Layla

Compare and contrast Aspen and Chad’s relationship to Leeds and Layla’s. How does the author highlight the differences between them, and what is the effect? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Layla combines elements from several genres, including romance, suspense, and ghost stories. What are the elements of each, and which genre do you think is the most prominent? If you were a bookseller, what section of a bookstore would you place this book in? Explain your answer with evidence from the text.

Layla consists of narrative chapters interspersed with interviews. What does the author achieve by organizing the book this way? Do you think this is an effective format for the story? Explain why or why not.

Explain how strands of hair, string, or rope are recurring images in the novel. What larger ideas do they represent? Use specific examples from the text.

After the night of the shooting, what are some early indicators in Layla’s behavior that suggest she’s inhabited by Sable’s spirit? Explain how you know and why Leeds doesn’t realize it until much later.

Layla insists that the only way to get her spirit back into her body is for her to be dead momentarily. Leeds is reluctant because he is afraid that a misstep will result in Layla being permanently dead. Can you think of any flaws in this logic or alternative solutions to the problem that don’t involve Layla dying?

Do you think Leeds did the right thing by assisting Layla in her drowning? Explain why or why not with evidence from the text.

When Layla wakes up in the hospital at the end of the book, Leeds knows that their plan worked and that she is fully Layla again, body and soul together. Explain the significance of that moment.