One Second After and Room

REMINDER!!!!

This is just your friendly reminder that we will be getting together on Friday for the discussion of a lifetime!! Two books, one night, a DOZEN bottles of wine... it might just be too intense for some to handle... but it is definitely long overdue :)  We will be getting together at Erin's luxurious condo at 7pm on Friday evening (shoot me an email if you need her address).  Please let us know if you are planning on attending!!  Erin wants to make sure she has enough seating and of course, enough wine!  We can't have anyone sitting on the floor sipping a soda.  That's just not right.  I have to say that when we first picked these books, I was a little nervous about how they would tie together.  However, I can honestly say that I am super excited to see what everyone has to say about these two, intense reads.  I can't wait to see you all there!!!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. First, we will start off with One Second After.  What were your thoughts about the forward that was presented by Newt Gingrich?  What kind of tone did that set as you started the book?
2. This story took place in a small mountain town in North Carolina.  Do you think there are other parts of the country that would survive this type of attack better?  Do you think there are other places that would have it worse off?  Why?
3. Do you find Forstchen's portrayal of a post attack environment credible?  Did he present any scenarios about America’s dependence on "modern convenience" that shocked you?
4. As a leader in Black Mountain, is there anything that you would you have done differently?
5. Has this novel made you think about what you would do in the event of a large scale attack, like the one in the book?  What can we do to protect our way of life from EMP attack?
6. What modern convenience do you think you have become dependent upon?  What would be the most difficult thing to live without?
   
   
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7. Moving onto Room, why do you think the entire book is told in Jack’s voice? What kind of effect did his narrative have on the story?
8.  What are some of the ways in which Jack’s development has been stunted by growing up in Room?  Which elements of Jack's developmental delays and/or his integration issues surprised you most?
9.  What would you do differently if you were Jack’s parent? Would you tell Jack about the outside world from the start?
10. Describe the dynamic between Old Nick and Ma. Why does the author choose not to tell us Old Nick’s story?  Did you find yourself wanting to know more about him?
11. What sort of problems do you think Ma will face now that she and Jack are out on their own?  Do you think that Jack will ever be able to fully "adapt" to his new world?
12. What were you most affected by in the novel?
    
    
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13. Was there a common theme that you found between these two books?
14. Were there any specific personality traits that you found to be shared between the characters in Room and the ones in One Second After?
15. If you had to choose, would you rather have to face the experiences of Jack or John?  
16. Which book did you like most?  Why?