Home Is Where the Bodies Are

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Which of the four narrators did you enjoy reading most? What made this narrator stand out for you? Conversely, were there any narrators you disliked?
• Were you satisfied by the reveal about Michael’s true role in the novel? How did the novel manage your expectations about his character arc? Did his perspective chapters offer any clues to his role in Emma’s death?
• If you’ve read them, compare this novel to Jeneva Rose’s earlier works, The Perfect Marriage (2020), One of Us Is Dead (2022), and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023). What are some of the common plot elements or devices you see across her novels? Which is your favorite, and why?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The dynamics between the three Thomas siblings are a recurring source of tension in this novel. If you have siblings, do you find these dynamics relatable? What sorts of dynamics have you witnessed in other families?
• Do you think it is possible to fully break away from one’s family? What factors allow this, and is it ever desirable?
• Have you ever kept a big secret from your loved ones? Without necessarily revealing what that secret is, how did that affect your relationship with them? Have you ever revealed that secret or not?
• The novel deals with trauma and memory. How do you manage your relationship with unpleasant experiences in your life? Do you try to forget those experiences, or do you engage them in a way that affects your emotional reaction to them?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The novel uses the tension between Michael and his sisters to hint at the antagonistic dynamics between small-town and big-city residents. Based on the siblings’ resentments with one another, what can you conclude about the factors that influence this dynamic?
• How does the novel use Nicole’s character arc to critique the stigmatization of people who have drug addictions? Does the novel take a nuanced approach to this issue, or does it make broad assumptions about addictive behaviors?
• It ultimately emerges that Charles Gallagher, a man with a reputation for being eccentric, was murdered in supposed retaliation for Emma’s death. How does this complication develop the novel’s stance on revenge and justice? Turning to the real world, do you see evidence that the pursuit of justice (legally or extralegally) hurts those who are perceived as different?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Discuss the author’s decision to use her real hometown as the setting of the novel. How does her familiarity with Allen’s Grove inform its depiction in the novel? Does she use the setting to enhance the mood or rising tension of the novel?
• Who is the protagonist of the novel? How does their character arc shape the plot? How do their decisions result in the resolution of Emma’s murder?
• How does the videotape function as a symbol of memory and the truth? Considering that Laura records the videotape revealing Brian’s involvement in Emma’s murder, how does her perspective suggest the subjectivity of the truth?
• At the end of the novel, Beth and Nicole suggest that they forgive or understand their brother and their parents. Does this mitigate the latter’s culpability in Emma’s death? How does the novel suggest the nuances between justice and forgiveness?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Do you think Nicole’s memoir reveals all of the Thomas family’s secrets? What are some details she might have chosen to leave out? Compile a list of two to three additional family secrets.
• Imagine you are a podcast producer who wants to adapt Nicole’s memoir into a true crime audio series. How would you frame the memoir to engage listeners? How many episodes would the series have, and how would you spread the novel’s events across those episodes to maintain your listenership?

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