Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Beautiful Lies.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About This Guide
In Lisa Unger's debut novel, she spins a web of
deceit with her poignantly drawn characters. This guide is designed to help you
explore her themes of choice, trust, freedom, and love.
About This Book
An expertly crafted literary thriller,
Beautiful Lies introduces a compelling young heroine as she unravels how the
choices she's made have turned her into the woman she's become.
Ridley Jones knows that the smallest coincidences can have more impact than the
big decisions: She steps off the curb to save a child from being run over, and
suddenly her face is plastered on every TV screen and newspaper in the country.
When an unexpected note is left in her mailbox and a mysterious stranger
appears, eager to help her solve the puzzle, her beautiful life is soon
shattered.
Reader's Guide
- One of the novel's main themes is choice, and how both big choices and
little ones can have a profound impact on a person's life. Did Ridley have a
choice in finding out the truth about her past? If she'd chosen to ignore
the first picture and note, could she have avoided all the questions and
secrets that arose?
- Would it have been possible for Ridley to ignore the events of the past
and still have developed a true sense of self? Would you be able to?
- On page 17, Ridley says, "Freedom, I'd have to say is probably the most
important thing to me, more important than youth, beauty, fame, money." Does
this freedom Ridley craves influence the lies that have been told to her her
entire life? Or is this freedom what could have protected her from asking
questions about her past?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Three Rivers.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.