want to have decent discussions. Encourage your students or other readers to dig a bit deeper and come up with exactly why they have this answer to the question. Encourage them to support their answers from the text itself.

Did you like this book? What did you like or dislike about it, and why?

Characters:

1. Develop a list of characters, and analyze each one: this should include: name, family history, background if known, what they love, what they hate.

2. Figure out their interactions and what the growing revealing of this interaction demonstrates about the character growth (if any).

3. In what way does the character interactions drive the plot?

4. Does each character dwell or introduce the same underlying theme.

5. What are the major faults of each character?

6. Does the book give us a good view of an adult? Any adult?

Theme:

1. What underlying themes does this book introduce the reader to? (And yes, I found at least three that are pretty obvious.

2. Find at least two places in the book that demonstrate each theme

3. In what way does this little piece of book (quote) demonstrate the theme and further the plot—because everything is in deference to the plot.

Settings:

1. Does the location of the action as it occurs follow two strands – one sort of action in the theater, and a very different sort at this home/school? Again, a simple yes or no is not adequate.

2. How / why does the author follow a modern gothic setting around the theater?

3. When the setting is a theater, what expectations are inherent in the reader/audience.

4. This setting is a book, which throughout we are told is a faulty venue to discuss reality through, how does this bit of irony work in the readers head… Can you find places that discuss this?

Vampirism:

1. What are the characteristics of “book” vampires? And Wolfmen?

2. What are the characteristics of “real” vampires?

3. How does the disbelief in “real” vampires overlaid by the idea that vampires are only a construct of literature and folk-lore assist the “real” vampires in this book.

4. Why is Steve’s book “evil?”5. Why are children not the preferential meal in this “world?”

6. How does having a “child” vampire assistant aid the “real” vampire?

I hope you had fun reading the book, and that these questions help you to prepare for this book.