Get ready for a great book group meeting! We are now reading:
RED: the color of blood, the color of murder, the color of sin...Hannah Payne wakes up in a cell after being injected with a virus that has turned her skin completely red -- her crime: she aborted her illegitimate pregnancy in a new American society where that is illegal. She will not name the father of her unborn child, a famous married minister, nor the abortionist, and is charged and convicted of murder. What happens to Hannah when she is released from the temporary post-chroming seclusion and is thrust back into a society where she is stigmatized and humiliated by everyone who sees her as a Red? Prevented from returning to her home by parents who will not allow her to live with them, Hannah must navigate a scary road to regain her dignity and make a new life for herself in a world where there is no longer separation between church and state -- and no protection for the Chromes.
I suggest that you obtain and read this book if you like dystopian, futuristic novels about family, religious controversies, crime and punishment, relationships, and self-discovery. The author weaves a very interesting tale -- yes it does have themes similar to those found in some of the classic literature, but it brings all of those together in a new and very thought-provoking way. This would be a fantastic book for a book group discussion.
I will be recommending this!
Discussion Questions - please post your answers in comment section
1. Is this futuristic imagining of the direction of reality television believable?
2. What elements within this futuristic society have lead to the acceptability of the cruel treatment of those who've committed crimes?
3. Was Hannah's decision not to reveal the identity of either her baby's father or the abortionist justified? What does this say about her character?
4. How do you feel about the baby's father and his decisions regarding not coming forward?
5. Discuss how the concept of religion is portrayed through the major characters: Hannah, her mother, her father, her sister Becca, the Henleys, Aidan and Cole.
6. Does Hannah change within the course of the novel? How?
7. What are your thoughts on Hannah's friend Kayla? In what ways is she different from Hannah?
8. How would you describe the halfway house run by the Henleys? Did it serve its intended purpose?
9. What aspects of Hannah and Kayla's flight struck you most? What experiences stood out for you?
10. Was the ending believable?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
Ms C.
Review originally published Sunday, August 19, 2012
