1. Discuss the opening scene of the novel.

What perspective does the narrator offer on the upcoming events?

2. Explain the author's choice of narrator.

What difference does it make to have Ian narrate the story?

3. Describe the metaphors employed by the author to characterize the different statuses of the adolescent protagonists.

4. By which narrative devices does the author create suspense and how does he sustain it until the end of the novel?

5. Explore the values represented by the adolescent protagonists in relation to those of the adult characters in the novel.

6. Discuss the title of the novel. How far does it or does it not reflect the themes of the book?

7. Compare the relationship of the three adolescent protagonists at the end of the novel with that of the beginning.

8. Interpret the end of the novel. Do you find the happy...