CUSS.

REPE
D. DIS AT
A .
RE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her
over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in Book
her closet, compulsively scratching the back of her neck, Club
trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does. Pick!
At school, nobody sees the scratches or her pain. But when
Bodee Lennox, the quiet, awkward boy next door, comes to
live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend who
understands her better than anyone. He has secrets of his
own and knows all about suffering in silence. As they lean
on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to
deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to
finally speak up.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you think of Hayden’s reaction when
Alexi tells him there’d been a sexual assault over
the summer (p. 90)? Do you agree or disagree with
his response? Why?
2. People deal with pain and suffering in many
different ways. Why do you think Alexi harms
herself in order to cope with her sadness, and why
is she so reluctant to get help? How would you
react to a situation like hers?
3. Do you agree with Alexi when she says the following:
“No matter what, I still have this soft place inside
me for good guys who do stupid things…. There’s
more to me than most guys understand, and I
know there’s more to him” (p. 194)? Do you think
whoever did this to Alexi is a decent guy, despite
doing such a horrible thing? Why or why not?
4. How do Bodee and Alexi help each other to become
brave? Do you think they would have turned out
the same without each other?
5. What do you think draws Alexi and Bodee to each
other? Is it love, friendship, or something else?
6. Would you consider Heather and Liz to be good
friends to Alexi? Do you think they could have
done anything differently to help their friend in
need? How about Alexi’s parents and sister?
7. Were you surprised to learn the identities of
Captain Lyric and Alexi’s abuser? How did
this change your perspective on each of these
characters?
8. What do you think this book says about gender
roles, and how do both Bodee and Alexi break out
of those roles?
9. In what ways does Alexi transform from the
beginning of the story to the end?
10. Describe the central themes of the novel. How
does the title relate to those themes?
11. What message do you think the author is trying to
convey to her readers through this story?

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