Things We Never Got Over

Research the complex relationship between identical twins. Assess Naomi’s belief that she has spent her life being good as a way to balance out her “evil” twin. Is there a template that might suggest validity to her perception?

Compare and contrast the father-son relationship that Knox has with his father. How does Knox’s treatment of Waylay reveal what his father’s example taught him?

The novel moves through multiple closing scenes, each one adding to the novel’s uplifting feeling of a happy ending. How would the novel be different without the two Epilogues? Is the happy-on-happy ending believable?

The novel leaves critical plotlines open—Hugo is still on the lam, Tina is in jail but still is Waylay’s mother, Nash is left without a significant other, and Naomi and Knox are just welcoming their new adopted daughters. Fans suggest these open plotlines set up a series. Does the novel work as a stand-alone book? Why or why not?

Stef is Naomi’s trusted friend who guides both her and Knox through their emotional upheavals. Explore his character using his conversation with Knox and his later role in the warehouse raid.

The novel is sexual. What role do the sex scenes between Knox and Naomi play beyond titillation? What elements of their sexual relationship elevate their emotional relationship? How do you understand Knox’s long-standing assertion that their relationship is just sex?

One of the most complex emotional moments in the novel comes when Knox breaks off his relationship with Naomi because, according to his logic, he cares too much. Assess that scene and critique Knox’s argument. Is it valid? Should the novel have ended there?

The impact of the lottery defines much of the novel’s thematic argument. What does the novel say about sudden, unearned wealth? Why does it not bring peace to Knox, even when it is critical in helping Naomi and Waylay? Can money buy happiness?