Strays (Caloyeras)

Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Iris was treated fairly by Ms. Schneider and the school when she gets into trouble taking her English final? Why or why not?

2. How does Roman and Iris’s relationship evolve throughout the story? Does Iris’s fear of dogs motivate or paralyze her? In what ways have you been motivated or paralyzed by fear?

3. Why do you think Perry structures her class around fairy tales? What fairy tale can you relate to your own life?

4. In what ways are the teens that participate in Ruff Rehabilitation similar to their dogs? In what ways are they different?

5. How does Perry’s selection of Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber help Iris work through her relationship with Roman and help with grieving the loss of her mother?

6. Have you ever had a teacher like Perry? Or a teacher like Ms. Schneider? How can a teacher change your trajectory?

7. Describe Iris’s relationship with her father. How do you think her father would describe their relationship? How does their relationship change over the course of the novel?

8. How are Iris’s friendships tested throughout the novel?

9. Many of the characters in Strays have secrets. What are their secrets and how do they serve to help or hinder each character?

10. How has this novel changed your view on animals perceived as “dangerous”?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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