Listen for the Lie

Examine how Tintera uses irony as a literary device to draw out the central themes of the book.

There are multiple perceptions presented about Lucy’s personality and character in the book, ranging across her being short-tempered and violent, unfriendly and unlikable, and bold and assertive. How do these perspectives compare to the Lucy that is presented to the reader via her thoughts, actions, and choices in the book?

Illustrate how Savvy’s character acts like a foil to Lucy’s. Do the two women share any similarities, too?

Demonstrate how the responses to all the male characters in the book illustrate the theme of The Misogynistic Dismissal of Survivors.

Explore the significance of the book’s title and how it relates to important ideas explored in the story.

As a crime fiction novel, how does the book conform to or deviate from the conventions of its genre? What are the different literary devices, traditional and novel, that Tintera uses to craft her story?

Matt believes Emmett’s version of events about Savvy’s death as his story seems plausible, especially since Matt encounters Lucy with the bloody tree branch. What might motivate Lucy’s parents to believe Matt over her, even in the absence of proof?

Trace how the appearance and evolution of Savvy as a hallucination throughout the book draws out the theme of The Effects of Physical and Psychological Trauma.