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Book club questions for Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur explore the themes of family, secrets, and the complexities of sibling relationships.
The novel’s exploration of the human psyche and hidden intentions resonated with me on a profound level. It made me contemplate the masks we wear and the vulnerability that lies beneath the surface. Little Monsters is truly a testament to the power of storytelling and how it can illuminate the human experience in ways that are both profound and deeply relatable.
This post contains the book club questions for Little Monsters for discussion with your book club. At the bottom of the post, I have also attached the discussion prompts in a downloadable PDF for your convenience.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and insights about this novel. What moments resonated with you the most? How did the themes in the novel strike a chord with your own experiences?
I hope you find this blog post useful!
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
About the Story
In the 1970s, New York City is a chaotic and dangerous place, with crime on the rise and the city on the brink of bankruptcy. Ray Carney, a furniture store owner and former fence, tries to lead an honest life, but he’s drawn back into the criminal world when he needs to get Jackson 5 concert tickets for his daughter. With the help of his partner in crime, Pepper, he navigates a treacherous world of hustlers, mobsters, and hit men.
As the years pass, Harlem becomes a battleground, and Carney and Pepper must confront the corrupt forces that threaten their community. Along the way, they encounter Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, and celebrity drug dealers. Amidst the chaos and danger, the duo must navigate the changing landscape of the city and the meaning of family.
Crook Manifesto is a darkly funny and gripping tale of a city in turmoil, offering a vivid and profound portrait of Harlem during a pivotal time in history. Colson Whitehead’s masterful storytelling brings to life a world of crime, resilience, and the complexities of human connections.
About the Author
Adrienne Brodeur is a well-established figure in the world of publishing, having co-founded the esteemed fiction magazine Zoetrope: All-Story alongside filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
Under her guidance, the magazine earned the prestigious National Magazine Award for Best Fiction multiple times, providing a platform that launched the careers of numerous writers.
With a wealth of experience as a book editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Adrienne’s expertise in the literary world is unquestionable. Presently, she serves as the Executive Director of Aspen Words, a program affiliated with the renowned Aspen Institute.
Adrienne leads a balanced life, dividing her time between the vibrant city of Cambridge and the serene landscapes of Cape Cod, where she resides with her husband and children.
Book Club Questions for Little Monsters
I have also attached a free printable PDF of the book club questions for Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur at the bottom of this post!✨
- Let’s start with the captivating setting of Cape Cod, described as both an Edenic paradise and a fragile ecosystem. How does the author’s vivid portrayal of the landscape and seascape add depth to the story and the characters’ experiences?
- The novel is anchored by the enigmatic and irascible marine biologist, Adam Gardner. How does Adam’s character shape the dynamics within the family, especially with his son, Ken, and daughter, Abby? Discuss the effects of his actions and choices on their lives and relationships.
- Both Jenny and Steph are intertwined with the Gardner family, but their paths are divergent. Jenny is deeply enmeshed as Abby’s best friend and Ken’s wife, while Steph is just discovering her connections to this complicated family. Compare and contrast their arcs as they navigate their place within the Gardner clan, reevaluating their roles and relationships.
- Gender dynamics play a significant role in “Little Monsters,” resulting in conflicts within the Gardner family. Reflect on moments when these differences lead to tension. Whose perspective did you align with during those moments? Did you find the character with whom you disagreed sympathetic in any way? Examine how gender perceptions influence their actions and relationships.
- Mental health, especially that of the male characters, is a key element of their characterization. How do Ken’s therapy sessions and Adam’s bipolar disorder influence their actions and relationships within the family?
- Reflect on the title “Little Monsters” and Abby’s painting titled “Little Monster.” Why do you think the author chose these specific titles? How do they relate to the novel’s themes and characters?
- The novel explores the theme of female alliances, highlighting the rising influence of a matriarchy within the family. Discuss the women in the story, such as Abby and Steph, and how they navigate the challenges posed by the patriarchal force represented by Adam. How do they find strength and support in one another?
- One of the central themes in “Little Monsters” is the question of understanding and communication between humans and nature. How does the author use Adam’s obsession with decoding humpback whale sounds as a metaphor for the limitations of human knowledge? How does this theme resonate throughout the novel?
- Abby and Ken each plan elaborate gifts for their father’s seventieth birthday, jostling for his attention and approval. How do their gifts symbolize their desires, fears, and longing for validation from their father? What do you think the act of gift-giving represents in this family dynamic?
- “Little Monsters” is a story of complex family relationships and the secrets that bind them together. Which character’s perspective did you find most compelling, and why? How did their individual narratives contribute to your understanding of the family’s history and dynamics?
- The novel is set in the fraught summer of 2016, drawing on the biblical tale of Cain and Abel. How do you see the parallels between the biblical story and the characters’ relationships in “Little Monsters”? How does this biblical reference enrich your interpretation of the novel?
- Family secrets play a pivotal role in “Little Monsters.” What are some of the secrets that surface throughout the novel, and how do they impact the characters’ lives and interactions? How do these secrets mirror the complexities of real-life family dynamics?
- As the story unfolds, the characters’ flaws and vulnerabilities are gradually revealed. How does the author’s slow unveiling of these complexities add depth and authenticity to the narrative? Which character’s growth and development stood out to you the most?
- Memories from Ken and Abby’s childhood shape their present-day relationship. Can you identify specific sentences or passages that hint at their complex dynamic in the early parts of the novel? How does their past affect their interactions now, and what impact does it have on other characters in their lives?
- Reflecting on the book’s themes of forgiveness, love, and the intricacies of family, how does “Little Monsters” resonate with your own experiences and relationships? Did the novel prompt you to revisit your own perceptions of family dynamics and personal choices?
Selected Reviews for Little Monsters
“[An] engaging and neatly plotted novel. . . Little Monsters is so alluring, with its sense of looming familial implosion within a cultural implosion. . . Brodeur is very deliberately examining a small family horror story within a larger political context.” —The New York Times
“Adrienne Brodeur weaves a long braid of a tale. . . This family drama is set in a highly sensory way on the shores of Cape Cod, so much so you’ll feel like your feet are digging into wet summer sand.” —Good Morning America
Additional Recommendations
Here are some more of my book club recommendations related to this book:
Hope you enjoyed the book club discussion questions and reading guide for Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur!
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
Secret walks and late-night phone calls. An undeniable chemistry. A tragedy that haunts them both. A powerful yet tender love story between two people who can’t help but be pulled back to each other.
This is the story of Will and Rosie. The two are opposites in every way and yet they fall for each other as teenagers; nineties music, sideways glances, sunsets and bonfires and talking late into the night. It’s palpable, inevitable: they’re on the precipice of starting something wonderful. Until one day, tragedy strikes, and any possibility of being together seems to shatter.
But time and again, Rosie and Will find their way back to each other. Though the years pass, they cannot quite let go of what might have been.
Talking at Night tells a story of sudden connections, missed opportunities, the many loves we have over a lifetime–and the one that keeps us coming back, again and again, for more.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
“If you’ve ever been unsure what to do with your degree in English; if you’ve ever wondered when the rug-buying part of your life will start…if you’ve ever loved the wrong person, or the right person at the wrong time…In short, if you’ve ever been young, you will love The Rachel Incident like I did.” —Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times best-selling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Rachel is a student working at a bookstore when she meets James, and it’s love at first sight. Effervescent and insistently heterosexual, James soon invites Rachel to be his roommate and the two begin a friendship that changes the course of both their lives forever. Together, they run riot through the streets of Cork city, trying to maintain a bohemian existence while the threat of the financial crash looms before them.
When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her devise a reading at their local bookstore, with the goal that she might seduce him afterwards. But Fred has other desires. So begins a series of secrets and compromises that intertwine the fates of James, Rachel, Fred, and Fred’s glamorous, well-connected, bourgeois wife. Aching with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humor, The Rachel Incident is a triumph.
The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.
Nearly thirty years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, June Moore bought Camp Holly Springs and turned it into a thriving summer haven for girls. But now, June is in danger of losing the place she has sacrificed everything for, and begins to realize how much she has used the camp to avoid facing difficulties in her life.
June’s niece, Daphne, met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, during a fateful summer at camp. They’ve all helped each other through hard things, from heartbreak and loss to substance abuse and unplanned pregnancy, and the three are inseparable even in their thirties. But when attorney Daphne is confronted with a relationship from her past—and a confidential issue at work becomes personal—she is faced with an impossible choice.
Lanier, meanwhile, is struggling with tough decisions of her own. After a run-in with an old flame, she is torn between the commitment she made to her fiancé and the one she made to her first love. And when a big secret comes to light, she finds herself at odds with her best friend…and risks losing the person she loves most.
But in spite of their personal problems, nothing is more important to these songbirds than Camp Holly Springs. When the women learn their childhood oasis is in danger of closing, they band together to save it, sending them on a journey that promises to open the next chapters in their lives.
Happy reading! ❤️