The Return of Ellie Black

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What was your experience reading The Return of Ellie Black? Did you find the twists unexpected? Why or why not? How much do anticipation and surprise matter to you when reading a thriller or mystery? 
• The Return of Ellie Black is one of several contemporary thrillers that center on female protagonists and/or spotlight women’s issues. How does it compare to other novels in this subgenre (e.g., Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, etc.)?
• Based on this novel, would you be interested in reading more by Emiko Jean? Why or why not?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection (

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

• Lydia and Ellie cooperate to varying degrees with their captors. In your opinion, how much responsibility does each character bear for her role in the novel’s events? Is one more culpable than the other? Why? 
• How did you feel about the novel’s portrayal of men and masculinity? Do you think it’s important to offer positive depictions of masculinity alongside more negative ones? Why or why not?
• Names play a significant role in The Return of Ellie Black as markers of identity. How attached are you to your own name? Would you ever consider changing it? Under what circumstances?
• Chelsey’s childhood experiences strongly influenced her decision to become a detective. What experiences contributed to your own choice of career/life path?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

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

• Queen Anne’s lace is key to the girls’ attempts to resist their captors. What broader point do you think the novel is making about the relationship between patriarchy and control of women’s bodies?
• Ellie suggests that she was targeted for kidnapping because few people would care about finding her. What does she mean by this? In what ways does US society prioritize certain lives over others, especially when it comes to missing person cases?
• How does Chelsey’s story comment on the experiences of adopted children—particularly children whose adoptive parents are of a different race or ethnicity?

4. Literary Analysis 

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

• Like many contemporary thrillers, The Return of Ellie Black rotates between different point-of-view characters. What is the effect of using alternating points of view to tell this story? Why might this narrative structure suit the thriller genre? 
• How and why does Chelsey change over the course of the novel? What strategies does Jean use to chart her character development?
• Much of the novel takes place in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. How does Jean draw on long-standing cultural associations between the woods and danger?
• Home and family are complicated subjects for many of the novel’s characters, including Chelsey and West. What is the relationship between home and trauma in The Return of Ellie Black? Does the novel suggest that it is possible to rewrite this relationship?
• Consider Ellie’s relationship with Star. In what ways does Star’s situation parallel that of the kidnapped girls and women? How does the bond that develops between Ellie and Star represent a form of resistance?

5. Creative Engagement (2-3 questions)

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine a movie adaptation of this novel. Who would you cast in the lead roles? Who would you want to direct?
• During one of Ellie’s therapy sessions, Cerise asks her to draw a picture that represents friendship. Replicate this activity. What have you drawn, and what does your drawing represent? 

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