Phantasma

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

1. Ophelia struggles with the burden of legacy. Have you ever felt pressured to live up to a family member’s legacy? What (if anything) do you find unique about this type of social expectation?

2. Phantasma makes Ophelia reckon with what she desires for the trajectory of her life. Have you ever been in a situation that prompted similar reflection? Do you sympathize with Ophelia’s circumstances?

3. Ophelia finds strength in her romantic relationship with Blackwell. What are the pros and cons of locating one’s strength in a romantic relationship, in your opinion? Do you think the novel sufficiently explores these pros and cons?

4. What did you think of the romantic relationship between Ophelia and Blackwell? Do you think they are well suited as romantic partners?

5. This novel deals with the theme of Sacrifice for the Sake of Survival. Do you think there are limits to the sacrifices one will make in order to survive? What if it’s not one’s own survival that is in question?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. There are many stigmatizing and sensational portrayals of obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as some accurate, non-stigmatizing portrayals, such as John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down. Which side of the spectrum is this novel on, or is it somewhere in the middle? What is gained or lost from portraying something like OCD alongside fantasy worldbuilding?

2. How is New Orleans’s specific history of magic and its unique cultural medley portrayed in the novel? Are any aspects of the city underrepresented in the novel?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What influence, literal and metaphorical, does Dante’s Inferno have on the novel’s events and themes? How does the idea of Hell’s various levels relate to the action of the plot?

2. Considering theme, plot, and Ophelia’s character arc, in what ways is this novel a coming-of-age story or bildungsroman (a “novel of education”)? What events contribute most to Ophelia’s growth?

3. In what ways is the Grimm legacy embodied in the novel’s symbols?

4. What motivates Ophelia and Genevieve to enter the competition? How do these motivations speak to their broader characterization and personalities?

5. To what extent does the idea of fate animate the novel as characters meet, form relationships, and develop the novel’s themes and rising tension via their actions?