Drowned (24 page)

Acknowledgments

My sincerest gratitude to the following people, who helped make
Drowned
happen.

Mandy Hubbard, thanks for being the first to say that this crazy idea might actually work.

Rhonda Stapleton, Lynsey Newton, Jennifer Murgia, thanks for reading my drafts and for your insightful comments and cheerleading. If it wasn’t for you guys telling me that you couldn’t forget this story, even months after you read it, I’m sure I would have. And to the Debs, who so many years later still give me sanity.

Thanks to Jim McCarthy for never giving up and always patiently answering my inane questions.

My deepest appreciation to the entire wonderful team at Harlequin TEEN, especially Natashya Wilson, for seeing the potential in my story, and my editor, Annie Stone, for the amazing read-throughs and insightful comments.

Thanks to my family, who indulges me.

And last, but certainly not least, none of this would be possible without you, the reader. Thank you for allowing me to tell you this story. I hope you enjoy it.

Questions for Discussion

1. Coe is a unique protagonist for a variety of reasons, but not least because of her wide range of strengths and weaknesses. What do you think are the most important strengths that set her apart from her fellow citizens of Tides? How does she offset her weaknesses, and would you say that she thinks of herself as a strong or a weak person?
   
2. Through her family’s journal entries, Coe learns of the events that created the reign of the Wallow family. Why do you think the people of Tides were willing to follow the Wallows’ leadership, even as it became corrupt? Basing your answer off the events of the novel, do you feel that people naturally gravitate toward having a leader, or do they wish to rule themselves?
   
3. Tiam and Finn are set up as opposing claimants to the throne. How do their goals for the island nation differ? In your opinion, which of them is better suited to be king, and why?
   
4. Despite their history as childhood playmates, Star and Coe are raised very differently, and have starkly different beliefs about the world around them. Yet in some ways their goals and desires are very similar. What do you think their biggest differences are—and do you think these differences are inborn, or a result of their differing upbringings?
   
5. How does Coe’s belief that her world will soon come to an end affect her actions and her relationships? When do you feel Coe begins to truly have hope for an escape from their island home?
   
6. Coe copes with her father’s absence by trying not to think about the fact that he’ll likely never return. What are some other coping mechanisms that characters in
   Drowned
   use to deal with the harsh realities of their lives?
   
7. Coe thinks of Tiam as the strongest person on the island. In your opinion, is he? Why or why not?
   
8. “Creeping normality” refers to the way a major change can be accepted as the normal situation if it happens slowly, in unnoticed increments, when it would be regarded as objectionable if it took place in a single step or short period. For example, the ruin of the Easter Island civilization came about because of gradual deforestation, though it seems strange, in hindsight, that the inhabitants would not have recognized the loss of a resource so important to them. What are some beliefs the people of Tides have slowly come to accept that may be hindering their chances of survival?
   
9. Interestingly enough, history has shown us that societies most vulnerable to collapse are also the ones that are most creative and technologically advanced.
   Drowned
   offers up one reason why a mighty society might collapse: environmental change. What are some other reasons a society might collapse? Why do societies succeed?
   
10. The chapter titles from
    Drowned
    are from T. S. Eliot’s famous poem “The Hollow Men.” In what ways are the people of Tides hollow? How are they not?
    

“Captivating, mysterious, fun and deep…for
readers of John Green or any realistic YA authors, I would highly recommend
this new wonderful novel.”
—Fresh
Fiction

Five Strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.
Don’t miss one of the most anticipated debuts of 2014,
Let’s Get Lost
(August 2014) by Adi Alsaid.
Available in
ebook.

Order your copy today!

Four teens across the country have only one
thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her
absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a
friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever
changed. But it is during Leila’s own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers
the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you
started. And maybe the only way to find what you’re looking for is to get
lost along the way.

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ISBN-13: 9781460326701

DROWNED

Copyright © 2014 by Nichola Reilly

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