56 pages • 1 hour read
Liz TomfordePlay Along
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Analyze the marriage of convenience trope. How does Kennedy and Isaiah’s sham marriage affect their character development and relationship?
How does the novel address the idea of trust, and how do certain characters struggle to trust others or themselves?
How does the author use humor to balance some of the weightier scenes in the story? Provide at least three examples from the text to support your interpretation.
How do Isaiah and Kennedy’s personalities both complement and challenge each other? Explore two specific similarities and contrasts, using examples from the text.
What is the deeper symbolic significance of the title, given the novel’s status as a sports romance? How do Isaiah and Kennedy interpret the phrase “play along” in different ways?
What roles do money and class play in the story? How does its presence or lack affect the protagonists’ primary fears and inhibitions, and why is Isaiah not threatened by Kennedy’s wealthy family?
How is Isaiah’s relationship with Kai integral to his character? Contrast their bond with Kennedy’s relationships with Mallory and Dean.
Analyze the character of Dr. Frederick. Is he a realistic portrayal of a misogynistic supervisor, or is he more of a caricature? Support your interpretation with key examples from the text.
How does Isaiah support Kennedy in overcoming unjust gender dynamics in the workplace without impeding her independence and autonomy?
Identify at least three examples of series-level foreshadowing in the novel. Based on these textual hints, which side character do you believe will become the focus of the next story in the Windy City series, and why?
