A Flicker in the Dark

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your initial thoughts on Chloe’s character and her career as a psychologist, given her traumatic family history? How does her profession shape her approach to the events in the story? 
• How did you feel about the novel’s use of flashbacks and memories to reveal details of Chloe’s past? Did this narrative technique enhance the suspense for you? Why or why not? 
• Chloe’s relationships with her family, especially her brother, Cooper, and her fiancé, Daniel, are central to the novel. What was your impression of these relationships, and how did they impact your view of Chloe’s reliability as a narrator? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

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

• Chloe’s journey is deeply affected by her childhood trauma. To what extent do you feel it’s possible to move beyond a difficult upbringing? How have you formed that opinion?
• Chloe uses coping mechanisms such as her career, alcohol, and medication to control her fears. Have you ever relied on specific routines or behaviors to manage stress or anxiety? If so, how do you see these methods either helping or hindering your personal growth?
• Chloe learns to rely on her intuition as she faces the truth about her family.