READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland
Discussion Questions:

1.   If you had a high school superlative, do you remember what it was? Or what do you think it would have been?

2.   How have your dreams and goals evolved since you were a teenager?

3.   Which one of the four women in The Most Likely Club did you identify with the most, and why? Who did you relate to the least? Did any of the characters remind you of friends in your own life?

4.   The women all struggle with the idea of “having it all.” What does having it all mean to you? The entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg wrote a book called Pick Three: You Can Have It All (Just Not Every Day) where she encourages women to pick three things to focus on each day among work, sleep, family, fitness, and friends. What would be your top three (not limited to the above choices)?

5.   Priya and Melissa, two of the mothers in the group, try to prevent their children from making the same mistakes and avoiding the same lows they experienced in high school, but it’s not easy. Why do you think it’s so hard to help your children avoid some of the pitfalls you experienced in your own life?

6.   Can you name one way that each of the four women have changed since high school? In what ways have they stayed the same?

7.   Suki faces unique difficulties as a female CEO. What do you think is at the root of why powerful women face a double standard in our society when they act like strong leaders?

8.   The primary issue in Priya and Dev’s marriage is division of labor, a common issue between many couples, particularly in households with two working parents. Dev promises to change and contribute more. Do you think he will hold up his end of the bargain? Explain why or why not.

9.   Melissa’s weight is a continuing source of concern to her, even as the culture around her has made strides toward embracing body positivity. Why do you think she is hung up on wanting to be thin? Should she have worried more about how her behavior could affect her daughter?

10. Nathan is brutally honest with Melissa about why he gave the donation to Bellport. Have you ever made a choice in your life that was clearly influenced by something that happened to you in high school?

11.  Do you think high school superlatives are a good idea? Do you think students should choose their own superlatives?

12. What do you wish you could tell your teenage self today? How would your adult advice have sounded to you back when you were in high school?

13. Discuss the friendship between the four women. How does their bond help them through difficult times? Do you agree with the saying “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold”?