The Fallen Star Theme of Fear

Gemma is a pretty brave leading lady in The Fallen Star, but now that she's feeling real human emotions, she has fear to contend with—big time. See, there's plenty to fear after Gemma meets Alex and learns that she's supposedly the world's savior… so long as she evades the Death Walkers who want to kill her and bring on the apocalypse (no big deal, right?). She's terrified of being caught by the Death Walkers and killed, but she's also scared that Stephan will take away all her emotions again. Things aren't exactly easy when the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.

Questions About Fear

  1. Why do you think Gemma starts having nightmares about the Death Walkers? Does this complicate the value of emotions, or is feeling fear actually a good thing (just like, say, feeling happiness)?
  2. Why isn't Gemma afraid of Laylen when she meets him? Give evidence from the text.
  3. What scares Gemma when she enters the vampire club? What does this tell you about what she's afraid of, and as such, who she is as a character?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Once Gemma's emotions come back, they seep into every aspect of her life, including her dreams.

When Gemma is hiding from the Death Walkers at Laylen's house, she's most worried about Laylen because he's one of the few people she actually interacts with and likes.