Beautiful Ugly

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Discuss your reactions to the novel’s final sequence of plot twists. Which of these narrative revelations was most surprising? Did you anticipate Grady Green’s fate at the novel’s end? Why or why not?

2. Explore the concept of love as illustrated through Grady and Abby’s notions of it. Which idea of love did you find more relatable? Discuss why.

3. Discuss the relationship dynamic between Abby and Grady. Have you been in a relationship that feels entrapping the way Abby felt trapped? Consider the motivations behind and effects of Grady’s behavior toward Abby.

4. Discuss your impressions of the Isle of Amberly community. What aspects of the islanders’ relationships and lifestyle resonated with your own communal and social experiences, and why?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel explores how imagination can create delusion as a result of isolation. Consider how these explorations relate to the modern loneliness epidemic. How do you see Grady’s experiences as a writer—who self-isolates and struggles to take care of himself—relating to this social issue?

2. The novel subtextually explores gender politics. Discuss how the history of the Isle of Amberly’s women-only society relates to the #MeToo movement and contemporary women’s rights issues.

3. Grady and Abby are both in the business of telling stories. Compare how their work illustrates their respective definitions of truth and morality. What might the novel be saying about the pros and cons of storytelling through Grady’s authorial work and Abby’s journalistic work?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel intersperses chapters from Abby’s point of view amidst those from Grady’s point of view. What is the narrative and thematic significance of this structural choice? Discuss how the novel would read differently if Abby’s chapters were omitted.

2. Analyze Grady’s character. Is he a dynamic character? Consider how he presents himself at the novel’s start versus at the novel’s end. If he changes, what experiences contribute to his evolution; if he doesn’t, why not?

3. The novel is primarily set on the Isle of Amberly. How does this setting relate to the narrative atmosphere and mood? How would Grady’s story evolve differently if he were staying in a more populated, urban location?

4. Discuss the symbolic significance of the Book Ten manuscript. How does Grady respond to the manuscript and what does his relationship with it illustrate about his character?