The Strangers

The existence of three siblings with identical names and birthdays causes the Greystone kids to ask some introspective questions about their own identities. What are some of those questions? Do they find any answers?

Chess, Emma, and Finn each have unique personality traits. How are those traits useful in solving the mystery? How are they detrimental?

At first glance, Natalie appears to be little more than a typical, bored teenager who is not particularly interested in the Greystones. What changes her mind? In what ways does her contentious relationship with her mother drive her deeper into the mystery?

Modern technology plays an important role in the story. Everyone uses it to some degree or another, even Finn. Technology is a double-edged sword, both in real life and in the novel. How is it useful and how is it dangerous?

Children often feel a lack of control over their world, but they find inventive ways to assert control in their own ways. What are some ways that the Greystone kids try to control their world?

The absence of the Greystones’ father looms large over the narrative, especially for Chess. How has Chess been forced into—or forced himself into—that parental role? How does taking on that role inform his actions throughout the story?

Despite his age, Finn has a keen intuition about people. He sees through their facades, and he knows when they are trying to hide something from him. How does his youth help him see through people? What are some examples?

The novel describes parallel universes as places created by an infinite variety of choices. In some ways, the novel is all about choices. What are some of the fateful choices the characters make that might shape the destinies of themselves and those around them?