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Book club questions for Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen explore the themes of family secrets, mother-daughter relationships, the consequences of deception, and the lengths people go to protect their loved ones.
I love Sarah Pekkanen. She is one of the few authors I have had the pleasure of meeting in real life, and she is as delightful in person as she appears on social media.
Just when I thought I knew how it would end… this amazing work of art follows a mother and daughter but it’s not what you’d imagine. This book was so interesting, kept me on the hook all the way through.
What were your impressions of this novel? ✨
Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
In this blog post, I have carefully curated book club questions for Gone Tonight, a printable PDF for use with your book clubs (which you’ll find at at the bottom), and some additional recommendations for similar books.
I’m excited to hear your unique perspectives during your book club discussions.
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!
About the Story
Gone Tonight is about a girl named Catherine who thinks she knows her mom, Ruth, really well.
Ruth is always there for Catherine, and they’re like a team against the world. But then Catherine decides she wants to do her own thing and start a new chapter in her life. That’s when things get tricky. Ruth will do whatever it takes to keep Catherine close, even if it means keeping secrets. As they both try to hold onto their special bond, they end up tangled in a web of lies and deception.
It’s a story about how well we really know the people we love and what we’d do to protect them. It’s got twists, emotions, and a bit of mystery – definitely worth checking out!
About the Author
Sarah Pekkanen is a renowned author known for her captivating suspense novels. She has co-authored bestselling titles such as “The Golden Couple” and “The Wife Between Us.”
Her individual works include the well-received thriller “Gone Tonight,” published in August 2023, which has been hailed by Colleen Hoover as a riveting masterpiece. With eight solo novels that have achieved recognition on the USA Today and international bestseller lists, like “The Opposite of Me” and “The Perfect Neighbors,” Sarah’s storytelling spans a wide spectrum of compelling narratives that have resonated with readers worldwide.
In her free time, Sarah is a dedicated volunteer for rescue animals and serves as Ambassador for RRSA India, working hands-on to vaccinate and heal street dogs in Anand, India. She also volunteers weekly for a horse rescue group in Maryland, mucking stalls and helping mistreated horses heal. She resides near Washington, D.C. with her family.
Book Club Questions for Gone Tonight
1. How did experiencing the story through both Ruth and Catherine’s perspectives affect your emotional engagement with the characters? Can you imagine how the narrative might have differed if it had been told solely from one viewpoint?
2. Can you recall a specific moment in Ruth and Catherine’s seemingly unbreakable bond that made you pause and rethink their relationship dynamics? Why did this moment resonate with you?
3. While reading about Ruth’s past romance with James during her high school years, did it remind you of any significant memories from your own past? What did these glimpses into Ruth’s history reveal about her character that intrigued you?
4. Reflecting on Ruth’s decision to withhold the truth from Catherine, did you find yourself empathizing with her motivations, or did you have a different perspective? Have you ever faced a situation where you felt torn between honesty and protecting someone you care about?
5. The narrative style alternates between Catherine’s and Ruth’s viewpoints. Did you feel more aligned with one character’s perspective over the other? How did this dual narrative enhance your reading experience?
6. Ruth’s lies are a central element of the story. How did you react to her decision to keep such significant secrets from Catherine? Can you empathize with her motivations, or do you view her actions as selfish?
7. In chapter 30, Ruth reflects on her name change, mentioning, “My birth name, Ava Morales, exuded grace and ethereality, as if meant for a ballerina. Ruth Sterling, in contrast, evoked an image of a resolute, unyielding woman, shouldering her burdens silently. These were qualities I yearned for. I aspired to embody Ruth Sterling in more ways than one.” Have you ever associated certain traits with your own name or considered how your name shapes your identity?
8. The reviewers highlight the unique mother-daughter angle of the story. How does the exploration of this complex relationship set “Gone Tonight” apart from other thrillers you’ve read? Do you find the mother-daughter theme relatable?
9. When Ruth states, “Vanishing is a skill I’ve mastered. As women, we excel at this art,” did you find her observation relatable in any way? How do you see this idea of “vanishing” manifesting in today’s society?
10. Were you surprised by Catherine’s approach to handling the situation involving James? How did her actions make you reflect on the complexities of human emotions and relationships?
11. Exploring the theme of keeping secrets, can you think of a time when you felt the weight of safeguarding a secret to protect someone? How did this experience influence your understanding of the characters’ choices in the story?
12. Did you have any suspicions about Ruth’s involvement in Coach’s death before it was revealed? How did your perception of her character evolve as more details emerged?
13. Reflect on the novel’s portrayal of family dynamics. Did Ruth’s reunion with her father and brother evoke any memories of your own family experiences? How did this aspect of the story contribute to your emotional connection with the characters?
14. Discuss your thoughts on the conclusion. Were there loose ends or unresolved questions that left you wanting more closure?
15. Considering the various reviews and perspectives shared, how would you personally rate “Gone Tonight” among other thrillers you’ve read? What aspects of the book stood out to you as particularly memorable or thought-provoking?
Selected Reviews
“This riveting, original, and powerful mother-daughter story kept me glued to the pages. I’m a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s books, and Gone Tonight is her best yet.” –Colleen Hoover
“Filled with buried secrets and jaw-dropping deception, Sarah Pekkanen’s Gone Tonight is a page-turning thriller about a mother-daughter you won’t soon forget.. What would make a teenage girl vanish into the night and live a life on the run for two decades? Read Gone Tonight. It’s a wild ride.” — Harlan Coben,
“Gone Tonight is an intense, harrowing story about long-buried secrets and the trauma they inflict. The mother-daughter relationship is both thrilling and heartbreaking, with characters you won’t soon forget. Captivating from beginning to end.” – Samantha Downing
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed the book club discussion questions and reading guide for Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen!
Here are some more of my book club recommendations related to this book:
Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin
In the new thriller from the author of the bestselling We Are All the Same in the Dark, a brilliant young astrophysicist with an uncanny gift is asked to find a girl who vanished. Their story will make you examine everything you believe.
Vivvy Bouchet was only ten when she saved a boy’s life by making an impossible prediction. She doesn’t want to explain it. A wunderkind scientist, she just wants to be left in peace to scan the desert Texas sky with her telescopes in one of the darkest places on earth. But when the boy she saved, now a Fort Worth cop, begs for her help on a cold case, she can’t turn him down.
In the past decade, Lizzie Solomon and the Victorian mansion where she disappeared have taken on almost mythic status. Conspiracy theorists feed the frenzy that Lizzie is still buried in the crumbling walls while her mother, who sits in prison convicted of killing her, loudly proclaims her innocence.
Paired with a skeptical detective, Vivvy falls deeper into the mystery of why Lizzie has never been found. When a vicious podcaster takes aim at Vivvy’s own secrets—and those of the vanished girl—Vivvy’s life unravels like the mysterious galaxies she chases.
Julia Heaberlin delivers a resilient and unforgettable heroine in Vivvy Bouchet, a woman who walks the line between evidence-based science and unexplained phenomenon. Sharply relevant, Night Will Find You explores the mysterious nature of belief―in science, in conspiracies, in a higher power―and the delicate dance with the things we can’t know.
The One by Audrey J. Cole
To save their marriage, Sloane must forgive her husband’s affair. Instead, she tries a more tempting option—settling the score. But will it prove to be a deadly mistake?
ER doctor Sloane Marks is shattered when she learns her husband Ethan slept with his partner at Seattle Homicide. She considers leaving him and joining The One, having gone to college with the popular dating app’s billionaire founder, Brody Carr. But at forty-two, Sloane feels she has no choice but to forgive Ethan if she wants a chance at creating the family she never had.
Months later, Sloane bumps into Brody, who’s recently returned to Seattle. In due time, Ethan worries she’s cheating. His suspicions are confirmed when he learns the rich app founder took Sloane on a freediving excursion in the San Juan Islands. When Brody’s famous wife dies in an accident, Ethan becomes the lead investigator in her death—which he suspects wasn’t an accident at all.
Caught between a distrusting husband and a powerful billionaire who protects his secrets at all costs, Sloane is in a fight for her life. And the only way out is to take matters into her own hands.
Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon
First comes love. Then comes murder.
Lucas Forester didn’t hate his wife. Michelle was brilliant, sophisticated and beautiful. Sure, she had extravagant spending habits, that petty attitude, a total disregard for anyone below her status. But she also had a lot to offer. Most notably: wealth that only the one percent could comprehend.
For years, Lucas has been honing a flawless plan to inherit Michelle’s fortune. Unfortunately, it involves taking a hit out on her.
Every track is covered, no trace left behind, and now Lucas plays the grieving husband so well he deserves an award. But when a shocking photo and cryptic note show up on his doorstep, Lucas goes from hunter to prey.
Someone is on to him. And they’re closing in.
Told with dark wit and a sharply feminist sensibility, Never Coming Home is a terrifying tale of duplicity that will have you side-eyeing your spouse as you dash to the breathtaking end.
Printable PDF
Feel free to distribute these discussion questions to your book club members before your meeting. Simply click the link below to download and print the PDF file.
Happy reading! ❤️