READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
Discussion Questions:


1.   Miri likes to take risks, but they don’t always pay off. Between all the wrong turns, accidents, creepy-crawlies, and bad guys, do you think it was brave of Miri to keep pushing on in the quest for the Moon City, or do you think she was selfish for putting her team in danger? Would you have handled any of those situations differently?

2.   Much of the reason Miri continues the expedition is because she is afraid of returning home a failure and disappointing her mentor, Dr. Mejía. Do you think her fears are grounded, or does Miri put this pressure on herself? Do you think there was any specific point during the expedition when Miri should have given up? Why or why not? Do you think there are other reasons that Miri stays on the expedition?

3.   Rafa’s reasons for accompanying the team are both professional and personal. Was his personal goal more valid than the expedition team’s? Once he started having feelings for Miri, do you think he should have come clean about why he was really there? Should he have quit the expedition without telling her about his connection to the protectors? Was Rafa ever justified in his deception of Miri? How would you handle a situation where you and a person you care deeply about have opposing interests?

4.   By all accounts, Dr. Socorro Mejía is the most badass archaeologist of her time. For this reason, Miri and many of the other expedition crew members idolize her, even going so far as trying to emulate her. What traits and characteristics do you find admirable in a person? Are there any traits in others that you try to emulate?

5.   Miri believes in the need to preserve archaeological finds to better understand the people who came before us. Do you agree? If there was
a real-life expedition to the Moon City, what do you think should happen to the city and its artifacts after discovery?

6.   Rafa questions whether his father ever truly loved his mother—or him—or if they were just pawns in his schemes. What do you think and
why? Can someone like his father actually care for others?

7.   Miri deems herself a snack connoisseur. If you were traveling to a remote location in the Amazon and could bring a few snacks from home
for comfort, what would you bring? How would you feel if that snack became your nickname? (Jo would bring Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, potato chips, and Sour Patch Kids, and she’s not mad about any of those as nicknames.)

8.   Very Serious Bonus Question: Jo’s passing reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Temple of Swoon has sparked a serious debate—Who is the hottest ninja turtle? (Trick question because there is only one answer, and it’s Michelangelo.)