Reader’s Discussion Guide

This book was tough to write. At first I thought it was because I was sick for several months while writing it (that’s one reason why Ivy is sick, too—why not use real life as fodder?). I also thought it might be because I began writing Phantom soon after we adopted a little rescue terrier who did not like me sitting at the computer for more than a half hour at a time (He’s calmed down. A bit). But I think it may have been difficult because I was writing about themes that feel really personal. I get majorly ticked off at scam artists and their betrayal of people who can least afford it. I strongly believe we should appreciate our amazing bodies, but while I wish I could unconditionally accept and exult in my own body, I’m not quite there yet (at least not every day). But I think what hit me hardest were Ivy’s struggles with her friendship with Candy. I suspect many of us have felt the pain of losing (or almost losing) a friend.

 

But this book is also about the joy of friendship, especially with those people who unexpectedly enhance your life. It’s about the wonder of theater, and the people who make the magic behind the scenes. And of course, it’s about ghosts—I had a great time writing the spooky stuff, incorporating ghost stories I’ve heard from friends and a few things I experienced myself. I hope you have a great time reading it too.

 

- Cindy Brown

  

Topics & Questions for Discussion

 

Have you gone through a tough time with a friend? How did you get through it?

 

Ivy says, “Friendships are funny animals. There were some people I liked from the start—like Candy—people I hoped would become my friends. Other friends sort of snuck up on me, like Eden, and now, Logan.” Have you had similar experiences?

 

Do you think the media/entertainment industry’s idea of beauty has changed over the last ten years? Over the last twenty? The last fifty? How so?

 

Do you think social media is a positive or negative factor in body acceptance?

 

Are you comfortable with your body? If so, how did you get there? If not, can you take Eden’s advice to “change what you see, not how you look?” What might help you?

 

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever experienced any inexplicable phenomena?

 

Enhance Your Book Club or Class Discussion

 

Watch the films! There’s a 2004 adaptation of the musical The Phantom of the the Opera, plus myriad earlier versions of the non-musical story (including a very cool 1925 silent version with Lon Chaney, available at your local library or via YouTube). And of course, you can never watch The Wizard of Oz too many times.

 

The organ intro from The Phantom of the Opera’s title song plays a role in this book. Listen to it on YouTube.

 

Read the original The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. You can find it at your local library or download a free version (it’s in the public domain) from Project Gutenberg. See if you recognize any of the text: the chapter titles in The Phantom of Oz are all taken from Leroux’s Phantom, as are several character’s names (a few names come from The Wizard of Oz too).

 

Read the original Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, also in the public domain and available at Project Gutenberg. You might also enjoy Wicked, both the novel by Gregory Maguire and the musical adaptation (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman).

 

Take a tour of a historic theater—you’d be surprised how many places offer them. Ask the tour guide about ghosts.

 

Take a haunted tour of your hometown (just Google it.)

 

Embrace your beautiful body. Get inspiration online at thisisbeauty.org, watch the 2016 documentary Embrace, or follow some body positive hash tags like #embraceyourself, #bodylove, and #iamenough.

 

Visit www.cindybrownwriter.com to learn more about me and sign up for my Slightly Silly Newsletter, an irreverent look at mystery and drama (with a smidgen of book news).