Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert

 What a psychologist's dream, this book!  This book has all kinds of psychoses, I don't even know where to begin!  

Dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities) is a good place to begin.  The author put a twist on this already difficult to believe and understand mental health condition and had one of the characters envelop other characters' personalities.  Is that actually a thing or what this character just a "good actor"?  The argument in the book (and real life) is that the child lived through such trauma, his brain created these personalities to cope with the stress.  Do you think it helped?

Other issues that arise are cultism and how it breeds and cultivates, psychosis that leads one to kill and entice others to follow your lead and kill for you (Charles Manson ring a bell?).  The story also shows us what childhood neglect can lead to (i.e., kidnapping and psychotic violent breaks).  We even have a touch of substance abuse in the mix.

The story has many plot lines and stories weaved into the mix and it can get too confusing.  Often, I found myself wanting it to "get to the point."  But that it did.  I truly enjoyed reading this and personally am thrilled with the outcome.  Can't wait to discuss.

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Discussion Questions

1. The book begins with the public execution of "Father Silence."  What went wrong during the execution and how that play into the entire story?
2. Tess Claiborne's parents are brutally murdered, but the story is more heavily centered on the kidnapping of her daughter at the same time.  Do you think it was important to murder Tess's parents, given the plot, or could they have just created the mystery around Julia's kidnapping?  What added plot quality was there to include the double murder?
3. There are several relationships highlighted among the story's heroes.  Discuss the dynamics between the relationships of Justin, Tess, Danny, and Eliza.
4. There were several events leading up to the arrest of Father Silence.  What role did Tess play in the entire night?  Why do you think she repressed many of the memories of that night?
5. Julia, despite her parent's weaknesses, is a strong character throughout the story.  Do you think she will be able to keep her resiliency after experiencing this trauma?
6. There were many religious elements included within the story.  What role do you think Catholicism played and why do you believe the author included such as strong influence?
7. Do you believe that Benjamin would ever hurt "his" children?  Did you find his ending tragic?
8. Who do you believe was the main antagonist? How did you feel about the end for them?
9. Do you believe Noah actually suffered from dissociative identity disorder, or was he just a good actor?
10. What do you think is in the future for any and all of the characters?

I, Robot by Issac Asimov

 Adding a sci-fi thriller to the list!

I enjoyed this, even though some of the concepts were a bit over my head :(.  Logically, everything presented made sense and I kind of liked the utopian ending.  What did you think?

I also liked how it was happening in our current time - in fact, I am the exact same age as the robopsychologist, Dr. Susan Calvin.  She's a psychologist, too, so fun!  I liked how she was a female leader in the ever-growing world of men and basically everyone went to her for answer on why the robots have gone wrong.

The level of suspense in this book definitely would classify it as a thriller.  I was always wondering when the robots would take over, like you would see in all the robot movies out there, even the one with the same title!  Not going to spoil the ending for you, but you will see that the anxiety was not worth it.

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Discussion Questions:

Borrowed from Reading Group Guides

1. Do Asimov’s now-famous Three Laws of Robotics mirror humanity’s ethics code in any way? Whose orders are human beings required to obey? Do our definitions of "harm" ever lead to the same confounding dilemmas experienced in I, Robot?

2. Why was Gloria’s mother unable to accept Robbie as an excellent nursemaid? Was Robbie premonitory on Asimov’s part—a prediction that children in the twenty-first century might form intense emotional attachments to electronics?

3. Cutie (QT) questions his origins and finds it impossible to believe that a human created him. In what ways did Powell and Donovan reinforce this belief?

4. Does the case of Stephen Byerley indicate that robots might make better politicians? Would this only hold true if, as the novel envisions, nations dissolve into massive world regions?

5. What is the ultimate commodity produced by U.S. Robot & Mechanical Men, Inc.? Does our global workforce follow this model in any way? Were humor and compassion inevitable traits in the robots? Do these traits interfere with productivity in the world of I, Robot?

6. In the book’s closing lines, Dr. Susan Calvin tells the narrator, "You will see what comes next," as robots stand between mankind and destruction. How did her career lead up to such a precarious conclusion?

7. I, Robot has been turned into a major motion picture starring Will Smith. How does the movie compare with your book-reading experience? What do you think of the adjustments made and liberties taken when converting this collection of stories to one seamless film adaptation?

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

  How do you decide the future of a young girl that can't speak?  She has 3 likely guardians that all want the best for her (or do they) and will do anything to protect her from the scary world outside of the "House of Glass."  Actually, it is more like a "plastic" house.  The obscenely rich family decided to remove all glass from the house after the recent tragic death of their nanny - who fell to her death from the third floor after crashing through the window!

Did the young girl (Rose) witness this accident, or was she more involved and was this an accident at all?  Why isn't she speaking?  Stella Hudson thinks she knows - traumatic mutism (is that a thing?).  She suffered from the same thing after her mother's death.  She has also been assigned to investigate the best possible custody option for Rose, now that her parents are divorcing.  However, the nanny's death (Tina) is still under investigation and the cops suspect foul play.  If Stella doesn't know who the killer is, does she risk granting custody of Rose to a murderer?

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Discussion Questions

1. The story opens up with Stella observing Rose (her future client) heading to her weekly therapy appointment.  She watches as she picks up a shard of glass and hides it in her pocket.  What do you think the significance of this scene is and why do you think the author chooses to open the book with it?
2. Later, Stella meets her soon to be ex-husband, Marco, at a bar to sign their divorce papers.  What did you find most intriguing about this scene and its importance to the book's overall plot/themes?
3. Marcos' mother is later introduced in the story for a short time.  Why do you think the author chose to highlight this relationship?  Was it important to the book's overall plot/themes?
4. Stella finally enters the Barclay's residence and there is much commotion with construction and family members busying themselves about the house.  What was your first impression of the Barclay family?  What was your first impression about the house, as Stella described it?
5. Rose and Stella have a disorder the author names "traumatic mutism," which is a form of "selective mutism."  Do you think this exists?  What do you think causes it?  How do you believe it can be cured?  What are the parallels between Rose and Stella's mutism?
6. Stella has a confidante in Charles.  Is this a good or bad relationship?
7. Tina - the nanny - was important to the plot because her death seemingly sparked the family's fracture.  Do you think that the family was intact before the death or were there other signs?  If Tina did not join the family, would this have happened?  
8. The introduction of another character to the family, Harriet, also made an impact on the dynamic.  Do you believe the family would have been able to survive without Harriet but with Tina?  Or without both of them?  Could Ian, Beth, and Rose be a close family with just each other?
9. Did you find the ending shocking?  Believable? Tragic?
10. What do you think will happen next?