The Boy at The Top of the Mountain

What impact does being bullied have on the shaping of Pierrot’s identity? Do you think it explains his turn to cruelty and violence? Why or why not?

What do you make of the sudden shift to Anshel’s first-person perspective at the end of the novel? Did it change anything about how you interpret the novel as a whole?

Katarina brushes Pierrot off and sarcastically criticizes his allegiance to Hitler and the Nazi youth. Why does he seem oblivious to her comments, unlike Emma’s criticisms of his behavior?

Imagine you were writing the story from the perspective of Katarina rather than Pierrot. What would be different? What would stay the same? Why?

Why do you think Pierrot does not voluntarily leave Berghof in Chapter 13? What does that tell us about his feelings for the mansion, or for the other places he has lived?

Reviewers have criticized Boyne’s novels about World War II (The Boy at the Top of the Mountain and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) for being unrealistic portrayals of life under Nazi rule. Consider what you know or have learned about Nazi Germany. Do you find Pierrot’s story plausible? Why or why not?

Though set during the time of Nazi rule and World War II, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain does not put most of its attention on historical events associated with this period, such as battles or details about the horrors of concentration camps. Why do you think Boyne chose this approach? How does this choice shape the novel’s key themes and features?

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain references some historical figures in addition to Hitler, including Leni Riefenstahl, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, and Heinrich Himmler. Do some research on one of these figures. Do you find their representation in the novel to be accurate? What do you think they contribute to the story?