Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussions of sexual content and mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does Sugar's approach to giving advice differ from that of traditional advice columnists? Is her approach effective? Why or why not?

2. Compare Sugar's style in The Rumpus columns to her later Substack writings. How does her voice evolve over the decade between these two examples? Like other works about personal growth (such as Eat Pray Love), how does time and experience shape the narrator's perspective?

3. How does Sugar’s anonymity make her advice column format more effective, and how does this change when Sugar's identity becomes public?

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

1. Which letter resonated with you most deeply, and why? How did Sugar's response affect your perspective on the issue being discussed?

2. Sugar often shares intimate details about her own life in order to connect with her readers. How does her deliberate vulnerability influence your reception of her advice?

3. Consider a time when you received meaningful advice.