READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper
Discussion Questions:


1.   When we first meet Isidora Avramov, she’s summoning a relatively benign demon—who turns out to be a lot more than she bargained for! We discover that Issa often does risky magic of this nature just to blow off some steam. What do you think of the morality of an outlet that may put others in danger? Did it influence your perception of Issa right off the bat, one way or the other?

2. Issa is deeply conflicted about her position as creative director of the Arcane Emporium’s haunted house—a role she once loved, but has since outgrown in favor of other professional aspirations. Can you identify with Issa’s guilt and fear of sharing these new desires and goals with her family?

3. Issa and Elena, her mother and the Avramov matriarch, are very close, yet it’s also clear that much goes unsaid between them. What did you think of their relationship? Could you identify with the way they relate to each other, or does it mystify you?

4. Issa and Rowan have a somewhat silly “archnemesis-ship,” but it’s one they both take very seriously. What do you think of the way things went down between them at the animal shelter, and how they both contributed to that conflict? Who do you think was more at fault, if anyone?

5. The Thorns and the Avramovs have a long and complicated family history. Do you think they’re truly as at odds with each other as they seem? Do you think some of their polar opposite qualities actually intensify Issa and Rowan’s attraction to each other; if so, why?

6. Issa is a powerful necromantic sorceress, even stronger than her older sister. Which of her spells did you find most impressive? Which, if any, did you find the most unnerving? What do you think of her necromancy, as it compares to Rowan’s green magic and healing?

7. The Thorns have very different family dynamics than the Avramovs, but both families consider themselves tight-knit and devoted to each other. Compare the bonds between Rowan and his cousin Holly and younger sister, Lark, to Issa’s relationship with her cousin Letha and the way she interacts with her siblings at the revelry. What differences and similarities do you see?

8. Issa has a history of anxiety and panic attacks, which she does her best to quell and hide from even her closest friends and family. What do you think of the way she chooses to handle her anxiety, and the way Rowan approaches it?

9. What do you think of the way the Thorn family reacts to repeated attacks against their own—especially ones that seem to be of such trademark Avramov magic? Do you appreciate their restraint, or do you think you might have been more aggressive in their shoes?

10. What do you think of Issa’s decision to process her complex feelings by incorporating her unfolding story with Rowan and the mystery of the curse into her new narrative for the haunted house? Was this hitting below the belt, or a legitimate source of inspiration?

11. Talia has a surprising role to play in the mystery of the poltergeist haunting, the Bitters, and the attacks against the Thorns. Were you surprised to discover her connection with Valentina Avramov? Do you think Issa—and even Emmy—are right to blame themselves in not having noticed something awry with Talia? Why do you think they didn’t?

12. What lessons on misplaced family values, individual ambition, and even perceptions of misogyny, can you draw from Valentina’s possession? Do you think she was downright evil . . . or did she occasionally have a valid point to make? By the end of the book, what differences could you see between the way Valentina and Issa relate to the Thorns, and to their own family legacy?