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Finished With Oxygen Book Club's August Pick? It's Time To Discuss!
"Dream Girl" by Laura Lippman is a creepy and twisty mystery about power and appropriation.
The month of August is almost over, which means it's time to discuss the latest entry in Oxygen Book Club, which highlights books in the true crime sphere each month and features exclusive interviews, guided discussions, and more.
In August, Oxygen Book Club read "Dream Girl" by Laura Lippman, which is a fictional mystery about a novelist who is bedridden after an accident. While isolated and recovering, he finds himself tormented by someone claiming to be the main character from his bestselling book. Who is after him, and why? "Dream Girl" will have you questioning what's real and what's fake in this twisty page-turner that's all about consent and appropriation.
So, once you've finished reading the book yourself, consider examining these discussion questions with your friends:
1. Did you think Gerry Anderson was a reliable narrator? Are there any clues that his version of events might not be the truth?
2. Gerry constantly worries he is suffering from dementia like his mother. What did these concerns add to the story for you?
3. Did Victoria and Leenie's motivations in their scheme make sense to you?
4. Who do you feel really inspired Aubrey, Gerry's "Dream Girl"?
5. One of the biggest shocks in the novel comes when we discover a sexual encounter Gerry framed as consensual was actually a rape. Did you pick up on the clues in Gerry's retelling of the scene?
6. Gerry ends up dying to save his niece. Did you feel he was able to redeem himself at all throughout the story?
7. "Dream Girl" feels very inspired by the Stephen King hit "Misery." If you've read both, what similarities and differences did you see?
8. What parts of the story do you feel Kim invented? What parts from Leenie?
9. What did you make of the final paragraph, when Kim muses about how she knew to write like Gerry Anderson?
10. There are multiple twists throughout the book. Which one surprised you the most? What one was the most effective?
And if you have more thoughts let us know! Use the hashtag #oxygenbookclub to keep the discussion going on social media.
