READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
You, with a View by Jessica Joyce
Discussion Questions:


1. Secrets are a main theme of You, with a View: Noelle wanting to discover a piece of her gram’s life that wasn’t revealed during their game of Tell Me a Secret, the elements of Paul and Kathleen’s relationship, and Noelle and Theo revealing their own over the course of the road trip. In what ways do you think secrets can bring people together? Conversely, how do they pull people apart?

2. Noelle is grieving both her gram and a career that hasn’t lived up to her expectations; Theo is grieving his job and the lofty plans he had for his company. What are the different kinds of grief a person can experience? What do you think is the difference between grief that holds you back and grief that helps you grow? How did you see their grieving play out in Noelle’s and Theo’s lives over the course of the book?

3. Throughout the story, Noelle struggles with what she views as her lack of success in adulthood. Did you think her view of success, both her own and others’, changes by the end? How do you define success in your own life?

4. Noelle has a close, supportive relationship with her family—did you have a favorite secondary character in You, with a View?

5. What do you think of Paul and Kathleen’s story? Even though they didn’t have a happy ending with each other, do you think they still got their happy ever after? Have you learned any lessons from failed relationships (family, friends, love) in your own life that have helped lead you to stronger future relationships?

6. At the beginning of the book, Noelle connects with Paul and Theo when her TikTok goes viral. Once she starts documenting their road trip, she connects with strangers via comments and DMs about the impact of her work, viewers’ important relationships that mirror Noelle’s and Gram’s, and even Paul and Kathleen’s story. How has social media connected you to someone or something meaningful or important?

7. Describe your perfect road trip: What places would you visit? What kind of music would you listen to on the way? Who would you want to bring with you?

8. Have you ever visited any of the places Noelle, Theo, and Paul travel to in You, with a View? Did you have a favorite scene on one of their trail hikes?

9. Noelle’s passion for photography comes out in many ways in this book. What was your favorite photograph taken by Noelle or someone else in this story? Do you have any hobbies that you’ve returned to at different points in your life?

10. Noelle grows close to Paul as they travel on Kathleen and Paul’s planned honeymoon road trip, and as they share their memories of her beloved grandmother. Was there one letter that Paul shared with Noelle that you think was most meaningful to her?