59 pages • 1 hour read
Tillie ColeA Thousand Broken Pieces
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
The Prologue rewrites a scene from A Thousand Boy Kisses from Savannah’s perspective. Using evidence from the text, explain how this choice sets the stage for A Thousand Broken Pieces.
Compare and contrast Savannah’s and Cael’s lives before the trip. How do they react to the news of the trip, and how have they coped with their grief so far? What do these differences tell you about their characters?
Savannah and Cael have an instant connection. How does this instant connection play into or subvert tropes within the romance genre? If you have read A Thousand Boy Kisses, how do Savannah and Cael compare to Poppy and Rune?
The first location that the group visits is the Lake District in England. Why is this location significant to Leo and Mia’s plan? How does Savannah and Cael’s budding relationship add to the location’s meaning?
As in A Thousand Boy Kisses, most chapter names in A Thousand Broken Pieces are five words long, containing two noun-adjective pairs and the word “and.” The names of Chapters 24 and 28, however, consist of only a single word each. What effect does this have? What sets these chapters apart?
Discuss the symbolism surrounding kintsugi. How does Cael’s decision to get a tattoo embellished with gold detailing develop this symbolism?
Exposure therapy is a technique in which a person exposes themselves to something that triggers negative emotions. How does exposure therapy function in the novel?
What role does the Wind Phone serve, narratively and symbolically? What does the novel suggest about remaining “in communication” with departed loved ones?
How does this novel engage in a discussion surrounding mental health and stigma? For example, is Cael’s decision to seek further care framed positively or negatively, and why?
The Epilogue takes place eight years after the main events of the novel. Why is it important that Savannah and Cael have a delayed “happy ending”? What happens in those eight years that adds to or detracts from their romance?
