Good Intentions
By Marisa Walz
These discussion questions were provided by the author. An enhanced book club kit can be found here.
Book club questions for Good Intentions by Marisa Walz
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
What do you think the novel suggests about recognizing gray areas, rather than thinking purely in black and white?
How did the second person point of view affect your reading experience? How does this approach shape the truthfulness of the narrative?
In what ways does Cady lie to herself? Do you believe most people tell themselves lies at times?
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Create My Club"Was I just seeing what I wanted to see? Was scared to see?" (page 128) Between Cady's paranoia and guilt, and Morgan's (grieving) eye for the color orange, what do you think this novel suggests about the power of our minds?
To what extent did Cady's insatiable desire for control, as well as her guilt, drive her actions? How do they affect all areas of her life?
"No matter how careful you are with your social media and your passwords, it's virtually impossible to hide from the internet." (page 151) How did it make you feel to read about the ease with which Cady could find strangers' personal information online, and pretend to be someone else? What role does technology play in her obsessive tendencies? Separately, why do you think the GPS's persistent voice affected and influenced Cady the way it did?
Discuss the evolution of Cady and Matt's relationship over the course of the novel. What role do lies and secrets play in their dynamic, and how do their respective intentions differ, if at all? How do they navigate the emotional impact of infertility challenges? What do you think their relationship could look like in the future?
Describe Cady and Dana's relationship. How do you think being labeled as "the intense one" affected their bond, and Cady's self-image in general? (page 100) Do you think "people [might] have an inherent problem with sameness," as Cady suggests, particularly when it comes to assessing twins? (page 100) If so, why do you think that is?
As explored in Good Intentions, motherhood can take many forms and look very different for different women. How is this topic woven throughout the narrative?
Based on the flashbacks of younger Cady, how do you think grieving affects her? "I was restless, caught in some kind of limbo between the old me and whoever I was becoming." (page 299) How did her relationship with Jamie, Matt, Sean, her parents, and work shift as a result of the tragedy she suffered?
Discuss how the characters experience grief, and the process of getting closure, on their own timelines in their own ways.
How did the end of the novel, especially the final chapter, make you feel? How were you left thinking about the various relationships that evolved over the course of the story? Do you believe good people can do bad things? Alternatively, did the novel make you think about the concepts of "good" and "bad" differently? Explain.
If you could find out only one detail about Cady's life in the future, what would you want to know? What do you hope happens for Morgan?
Consider the title. After reading Good Intentions, how much weight do you think good intentions carry?
Good Intentions Book Club Questions PDF
Download a printable PDF of these discussion questions to bring to your meeting.