The Inmate

What are the effects of using first-person narration in the novel? Why does Josh become the first-person narrator in the Epilogue?

Consider the relationships between parents and children in the novel. How does Brooke’s estrangement from her parents compare to Shane’s bond with his mother? How does Brooke’s childhood impact how she raises Josh?

Discuss bullying in the novel. How does Josh’s bullying impact him? Why does Tim refer to Shane as a bully? Does the way Marcus and the prison inmates treat Shane constitute bullying? Why or why not?