Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Is killing ever justified, and if so, when? Be specific and give concrete examples to support your opinion.
- Once you've figured out where you stand on homicide, let's get into lies and deceit. People tell little white lies all the time ("I love your mullet," and "No, your butt doesn't look big in those jeans"). But when is it okay to lie and when does a lie become a betrayal? Is withholding information the same as lying? Why or why not?
- Books that contain supernatural elements—magic, demons, creatures that don't exist in the natural world—are often challenged in schools and libraries because they violate some people's religious beliefs. What do you think of these challenges, and how should schools and libraries handle them? Should books that contain information that might offend some people be removed from school reading lists? School libraries? Public libraries? Why or why not?
- Are there any hints or clues, any bits of foreshadowing that suggest the plot twists that occur in The Demon's Lexicon? This question will be easiest to answer after you've finished the book and know how it ends. Once you do, scan back through the text and see if you can find any hints you missed the first time around.
- Consider the four primary characters in this book—Nick, Alan, Mae, and Jamie—and all of the choices they make throughout the narrative. What are the good choices each of these characters makes? What are the bad choices? Who seems to have the best moral compass? The worst? Would you trust any of them with your life? Why or why not?
- Oh, the love triangle angst. Which of the Ryves brothers is a better match for Mae? Should she actually end up with one of the brothers? Could they be happy? Why or why not?