READERS GUIDE

DEARLY DEPARTED Reading Group Guide
1. To Levi’s great bafflement, he learns he’s been engaging with the Hades (although, now mortal . . . ish). How would you react to the knowledge that you’d been flirting with a real-life, goddamn fine god?
2. During Hayden’s days as the almighty Hades, he felt cast away from the heroic status offered to the other Olympian gods. Discuss how Hayden’s experiences as a god manifest in his struggles as a mortal.
3. Levi’s MO is all about celebrating life, and he is very much Hayden’s pursuer at the beginning of their relationship. In what ways does Levi suppress his grief versus actually having embraced it so that he can live his life to its vibrant fullest?
4. As Hayden and Levi grow closer, Hayden never fully lets Levi into the whole truth about the loophole. Why is Hayden unable to let go of the loophole, even when it may no longer serve him?
5. Stonevale is a very small town where every neighbor knows your secrets. In what ways was it vital to Hayden’s growth to have ended up at Stonevale? How might his story have changed if he resided, for example, in a major city?
6. Levi’s purpose is to make his vision for a community garden a reality. What does this garden symbolize and how does it speak to the growth and healing that both Levi and Hayden undergo together?
7. The Fates are omnipresent, especially when it comes to Hayden’s life. How did your opinion of them evolve throughout the story?
8. Hayden’s shadows are a character in and of themselves. In what ways did you perceive them as an extension of Hayden versus autonomous creatures guiding Hayden through his mortal existence?
9. Dearly Departed features a delightful cast of characters, immortal-ish and mortal alike—from Irene, Dominic, and Elijah to Hayden’s brothers to Levi’s parents—all of whom offer up some comedic relief, but never without a dose of wisdom. Share your favorite moment with one of these characters. Who was your favorite and why?
10. Dearly Departed explores the healing power of love and what it looks like to embrace life’s “full-bloom moments.” Describe your full-bloom moment. How has this sentiment altered the way you approach your day-to-day?