Looking for JJ

What do the feral cats surrounding the reservoir represent for different characters throughout the novel?

What roles do mothers and maternal figures play throughout the story, and how does Cassidy envision motherhood?

The novel vacillates between Alice’s story in the present and Jennifer’s story in the past. What effect does this alternating storyline achieve, and what do you think the alternating storylines tell the reader about memory and identity?

As Alice becomes sexually active for the first time and we learn more about her mother’s past, the novel raises questions about sex, misogyny, and bodily autonomy. How does the novel view sexual behavior, female agency, and male desire?

In each part of the novel, Cassidy refers to the protagonist by a different name, rather than calling her by her given name throughout. How does this affect how the reader experiences the story, and why do you think Cassidy made this decision?

How does the novel address guilt and innocence? Is Alice portrayed as guilty?

One of the themes that characterizes Part Two of the novel is girlhood friendships and bullying. How does the novel characterize girlhood relationships, and how does the characterization relate to the action of the story?

Unlike many stories told about serious crimes, Looking for JJ is told from the perspective of the killer herself. How does this change how we view the protagonist and her crimes?