Hold Me Closer, Necromancer Theme of Friendship

Maybe it seems weird that a book that largely centers around blood, guts, and black magic has friendship as one of its primary themes, but at its core, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is totally about relationships and how tough circumstances can cause best buddies to band together.

Think about it: Finding out that one of your best friends can raise the dead would probably scare most people off. And finding out that another one of them was murdered and is now a reanimated head would most likely be worse. Nonetheless, Sam, Ramon, Brooke, and Frank spend this whole absurd adventure completely solid in their friendship. Go team.

Questions About Friendship

  1. How would you describe the main characters' friendship? What makes them so tight?
  2. Why is a fast food restaurant a good setting for the inciting incident of the story?
  3. What does the book reveal about what it means to lose a friend or experience grief?
  4. How do Sam and his friends change as a result of this experience?

Chew on This

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

Besides Sam's dealings with Douglas, each of his friends spends the story battling internal conflicts of their own—this is a major thing they have in common.

While he's not the main character, Ramon experiences an intense amount of character growth, all prompted by his loyalty as a friend.