One Perfect Couple

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your initial reactions to the novel’s central mysteries? Which elements of the plot were most surprising, unexpected, or emotionally resonant?
• What other mysteries or thrillers did One Perfect Couple remind you of? How does Ware’s novel compare to the work of authors who have written in the same genre (for example, Agatha Christie, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins)? 
• Were there elements of One Perfect Couple that stretched the bounds of reality? Which of these elements do you think were intentionally or unintentionally sensationalized? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Which of the main characters did you most closely relate to? How and why might you have connected with Lyla Santiago, Dan, Santana, Zana, or others of the primary figures?
• How did you emotionally respond to Conor Brian’s character evolution and the revelations about his past? Does his character arc remind you of any key political, cultural, or social figures?
• Do the characters deserve the fate they receive, and if so, why? 
• One Perfect Couple explores notions of manipulation and deceit. To what extent do you feel the characters are responsible for their manipulative behaviors, given their context?
• The characters are trapped in a secluded place throughout the novel. How do you think you would respond if you were in a similarly claustrophobic and extreme environment? Do you think your behaviors might mirror the characters’ if you were also on reality television?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• One Perfect Couple engages in debates surrounding gender biases, #MeToo, and women’s credibility. Which elements of the novel do you see as allegorical or analogical? Particularly consider Conor’s death and the female characters’ role in disseminating his story.
• One Perfect Couple takes its inspiration from early 2000s reality television culture. How did you interpret Ware’s commentary on reality TV and the intersection of people’s public and private lives? How have these questions evolved since the advent of social media?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• One Perfect Couple contains interlude sections, allusions to the future, and fictionalized diary entries. How did you interpret these structural elements? How did they impact your reading experience, and how is the form enacting the novel’s themes?
• The novel is set on a remote island. How does this setting affect the main characters physically, emotionally, and psychologically? How are their fates related to the setting?
• Lyla is immediately repelled by how she’s sexualized on the show but later internalizes these gender biases and expectations. What does her changing regard for her sex and body imply about her identity as a woman? How does her self-regard relate to her culture’s impact on her psyche?
• How does Lyla’s work as a virology researcher relate to her character’s identity? Does her vocational background impact the way she behaves and processes the world? Consider also how her work informs her narration.
• What symbolic role do the villas play in the narrative? How does Lyla in particular relate to the villas, and what do these settings elicit from her character?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were auditioning for One Perfect Couple, how would you frame your application?
• Rewrite one of Conor’s diary entries from a different character’s point of view. 
• If One Perfect Couple were adapted for the screen, whom would you cast in the lead roles, and why? Consider also how you’d structure the adaptation given the novel’s inventive form. 

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