How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while
to "get into it"?
Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, inner qualities.
Do the main characters change by the end of the book? Do they grow or mature? Do they
learn something about themselves and how the world works?
Is the plot engaging—does the story interest you?
Talk about the book's structure. Does the author use a single viewpoint or shifting
viewpoints? Why might the author have chosen to tell the story the way he or she did—and
what difference does it make in the way you read or understand it?
What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? Does the author use symbols to
reinforce the main ideas?
What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or
poignant or that encapsulates a character?
Is the ending satisfying?
If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask?
Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new
or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?
https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/files/assets/public/library/community-book-club/cbc_picnic-at-hanging-rock.pdf