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ICE Breakers

EARTH

BOOK OF THE MOMENT

How easy was this novel to read and how did it compare to ‘Water’?
Do you think if Evan had a more supportive family growing up, his personal and professional life could have had a better outcome? 

Who had the better parents Evan or Robbie? Do you think class and privilege gave Robbie a better chance in life?
Was Lauren convincing in her testimony and if you were to imagine the court scenes as described by Boyne, would you have found Robbie and Evan guilty?
And if you knew Evan’s own personal experience (that we discovered as readers) would this have affected your verdict?
To what extent did the element earth play in this novel compared to water and was this a strong motif in the Elements series?
Did you find the ending convincing or not? And how does Boyne’s short storytelling compare to his other celebrated novels such as ‘The Heart’s Invisible Furies’ and ‘A Ladder to the Sky’ (both reviewed in the Den Library).

BOURNVILLE

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Did Bournville feel like a ‘bitter sweet’ read and were you able to enjoy the historical moments in history? Was this a good device for Coe’s story?
Was it helpful to have speeches and broadcast addresses incorporated in the narrative? Was this how you remembered events and do you think they were used effectively by Coe?
Some critics describe as funny and poignant, blending ‘comedy with tragedy’ and ‘balancing humour with tragedy’. Do you agree?
How did your experiences of these historical events compare to your own?
Did you recognise the xenophobia expressed by Coe on any of these occasions?
How did this novel compare to his other novels and was this a good book club read for your group?

WE BEGIN AT THE END

Book club questions are at the end of the book but here are a couple we have added:
How did the ending make you feel?
Do you think each character gets the ending they deserve?
What other novels did this book remind you of ('Where the Crawdads Sing', 'Demon Copperhead'?).

THE WILD CARD

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Illustrations by Lizzie Nightingale 
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