SUBURBAN HELL BCK

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1

5

Despite the She Shed’s jocular

When Liz becomes possessed, she

beginnings, the four friends share

isn’t afraid to wreath havoc on the

a deep need for such an enclave.

town. Do you think other people

What does the She Shed represent

in the neighborhood noticed the

to them?

drastic change in Liz to the same

2

Amy, Liz, Jess, and Melissa are all quite different. But their reluctant acceptance of their suburban roles

degree that her friends did? Would others have sensed the presence of something eerily abnormal? Discuss.

6

and their hatred for what they call

Author Maureen Kilmer touches

the Mom Mafia unite them. Do

on some darker themes: addiction,

you think their bonds of friendship

depression, isolation. Outside of the

would have been just as strong if

story’s obvious horror elements,

the Mom Mafia didn’t exist?

in what forms do we see darkness

3

Amy realizes something is off with Liz when Liz fails to clean up her house after their movie night. What

or evil surrounding a character? Is darkness limited to a certain kind of character? If so, why?

7

would be the first sign of demonic

The suburban life is relentlessly

possession in your best friend?

social, awfully competitive, and

4

continually hectic. The husbands of Whispering Farms subdivision

The demon offers its first tangible

should share (mostly) the same

threat by slaughtering the

burdens as their wives, yet the

bunnies on Amy’s lawn, which

women seem to bear the weight of

is only discovered during the

exhaustion more readily. Discuss the

neighborhood block party. Why do

husbands’ methods of coping with

you think this was the demon’s first

their respective living situations as

statement of threat?

compared with their wives’.

8

11

Amy has her hands full with her two

Once Amy realizes it’s up to her,

kids, for whom she must engage

Melissa, and Jess to save Liz, she

with the PTA and pretentious block

tries to rally her friends to exorcise

parties. But what she wants to

the demon. Instead, she’s left with

do is make a difference. Name

empty text messages from Jess

a few reasons why Amy might

and Melissa, who decide it would

dread organizational projects

be best to leave town—and Liz. Do

for the school.

you understand the impulse to leave

9

The pressures of motherhood don’t always allow for many bonding moments between mother and

town? In what instances do loyalty (and exorcisms) trump fear and safety?

12

child. On top of searching for a

During one of their movie nights,

job, Amy must orchestrate top-tier

Amy mentions that she “was a

playdates and take her kids out for

serious horror movie fan as a

ice cream and pizza, all the while

teenager” (page 8). Meanwhile,

cleaning up after their messes. But

Melissa grew up fearing the mildest

when Mavis emerges, Emily’s ability

of threats: birth control, Halloween,

to see Amelia brings Amy’s more

weed. Discuss how their respective

intimate moments with Emily into

backgrounds inform their reactions

focus. Discuss how the pressures

to the Ouija board. What strengths

of motherhood can both bring one

do each of the women bring to

closer to individuals and create

the table both in terms of demon-

distance in one’s relationships.

fighting and excelling at the

10

Amy quickly learns how to deal with a volatile Liz: how to decipher the real Liz from the possessed Liz. Amy can render these two versions as clearly distinct. Would you find it difficult to see your friend in the same way if they had attacked you, despite knowing they were possessed?

suburban way?